St Lawrence and St George, Springthorpe – the churchyard cross was destroyed in 1563 and a new cross erected in 1892 (Photo: Village Facebook site)
Parish/DistrictSpringthorpe/West Lindsey
Locationin the churchyard of SS Lawrence and George church
CategoryLost cross (churchyard cross – but also now a modern cross)
National Grid RefSK 87562 89744 (vicinity of)
Designation
Stone Type
RefsPeacock, E, 1866, English Church Furniture, p. 142(fn); Davies, D S, 1915, Lincs N & Q, Vol XIII No.6, p.215
Visits

Springthorpe is included as a lost cross (and a modern cross) and this record arises from an intriguing entry in the book English Church Furniture edited by Edward Peacock and published in 1866.

Peacock’s book transcribes, for 150 Lincolnshire parishes, the registers of idolatrous objects destroyed in 1566. One might hope and expect it to include many records of churchyard crosses destroyed, but sadly it does not – except for one curious footnote under the entry for Springthorpe (p. 142). The footnote records a marginal comment made in the register by the Springthorpe churchwarden at the time : [1563]  rolandus chambers de kirton et mabella wilson  conubio iucti 22 november eademq nocte crux in cemeterio funditus eversa fuit

With apologies to my Latin master this might be construed as: [1563] Roland Chambers of Kirton and Mabel Wilson were married 22 Nov and on the same night the cross in the cemetery was overthrown. Peacock comments ‘It would seem that it was an act of lawless violence, not a sacrilege performed in obedience to authority’.

Nothing remains of the medieval churchyard cross, but there is now a modern standing cross in the churchyard – in October 1892, on the retirement of the incumbent Revd  Blenkinsopp, a new cross was erected with the inscription (taken from Davies): ‘Ancient cross thrown down Feb. 26, 1564. Restored 1892 in memory of the Rev. C. E. L. Blenkinsopp (the lettering is unfortunately perishing), Rector 1863-91‘.

The modern cross at Springthorpe, erected in 1892 by Rev. Blenkinsopp, to commemorate the lost medieval cross
Newspaper report of the new cross in the Nottinghamshire Guardian of 15 October 1892
Springthorpe

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