Geograph - photograph every grid square

Grade II* Listed
Church dates from 12th C. It Western bellcote with small shingled spire. The nave has a blocked south arcade. The chancel was rebuilt in 1864, and nave extended and restored in 1887.

The first church is mentioned when Gilbert of Ghent, a nephew of William the Conqueror, endowed newly founded Bardney Abbey with the Manor or Estate of Boultham amongst many others.
About 1200 a new church was built. The oldest parts of the present church are the arches which are Early English; two blocked arches in the south wall show the church was much bigger with a south aisle.
In July 1349 Godfrey, son of Robert le Garlykmonger was instituted as Rector in place of one Simon de Thrikingham and on the following September 15th Thomas de Willyngton was inducted. This quick turnover of priests is thought to be as a result of The Black Death.
The church was always poor as is shown in 1451. Bishop Chedworth of Lincoln granted an indulgence of 40 days (meaning forty days less in purgatory) to anyone who went to the church and repeated the Lord’s Prayer and the Angelic Salutation in reverence to the Blessed Virgin St Petronella. This, plus a donation of goods to aid repairs of the church, was granted each time they did it. The church was then said to be in "Notorious Poverty."
The church at Boultham contained at that time a shrine to St Petronella who, according to legend, was a daughter of St Peter. "Bolthame" as it was known in King Henry VIII’s time was still poor. When he dissolved the monasteries and convents, the land in Boultham went to The Duke of Suffolk. Alterations to the forms of service under Queen Mary and back to The Book of Common Prayer under Queen Elizabeth meant they needed a communion chalice or cup. This was provided in about 1563-70 and is still in the church silver pieces today.

There were Church wardens then as now but they had the further duty of notifying the Archdeacon of anyone not going to church for communion. One who they reported or "presented" was Henry Abbott said to be a "common swerer and brawler with his neighbours and a sleeper in the service and sermons." He got away with a caution!
Records of baptisms were kept and Boultham’s go back to the seventeenth century. Also records of "correction" such as; "Leonard Jackson, a wandering boy, inhabitinge in Beverly, was whipped and sent away with a passe, January 8th; Dorothy Farrars, a wanderinge girle, inhabitinge in Lynwood was whipped and sent away with a passe." The next item of correction was about 5 years later so it didn’t happen too often.

(Info edited from Churchmouse Website)

Created: Mon, 22 Oct 2012, Updated: Fri, 19 Feb 2021