CHURCH.
Architectural evidence shows that there
was a church at Winstone by the mid 11th century, (fn. 33)
and in 1101 or 1102 Henry I confirmed an earlier
grant by Hugh de Lacy of the demesne tithes of
Winstone to Gloucester Abbey. (fn. 34) The living was
first recorded as a rectory in 1304 (fn. 35) and has remained
one; it was united with Miserden in 1928 (fn. 36) but that
union was dissolved in 1949 when Winstone was
joined to the united benefice of Elkstone and Syde. (fn. 37)
The first recorded presentation to the living was
made by Henry of Pembridge in 1298 (fn. 38) and the
advowson followed the descent of the manor until
1949 when, at the reorganisation of the livings, it was
exchanged by Mrs. H. M. Sinclair for Edgeworth,
whose former owners, the Diocesan Board of
Patronage, (fn. 39) shared the right of appointment to the
united benefice with Mrs. G. M. Price in 1971. (fn. 40) In
1352 the bishop of Worcester held an inquiry into
the ownership of the advowson (fn. 41) and in 1619 or 1620
there was a disputed presentation between Thomas
Hungerford, the lord of the manor, and Nicholas
Young, who, with Alice Haviland, was successful in
claiming the right for that turn. (fn. 42)
The rectory was worth £4 13s. 4d. in 1291 (fn. 43) and
£7 0s. 8½d. in 1535. (fn. 44) In 1650 the value was reckoned
to be £40 and the living was thought suitable for
union with Syde rectory. (fn. 45) In 1750 the living was
worth £60 (fn. 46) but, helped by a grant of £200 from
Queen Anne's Bounty in 1792, (fn. 47) the value had
increased to £250 by 1856. (fn. 48)
The demesne tithes of Winstone granted by Hugh
de Lacy to Gloucester Abbey (fn. 49) were transferred by
the abbey to one of its cells, St. Guthlac's Priory
(Herefs.), whose portion was assessed as 13s. 4d. in
1291. (fn. 50) The portion had declined to 10s. by 1535, (fn. 51)
and after the dissolution of the monastery was
granted for 60 years to John Price. (fn. 52) By 1622 it had
passed into the hands of the lords of the manor (fn. 53) who
from that time claimed their demesne as tithe-free
land, paying 10s. in lieu to the rector. (fn. 54) In 1842 the
tithe-free land extended to 347 a. (fn. 55) By 1705 the
tithes of sheep, lambs, and cows had been commuted
for money payments but tithes of hay and corn,
eggs, calves, and pigs were still payable in kind;
there was also a tithe of 1d. per garden. (fn. 56) In 1807 it
was claimed that a wood, the Scrubs, was tithable. (fn. 57)
The tithes were commuted for a corn rent-charge of
£190 in 1842. (fn. 58)
In 1584 the glebe land extended to 92 a. almost
entirely in the open fields; the rector also had 120
sheep-pastures in the fallow field, and in 1705 four
cow-pastures were also claimed. (fn. 59) In 1692 the rector
exchanged some land with the lord of the manor (fn. 60)
and in 1782 he was allotted 66 a. by the inclosure
commissioners. (fn. 61) The glebe land amounted to 80 a.
in 1842 (fn. 62) as in 1906. (fn. 63) The 2 a. of land which maintained a lamp in the church until 1547 (fn. 64) possibly
passed into the glebe, for the rector was the lessee of
the land when it was sold by the Crown in 1549. (fn. 65)
The rectory, to the north of Croft Farm, is of
rubble with a Cotswold stone-slated roof; in 1807 it
was said to have been small but recently enlarged by
the addition of a wing and a brewhouse (fn. 66) but in 1819
it was described as 'a mere cottage and in a dilapidated state'. (fn. 67) The house was largely rebuilt and a
porch added c. 1825. After the union of the benefices
in 1928 it became a private residence. (fn. 68)
Two of the rectors of Winstone in the 14th century
were men from neighbouring parishes: William of
Syde was rector at Winstone three years before
taking full priest's orders in 1304, (fn. 69) and Thomas
Stephens of Edgeworth was granted leave of absence
to study in 1343. (fn. 70) Hugh Sumner, rector by 1532, (fn. 71)
was found satisfactory in learning in 1551. (fn. 72) John
Haviland, rector 1574-1619, of the family later
prominent in the parish, (fn. 73) was conscientious (fn. 74) but
neither a graduate nor a preacher. (fn. 75) He was succeeded by Francis Webb, rector 1620-48, (fn. 76) a
graduate, (fn. 77) who later married one of Haviland's
daughters. (fn. 78) Webb's successor, William Elbridge,
remained undisturbed by the Interregnum and
Restoration. (fn. 79) John Longdon was appointed rector in
1742 and remained for 66 years until 1808 but he had
the assistance of curates from at least 1791. His
successor, William Flamanke, suffered from epilepsy
and was absent from Winstone for much of his
tenure. Henry Charles Morgan was rector from 1819
but from 1820 was absent at his other benefice of
Brinsop (Herefs.), Winstone being served by a
curate. (fn. 80) In 1830 Sir Edwin Windsor Bayntun
Sandys, son of the lord of the manor, was appointed
rector, (fn. 81) but in 1831-2 and 1836 the fruits of the
living were sequestered because of his indebtedness;
he was succeeded in 1839 by Frederick Hohler who
had served as curate since 1835. (fn. 82)
The church, dedicated to ST. BARTHOLOMEW, (fn. 83) is built of limestone rubble with a stoneslated roof and comprises chancel with north vestry,
nave with south porch, and west tower. The nave
dates from the later 11th century and retains its
north and south doorways and chancel arch. (fn. 84) The
present chancel probably conforms to the original
plan but its windows, like those of the nave, date
from the 13th and 14th centuries. The tower may
also be of early medieval date, and the south porch
was added in the 14th century. A rood stair and
screen were inserted in the late 15th century, and a
side altar was placed in the south of the nave. Repairs
and alterations during the 16th century included
reroofing and the insertion of a four-light window in
the south wall of the nave, probably in 1572. (fn. 85) The
church was restored in 1876 by Waller & Son when
the chancel was largely rebuilt, the walls of the nave
scraped and repointed, a vestry added, the entrance
between the tower and nave blocked, and the church
refurnished. (fn. 86)
A medieval square aumbry is inserted in the north
wall of the chancel, and the font, an octagonal bowl
decorated with quatrefoils resting on an octagonal
base, is of the 15th century. (fn. 87) There are three bells,
two of which are medieval, one being decorated
with royal heads, and the other cast by Thomas
Rudhall in 1771. (fn. 88) The plate includes an Elizabethan
chalice and paten cover, a pewter paten, and a 19thcentury chalice and paten both bought with the
surplus from the fund for the restoration of the
church. (fn. 89) In the church tower is a 17th-century
monument to John Haviland, printer of London
(d. 1638), a considerable benefactor to his relations
in the parish. (fn. 90) In the churchyard is the base and
shaft of a medieval cross, possibly of the 14th
century, and there are some table tombs and carved
headstones of the 18th century. The registers for
Winstone begin in 1540 and are continuous. (fn. 91)