ST CATHERINES'S CHURCH, LITTLETON

There is evidence that there has been a small country church on the existing site for over a thousand years. It has been described as a small 11th century church, consisting of a Chancel, Nave, a North Aisle and a South Porch. However, although the present building could said still to resemble the size and shape of the churches built by the Saxons, restoration has been so extensive that there is no longer any Saxon work in it.

But before delving a little more into the history of St. Catherine's, let us first look at particular features of the church as it is today.

SOUTH PORCH

The south door is late 19th Century, and the brick and flint porch was built about 1870.

FONT

Near the south door is the fine Purbeck Marble Norman font with it's carved faces to the bowl, and complete with its original base, central column and four detached corner shafts. It is similar in appearance to the Tournai font in Winchester Cathedral, and indeed to several other fonts of the period in Hampshire parishes.

The cover, like that at Barton Stacey, was made in the latter part of the 19th century from the quatrefoil panelling of the medieval rood screen at Longparish, which was demolished in 1860.

NAVE

What strikes the eye immediately is the non-alignment of the chancel to the nave; it is inclined to the north, as in many early churches. It has been suggested that the nave represents the body and the chancel the head of Christ, leaning to one side on the cross.

The south wall window is deeply splayed, suggesting Norman origin, but the lancet window was inserted later, in the 13th century.

Just to the west of the chancel arch, and now covered by carpeting, there are two small brasses in the slab of limestone over a grave. They commemorate John Smythe, who died in 1505 and had been a tenant farmer of the Priory estate, and his wife Alicia, who died in 1493. These brasses were restored by the Rev. W. N. Hooper (1832-1871).

CHANCEL & EASTWARDS

It would seem that the original chancel arch was tall, narrow (only 4' 7" wide) and circular headed. On each side of the old arch a squint or hagioscope was cut, each 2' 3" wide and about 3' high, so as to allow more of the congregation to see the priest at the altar. The only original part of the church that is still visible is the base of the Norman arch to the south, with a small roll worked on the angle.

By 1885 the church had fallen into a sad state of disrepair and the chancel arch was reconstructed.

On the south west of the chancel arch is a quatrefoil which was dug up with another carved stone in the school yard in 1874. This opening may have given light to a rood screen, but it is now blocked. On the other hand, it may simply have been built into the restored chancel arch after the upper part was demolished in 1885. The south windows in the chancel, like that in the nave, are probably of Norman origin with a later Early English widely splayed single lancet window and another narrow, trefoiled single light window to the west.

In the niche to the south of the altar there is a piscina which may have replaced an earlier 13th century one. It is still in use.

The original east window was replaced in the 15th century with a squareheaded one with five trefoiled lights. In 1885 this window was restored and altered with the addition of a pointed arch filled with modern decorated tracery. The stained glass was inserted at that time. It is of no particular merit and may have been taken from another building. Just to the west of the organ, not one but two Archbishops of Rangoon have been persuaded to record their signatures on stone. The first visitor did so on 9 March 1986, and then his successor followed suit on 3 September 1988.

Externally there are signs that the chancel walls have been slightly raised, the roof being at one time also of a much flatter pitch.

NORTH AISLE & VESTRY

One school of thought has it that the first alteration to the Norman church was the building of the north aisle in the 12th century and the insertion of the arcade in the two bays. It does seem that during the 1885-1886 restoration indications of an original Norman arch, and when the foundations for the new aisle were dug others were discovered, but it has never really been determined that an earlier aisle actually existed.

It has also been said that the present columns of Bath stone are reproductions of the original Norman columns and that the arch stones are mainly original. In the roof to the north aisle some of the old oak timbers with parts of the 18th century roof trusses are thought to remain.

In 1974 a fire, possibly caused by an electrical fault in the organ, resulted in considerable damage to the vestry and that part of the north aisle leading to the vestry. Subsequent repairs restored the affected parts essentially to their state prior to the fire.

A painted board to be found between the vestry and the north aisle records "a donation of Ten Pounds left to the inhabitants of Littleton by Persons unknown which was deposited in the Winchester Savings Bank by Sir T. F. Heathcote Bart, on the 2nd Day of August 1824 - the church wardens and overseers to be trustees the Interest to be expended (sic) and distributed in Bread". In fact the gift is mentioned in returns to Parliament in 1786. It was said that the donor was William Pitter, who owned a strip of land near the churchyard and who was buried in Littleton. The original arrangement eventually lapsed but was later revived for a while under the auspices of the Chairman of the Parish Council and Overseers.

WEST END

The west window is circular headed and is probably a copy of an earlier one. The two arched recesses for bells dated 1897 replaced a similar pair. The bells themselves, a peal of 6, were hung in 1937 in memory of Arthur Elliot Deane.

The first significant structural change for around a hundred years has been the erection of a gallery at the west end of the church in 1994, thus in effect replacing the gallery built in 1817 and which had to be dismantled in 1885. It is very much against the general trend that the church has to provide for extra seating for growing congregations. There is now seating for some 130 people.

OUTSIDE THE CHURCH

To the south west of the porch, against the wall, stands a tombstone for "Temperrences, the wife of Richard Fiffild of Head Borin Worthy who dyed Octo 13th 1689 aged 85 yeares". It was discovered in the old stoke hole of the church. The name, Temperrences, is unusual and perhaps reflects Puritan times and customs. On the left of the tombstone is an original Norman buttress.

DEDICATION

The church is dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin and Martyr, although there have been earlier references - in 1886, for example, after the restoration - to St. Mary, meaning to St. Mary Magdalen.

