Jesus be our Spede

Some aspects of the Erdeswicke period are dealt with on a separate page.

The Digby, Gerard and Hamilton Era

One rather suspects that the dominating personality of the great antiquary and his passion for genealogical research may have been a little too much for his sons, because after Sampson Erdeswicke's death George Digby became owner of Sandon and Lay Rector and Patron of the Church by purchase from his half brother, Richard Erdeswicke.

Possibly as a reaction against his brother Sir Everard's treasonable activities George Digby was a fanatical loyalist, as at least two episodes testify. Incensed by insulting references to the character of King James the First in a book by a learned German Caspar Schioppius he went to Spain and with some courtiers from the English Embassy set upon the author in the streets of Madrid and left him for dead, and was evidently proud of this doubtful escapade as is shown in the inscription on his tomb. Later, during Commonwealth times he was made to pay a fine of £1,400 as a 'Malignant', as royalist supporters were then called.

George Digby has indeed left his mark upon the Church. In 1655 he called in an architect, Edward Trubshaw, and the Nave was shortened by nineteen feet at the west and the fourth arch was filled in and became an outside wall containing a window. An inner porch was also built. The result was that the Church became wider than it was long. At that date anything papist was anathema, so the East end was ignored and the interior of the Church turned round to face north, a Communion Table being placed in the North Aisle, which right down to living memory became known as the: 'Old Chancel'. This accounts for Digby's tomb standing in the middle of the Chancel until 1929, when it was placed against the south wall of the Chancel. The Chancel reverted to its normal use sometime after 1777, but until 1929 it might be said of those who were married in this Church 'Those whom God hath joined together let no man except George Digby put asunder', because on turning away from the Altar bride and groom were bound to part to get round the Digby tomb.

George Digby enriched the restored Church with good oak pews whereon were carved his Arms, the Fleur de Lys with an Angel's Wing on either side. He also provided the beautiful Jacobean Pulpit and new Bells for the Tower. A new and rather barbaric Font was given, probably by the Parish, on the top of which is carved 'Mrm. John Palmer and William Atkins Churchwardens,'1669'.

The Altar is really a Communion Table and consists of a six legged refectory table sawn in half. It bears the date 1644. During the seasons of Trinity and Epiphany the Green Frontal is used. It is particularly beautiful and was made by the late Lady Harrowby during a world cruise, and the varying shades of silks reflect the ever-changing hues of the Pacific waters through which she sailed. It was dedicated as a thank offering for twenty five years of happy married life and the majority of her son, the present Earl, on 11th October, 1913. After fifty years of service the green background became somewhat worn and faded and so the following Countess kindly carried out the laborious task of removing all the embroideries and sewing them on to a new green foundation.

George Digby died in 1675, and his only daughter and heiress married Lord Gerard of Bromley. It is to this 'learned and, most virtuous Lady` as he describes her, that Dr. Plot dedicates the plate of Sandon Hall in his 'Natural History of Staffordshire'. In the oldest Parish Register appears this entry: 'Digby, sonn of the Right Honourable Charles Lord Gerard, and the Lady Jane, his wife, was born the 16th day of July, and baptiz'd the 13th of August, 1662'. In due course Lord Digby Gerard was succeeded by his only child Elizabeth who became the second wife of the Duke of Hamilton. She became embroiled in a personal quarrel with her first cousin Charlotte, wife of Lord Mohun, over their respective shares in the division of the Gawsworth estate in Cheshire, which led to a celebrated duel with swords in Hyde Park in 1712 between their husbands and resulted in Lord Mohun being killed on the spot and the Duke of Hamilton being mortally wounded.

Now let us look through the East and North windows in the Chancel. In our day it’s a lovely view in both directions, but two centuries back it would not be so attractive. Looking east was the centuries old Hall surrounded by its meat and now rapidly coming to the end of its long existence. Gone were the times when an Englishman’s home was his castle. In Georgian times it was the fashion to build an imposing mansion and to enclose one's grounds in a park. When Sandon became part of the extensive Hamilton estates the old Hall lost its raison d'etre, and during their tenure of the property they only got as far as building a hunting lodge on the site of the present Hall. The wind of change was indeed at work, not only to the cast but to the north as well, where only a few scattered remains of the old village of Great Sandon round the Church would at this period is visible. Parish records show that the village was still located near the Church in 1633, since a meeting of villagers was held in the Blackhill in the spring of that year. Recent excavations confirmed the site near the Church but no evidence was found to date its demise. From the earliest map (1777) in the Sandon Hall collection it would' appear that the date of the removal of the village is no earlier than 1717. Accordingly, at this time the view both' inside the Chancel and outside through its windows left much to be desired, but the promise of better times was not far off.

The Arrival of the Baron and Earls of Harrowby

In 1777 Lord Archibald, Hamilton, grandson of the Duke of Hamilton killed in the duel in 1712, sold the Sandon estate to Nathaniel, first Baron Harrowby, with considerable consequences to the Church. How much smaller the Church was at this time can be envisaged if we think of there being only two pews in the North Aisle to the west of the present Monumental Chapel cum Baptistery and imagine the parishioners in their large square pews mainly facing north, all of which being the result of the activities of Edward Trubshaw in 1655. There was therefore no space for suitable seating accommodation for Baron Harrowby and his family.

The solution found for this difficulty by a Mr. Wyatt in 1782 was to build a Gallery Pew above the Chancel Screen facing west with a curtain behind it to keep off the draught and a fireplace at its north end. In carrying this scheme into effect W. Wyatt ran into a great deal of trouble. The south west wall of the Chancel collapsed, bringing the roof with it. Hence the disappearance of Sampson Erdeswicke's genealogical trees from that part of the wall and a Stafford tomb, the top of which now stands inside the Church door. Mr. Wyatt put things right, as he thought by re-erecting the fallen inner wall with nine inches of brickwork, towering the height of the Chancel all round, and putting in a roof of rough timber and placing the Gallery Pew in a position with a staircase up to it on the south side. As can easily be imagined, the brickwork and rough roof did not please Lord Harrowby, so W. Wyatt covered the whole of the Chancel walls with plaster, put in a plaster ceiling to cover his rough beams and supported it on two carved stone angels. The Chancel remained like this until 1929.

Continued