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Brief
outline of the church history and its fittings
This is a large village church which has one of
the most "atmospheric" interiors in Dorset.
Constructed mainly in the late mediaeval period, its core dates
back considerably further. There is a fine panelled roof to
the nave
The font is "beaker" shaped, probably
dating from the 11th century.
The box-pews, west gallery and pulpit are all 17th
century.
Note also the fine array of 15th and 16th century
brasses and monuments, and the Comper glass in the South chapel.
West gallery, with turned balusters, dated 1635.
Brief
outline of the church history from 1634 as it relates to the
fittings, gallery and quire
Archbishop Laud's visitation [when?] led to the
conclusion that a pillar needed strengthening, the seats were not
decent and were much decayed, and more seating was needed. A
meeting of parishioners on August 10th 1634 decided to reseat the
church throughout, strengthen the pillar and arch, make a pulpit
and prayer desk, provide a communion table and rails, build a west
gallery with seats, and provide a new font cover. All of these
furnishings still survive in situ. The estimated cost of £130 was
to be raised by subscriptions, by a levy of 5/- on seat holders,
and by "five ordinary single rates."
A 1637
seating plan survives, when the sexes were segregated. Another of
1679 shows them no longer separated. The gallery was intended for
extra seating, but for a long time served as a musicians' gallery.
Puddletown
is featured as 'Weatherbury' in Thomas Hardy's novels. Hardy says
that his grandfather when a young man, before 1800, lived in
Puddletown and played violoncello in church. He later became a
member of the Stinsford choir, by which time Puddletown had eight
instrumentalists and Stinsford only four, all Hardys. Hardy's
father told him that at Puddletown "in the time of the violin, oboe and clarionet
players, Tom Sherren used to copy tunes during the sermon."
In
1845 a barrel organ was introduced and the band (two clarinets, a
piccolo, a bassoon, and two bass viols) dispensed with.
In
1852 a small manual organ replaced the barrel organ, which was
sold to Bere Regis. The present organ was built 1906 and stands in
the gallery, which is still used by the choir. (Dorset churches leaflet)
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