It seems possible that there was at one time a dual dedication, perhaps springing from a dedication of Monks Rest (see below) to St. Mary Magdalen, as were many other houses for the sick. In any event the Victoria County History has referred to "the Church of St. Mary Magdalen, originally St. Katherine and today the church of St. Catherine Littleton". A poll tax roll of 1379 indicates that the church was dedicated to St. Katherine or Catherine.

St. Catherine's Day is 25 November and evidently was kept by the Benedictine monks of St. Swithun's Priory. The Sacristan's roll for 1492 records that they sat down to a banquet of Moile (hot bread and dripping), 144 eggs, delicate nombles of venison, beef, mutton and iced cakes. The ministrants had calves' feet and the hostiller had 8d, allowed for wine.

As the patron of spinsters, it may be understandable that the inn sign "The Cat and Fiddle" is a corruption of "O Catherine fidelis" or "O St. Catherine be faithful".

The legend surrounding this saint is both well known and unsubstantiated. She is said to have defied the emperor Maxentius' efforts to break her faith; an unsuccessful attempt was made to destroy her on a spiked wheel (the catherine wheel). This is thought to have happened in 307 A.D., and a corpse discovered on Mount Sinai early in the 9th. century was regarded as hers after it had been carried there by angels following her death. Hence the link with churches on prominent sites.

HISTORY

It has been said earlier that there is evidence that there has been a church on the existing site for over a thousand years. The place name of Littleton is of Saxon origin, "ton" being Anglo-Saxon for a farmstead, and later a village. An entry in the Domesday Book implies that there was a church at Littleton in Saxon times, and that it was one of the nine churches in the Manor of Chilcombe, itself a gift to the Minster at Winchester in 635 from the Saxon King of Wessex, Cynegils. However although the present building could be said still to resemble in size and shape the churches built by the Saxons, restoration has been so extensive that there are no longer any traces of Saxon work in it.

On 6 January 1171 Henri de Blois, Bishop of Winchester, ordered under charter that "the appropriations of churches to the sacrist and the Hospitallers of Jerusalem shall continue as they have been assigned;....the church of Littletone for the reception of guests..." In practice this meant that revenues from the church were due to the Guestmaster at St. Swithun's Priory, who used them for the entertainment of guests, including pilgrims to St. Swithun's shrine. Supplies of grain, stock, poultry and dairy products from the Manor of Littleton were also delivered regularly to St. Swithun's, and recorded in the accounts of the manorial reeve. This order was confirmed by Pope Innocent III in 1205 and again by Pope Innocent IV in 1243. It seems that by this time Littleton was no longer part of the manor of Chilcombe, and that the Bishop of Winchester had retained the patronage.

After a visitation of the Cathedral in Winchester, Walter Reynold, Archbishop of Canterbury, reported on 27 June 1323 that "he has examined the documents of the prior and chapter which they produced to him concerning the appropriation of the churches of Wottone and Littletone, and their receipt of pensions, portions and particular tithes...which they claim they have a right to receive in the aforesaid diocese and finds them satisfactory."

Not long afterwards the Black Death first visited England in 1348 and brought with it great hardship and inevitably smaller numbers of survivors to cultivate the land. Plague struck Littleton in 1364 and parishioners failed to pay their manorial dues as a result. In March 1373 Bishop William of Wykeham licensed John Hyde, the Monk-Guestmaster of St. Swithun's Priory "to hear confessions and administer the Eucharist at Littleton during Lent and Easter because, owing to the depression of the times, the parishioners could not afford a chaplain". This license was renewed annually until 1739. The plague also meant there was a severe shortage of clergy.

Following the upheaval of the Reformation, the Manor of Littleton was granted by Letters Patent of Henry VIII in 1541 to the Dean and Chapter of Winchester Cathedral.

Chaplains, and later perpetual curates, were nominated by the Prior before the dissolution of the monasteries and afterwards by the Dean and Chapter , and licensed by the Bishop. Nominations to the perpetual curacy appear regularly in the Chapter-books of the Cathedral from 1726 onwards, usually of minor canons, who held it along with their minor canonry. The last was F. T. Madge in December 1890. The first vicar, the Rev. A. G. Garland, was appointed in 1871. On 6th. July 1909 the London Gazette recorded the exchange of the patronage of the benefice of Hunton for that of Littleton, and then Littleton was joined to Crawley with the first Rector of the united parishes being appointed in 1918. By the late 1980s the Rector had also been appointed Vicar of St. Stephen's at Sparsholt with Lainston, reflecting the shortage of clergy, yet opening the way for greater community of worship among the three parishes.

VISITATIONS

Periodically during the 18th. century the Bishops of Winchester required clergy to complete a questionnaire, the responses to which give us a glimpse of the state of parishes. Records exist for the years 1725, 1764/5 and 1788. In some respects the questionnaire was similar to the Articles of Enquiry which churchwardens are bound today to complete for the Archdeacon's annual visitation. St. Catherine's incumbents were asked, among other things, about the area of their parish, the number of souls ('about seventy' in 1725), details of births, marriages and deaths (it was reported in 1788 that "I have had the curacy near seven years and never read the matrimonial service") and of Persons of Note (none but four substantial farmers in 1725), of charities and schools. The curate's stipend in 1765 was £20 per annum, and he resided in Winchester 'on account of attending the duty of the cathedral'.

MONKS REST

To the north east of the church and just outside the churchyard there is a house built about 1500, now called Monks Rest. It was originally a hall type house open to the roof, but it has been the subject of many alterations. Traditionally this house was attached to the church as a rest house for sick monks from St. Swithun's Priory in Winchester. In 1871 an extension was added for use as the Church of England village school which was eventually closed in 1909, but reopened briefly between 1918 and 1921.

Text Prepared for the Littleton Local History Group by GRAHAM DAVIES

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