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Parish Church of:
Callington
The church of St. Mary, dedicated August 31, 1438, is a
building of granite in the Perpendicular style, erected in
1438, and consists of chancel, clerestoried nave of four
bays, aisles, embattled south porch and an embattled western
tower, with pinnacles, containing a clock and 6 bells; in
the south aisle the steps to the rood loft remain: the
Norman font has a square basin, with carved heads at the
corners: four of the windows are memorials: in the chancel
is a brass with effigies to the founder, or re-builder of
the church, Nicholas Ashton, a justice of the Common Pleas,
1444, and sometime MP for Helston, Launceston and the county
during the period 1422-37, ob. 10th March, 1465-6, and
Margaret (Brooke, or Broke) his wife; the effigy of the
judge represents him in a wig or cap and a robe lined with
fur; his wife wearing a long fur-trimmed dress; there are
matrices of children and shields , and a marginal
inscription, not now perfect; below the figures is an
epitaph to Nicholas Ashton in twelve latin lines; on the
north side of the altar tomb of alabaster , with panelled
sides inclosing shields of arms and bearing a recumbent
figure of alabaster in armour of Sir Robert Willoughby,
first Lord Willoughby de Broke K.G., ob. 1502; the effigy is
clothed in the mantle of the Garter, and wears the collar
and badge; on the soles of the feet are figures of two monks
with rosaries; there are also a number of modern memorials:
in 185809 the church was restored internally under the
direction of J.P St. Aubyn, architect, at a cost of £1,000,
and in 1882 was enlarged by addition of a second north aisle
at a cost of £1,600, a chancel screen and choir stalls of
carved oak being added at the same time and a new fixed
clock at a cost of £155; there are 390 sittings. In the
churchyard stands an ancient cross 8 feet high, with an
elaborately carved square head, much mutilated, and an
octagonal shaft. The register dates from the year 1558.
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