Plymouth, Churches and Places of Worship | Ancient Parish Churches

PLYMOUTH
DATA

The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History

CHURCH OF St MARY, TAMERTON FOLIOT

The Church of St Mary is situated in Tamerton Foliot Road, Tamerton Foliot.

There was certainly a church at Tamerton Foliot in 1291, as it is listed in the Taxation of Pope Nicholas IV, which was completed in that year. The only other churches in the area at that time were at Eggbuckland, Stoke Damerel and Plymouth St Andrew's.

The building is of stone, chiefly in the Perpendicular style, the greater part having been renewed since 1850. It consists of a quasi-chancel, nave, aisles, south porch, and an embattled western tower containing six bells and a clock.

In 1895 the Church was restored, the north aisle being rebuilt and the roof renewed. At the same time a carved oak communion table and choir stalls were provided and an organ installed. With earlier registers having being destroyed by fire, the existing registers date from only 1794.

The Cooplestone monument at the Church of St Mary, Tamerton Foliot

The picture left shows the monument to Mr John Coplestone and his wife, of Warleigh House, depicted kneeling and facing each other. The monument was erected in 1617. Below them are carvings of their ten children.

The peel of six bells contains a tenor bell of only 11 cwt. It is thought that four of them were originally cast as long ago as 1445 by Mr Robert Norton of Exeter but this it by no means certain. Nothing was done to them until 1773, when they were recast by Messrs John Pennington & Company and increased to a peel of six.

The bells were rehung in 1878 it is thought by the village carpenter as none of the normal bell-founding firms have a record of doing it. They were again rehung in 1936, this time on an H-pattern frame, the work being carried out by Messrs Gillett & Johnston of Croydon, who were also responsible for installing the clock in the Royal Naval Barracks.

Mr J Smith of Derby made the clock and Westminster chimes and this was dedicated on February 18th 1896.

The records of the parish are held at the Plymouth and West Devon Records Office, Clare Place, Coxside, Plymouth.