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St.Mary's Church, which stands
on the junction of Antsy Road and Hall Lane, is the successor of an
earlier chapel which stood on the same site. The original chapel was
probably built sometime after 1086 as the Domesday Survey makes no mention
of a priest serving the hamlet.
The first mention of a chapel in Walsgrave, (then known as Sowe), was
in the year 1221 when Pope Honorious III granted protection to the Prior
and Convent of Coventry with confirmation of its lands, monasteries
and chapels in Sowe, Ansty, Shilton, Wyken, Stoke, Binley, Stivichall,
Foleshill and Spon. There is also mention of the churchyard itself,
in the Rolls of the Justice of Eyre, scribed in 1221. It tells us of
Willelmi de cimiterio (William of the cemetery), who had a house in
the churchyard itself. It is quite possible that this William may have
been the priest who served the chapel.
The chapel is again mentioned in 1260 when it is taken possession of by the Priory as part of the arrangements for the endowment of the Holy Trinity vicarage. The greater tithes, or part payment in kind, were given to the vicar by the priest who served the parish. The priest keeping these lesser tithes was not the norm, as those who served the chapels of Coundon and Willenhall were made to pay their tithes to the Holy Trinity, Coventry.
Perhaps the reason for this favouritism towards the Sowe priest may have some connection with the fact that Ralph of Sowe was shortly to become the first vicar of the Priory / Trinity alliance. It is not unlikely that Ralph of Sowe was the priest who served Sowe Chapel before he left for higher office.
By the year 1279 the Prior was said to have the chapel in his hands plus a half acre of land adjoining it. The greater tithes of wood, corn and hay and of the mill which stood on the nearby river Sowe were given to the Prior, while the lesser tithes of wool, lamb etc. remained in the hands of the priest, plus a house adjoining the churchyard and ten acres of glebe land to be worked by himself or rented to tenants. The priest was to remain there at the Prior's pleasure.
The chapel was later demolished, possibly in the late 13th or early 14th century. All that remains of the original chapel is the font, and a pillar capital, which long ago helped support the roof.
This ancient
red sandstone font was carved from a single block of local sandstone,possibly
between 1086 and 1145. It is carved with Norman arcading showing
the same pillars that supported the roof of the original Sowe
Chapel, in which it once stood. It is of an ancient design known
as a'tub font'. These fonts are low and deep as baptism in those
early times relied on the total immersion of the infant. The font
is lead lined as sandstone is absorbent. The lead is ancient but
cannot be definitely dated. |
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The present font cover
is a rather handsome piece of wood and victorian wrought-iron
work. It is interesting to note that from the 13th century all
churches had to provide covers for their fonts so as to stop witches
from stealing the holy water for use in their black magic rites. |
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Another
reminder of the ancient chapel of Sowe is a red sandstone capital
of the type which can be seen on the font. This was dug up in
the churchyard in the early part of this century, and placed within
the church by the then vicar, the Reverend Frank Taylor. It can
now be seen on the right hand side of the pathway leading to the
church entrance. It is hoped that at a future date it will once
again be placed with the church where it could be found some useful
function. |
