Holy Trinity Church
There has been a church at Chrishall for over a thousand years. There are so many stories it could tell us if only we could hear. Did it really used to look down on a village that was spread over the fields on the south of the church? And what really happened when the Plague came? Even though most of the Chrishall houses are now further up the hill the church is still there to look over the village and a recent restoration has made it even more of a community space.
Below you will find articles about the previous vicars of Chrishall and even some of the medieval inhabitants of this village. The graveyard map is here too if you are trying to find ancestors. And it starts with a picture gallery of the church from the early part of the twentieth century up to the present day. (Click here for a description of the church from The Church of England website.)
Click on a photograph or article title to read more.
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Re-opening of the church 1869
In 2015 Chrishall Church underwent an extensive project to replace the floor, replace some of the pews with chairs and also make many of the pews moveable to make a more flexible meeting place for the village. This project has been a complete success and if you have not visited the church in the last…
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Grazing on Chrishall Common
Before the Enclosure Acts, Chrishall Common was the land at the back of the High Street heading over towards Chishill. Exactly where it was I don’t know but you do see it marked on old maps …
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Church gallery of images
Chrishall Church images Click on any of the images below to see the full details of these lovely images. On the larger copy of the first image below, for example, you can see two people walking down the footpath towards The Butts. Notice how in the older photographs you can see that the church had a…
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Joan Cobham of Chrishall
In Chrishall Church there is a large brass that covers (or once covered – it has probably been moved) the tombs of Sir John de la Pole, who died probably in 1380, and his wife Joan (née Cobham), who died probably ten years or so later. And the stone effigy that is also to be…
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Trace The Past: Graffiti and Local Heritage
Do you time travel? To some extent local history research can be like time travel. The twentieth century is not only very well documented but large chunks of it are still in living memory of course. Even the 19th century has a fairly wide range of information still available to us. We know who lived…
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Rev. Godfrey Everth’s Book of Poetry
The Rev. Godfrey Everth was vicar at Chrishall from 1839 (see all the vicars of Chrishall here). We hope it was the inspiration of his surroundings that ten years later allowed him to publish a book of poetry he had written. The Rev. Godfrey Everth MA, whose memorial tablet in the church you can see…
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Vicars of Chrishall and development of the church
In the 12th century the church was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. 1100: Richard de Bologne. After the Norman Conquest, Eustace de Bologne was rewarded by King William with gifts of land, one of which was Chrishall. So it looks like he installed one of his relations as the vicar. Queen Matilda, Eustace’s daughter,…
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Church Register extracts from the 17th and 18th centuries
Memorandum that on the 12th day of August Anon Domini 1683 Roger Bankes (illegible word) read the Book of Articles of Religion and gave his (illegible word) and consent to all things contained in the Book of Common Prayer and (Illegible word) of the Sacrament and other Rites, and Ceremonies of the Church according to…
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Chrishall church without the spire 1914
This photograph was probably taken soon after the spire had been removed. According to Chrishall Scrapbook this was when the tower was restored in 1914. Note the lamp opposite the main door. There seem to be a series of these lamps across the village. (Click to see all the lamps!) Click on the small image…
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Chrishall Church Gravestone Inscriptions
Chrishall Churchyard (with thanks to The Village Web where this article was first published) There has been a church at Chrishall since before the Norman Conquest. Burial could have been offered to a Chrishall population consisting of 2 Freemen, 4 Sokemen (tenants of the local lord), 26 Villeins (Freemen who were bound to help the…