Monumental Brass Society presents in association with the Rector and Churchwardens of St. Mary the Virgin, Church, Walthamstow and the Walthamstow Historical Society

Walthamstow: 

Saturday, 28th September 2019

The church of St. Mary the Virgin predominantly dates from the 16th century. In 1535, Sir George Monoux (Master of the Worshipful Company of Drapers’ on six occasions, Mayor of Bristol in 1501 and Lord Mayor of London in 1514) repaired the north aisle and built a chapel at the east end. Monoux (who is commemorated in brass with his wife Dame Ann) also rebuilt the upper stages of the Tower and endowed a Grammar School in 1527. This building, now the Walthamstow Almshouses, remains on the north side of the church. The church contains a total of five mainstream brasses of which two are palimpsest with facsimiles of the earlier engraving displayed. Numerous stone monuments abound including that to Sir Thomas and Lady Merry, 1633 – the work of Nicholas Stone. A rare opportunity will also be afforded to visit the The Ancient House. This former hall house dates from the 15th century and has been converted into four dwellings. The building was restored to its present splendour in 2001-2.

Programme

11.15a.m. Short walk highlighting the medieval village of Walthamstow by Neil Houghton, Hon. Secretary of the Walthamstow Historical Society

11.45a.m. Visit to the Ancient House, Walthamstow by courtesy of William Fuller (subject to occupancy)

12 Noon Lunch and an opportunity to visit St. Mary’s Church and the Vestry House Museum

2.00p.m. Welcome by Rev. Vanessa Conant, Rector of St. Mary’s, Walthamstow

2.10p.m. Opening remarks by Martin Stuchfield, President of the Monumental Brass Society

2.15p.m. A History of St. Mary’s Church and the parish of Walthamstow by Neil Houghton, Hon. Secretary of the Walthamstow Historical Society

3.15p.m. Tea and viewing of the brasses and monuments

3.45p.m. The Monumental Brasses of St. Mary’s by Martin Stuchfield

The Church will be open prior to the meeting and all are welcome. The meeting which is free with no booking required. The church is located in Church Lane/Church End. The postcode is London E17 9RJ. The nearest station is Walthamstow Central on the Victoria underground line. The church is a walking distance of 0.4 miles (9 minutes) due east from the station along St. Mary’s Lane. Overleaf: Sir George Monoux, Lord Mayor of London, 1543 (LSW.II)

All talks are timed between 1.00 p.m. and 2.00 p.m. in the Archives Search Room of the Kent History and Library Centre, James Whatman Way, MAIDSTONE ME14 1LQ.

The talks are FREE. Call us on 03000 42 06 73 or email archives@kent.gov.uk for more information or to register your interest.

N.B. the Archives Search Room is CLOSED on Mondays andanyone interested in attending a talk should note that it will not be possible for us to produce documents or provide search room facilities on the day, whether before, during or after the talks

• 10th June Claire Bartram (Canterbury Christ Church University), '”Bookishness”: Writing, Sharing and Collecting Books in Early Modern Kent’.

• 24th June Deborah Collins (freelance historian), ‘From Workhouse to Hospital - The Changing Role of the Workhouse’.

• 15th July Mark Connelly (University of Kent), ‘Ypres: transforming a Belgian city into an outpost of the British Empire, 1919-1939’.

• 29th July Liz Finn (Kent History and Library Centre), ‘The Orchard Family: Loss, Heartbreak and Remembrance’.

• 9th September Peter Clarke (University of Southampton), ‘Clergy and Criminal Violence in later medieval Kent’.

• 21st October James Lloyd (Kent History and Library Centre), ‘The White Horse of Kent’.

• 28th October Paul Cullen (English Place-Name Society), ‘Kent Inn Names’.