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St Theobald's Church, Great
Musgrave
GREAT MUSGRAVE CHURCH, WESTMORELAND.
(With a Plate.)
THE church of Great Musgrave is neither celebrated for its
extent nor the style of its architecture; in the first
respect it would only vie with a good sized room. But it is
celebrated as the scene of the early Labours of William
Paley, some of whose justly appreciated works were written
in the parsonage adjoining. More recently it was marked by
the ministry of the Rev. John Bowstead, B.D. the uncle and
preceptor of the late Bishop of Lichfield. This venerable
"Father of the Church" regularly performed his parochial
duties until near the age of ninety, and died on the 1st
Nov. 1841.
Musgrave gave its name to the family who resided there for
several ages, and finally settled at Eden Hall in
Cumberland, which family is now represented by Sir George
Musgrave, Bart. As to the church, it is of Norman
foundation, the arch dividing the nave and aisle being of
that period. The other parts are of the early-English,
Decorated, and Perpendicular periods, but there is nothing
of importance to mark these differences of style, excepting
the remains of the Decorated chancel screen,shewn in the
plate.
Previous to 1248 the church was appropriated to St. Mary's
Abbey at York, but it was then transferred to the bishopric
of Carlisle, saving a small pension to St. Mary's reserved
out of its revenues.
There is a brass in the chancel ornamented with the four
evangelists at the angles (in roundels), of the early
Decorated period, to Thomas Ouds, who was rector previous to
1298. On the north wall of the nave is a monument to the
founder and endower of Musgrave Grammar School, the Rev.
Septimus Collinson, Provost of Queen's College, Oxford, who
was a native of this parish, and died Jan. 24, 1827 (of whom
a memoir will be found in the Gentleman's Magazine,
vol.XCVII. i. 178).
Externally there is nothing material to notice, but the
churchyard formerly had several carved coffin-lids belonging
to the Musgraves, of ancient date. The counties of
Westmoreland and Cumberland contain many, and there are some
specimens engraved in Lyson's Cumberland, but only one is
now left at Musgrave, and that is built into the eastern
wall of the church. When an enquiry was made after some
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