The Church of the Holy Trinity, Long Melford is a Grade I listed parish church

Parish church

A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....

 of the Church of England

Church of England

The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...

 in Long Melford

Long Melford

Long Melford is a large village and civil parish in the county of Suffolk, England. It is on Suffolk's border with Essex, which is marked by the River Stour, approximately from Colchester and from Bury St. Edmunds...

, Suffolk

Suffolk

Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. It is one of 310 medieval English churches dedicated to the Holy Trinity.

The church was constructed between 1467 and 1497 in the late Perpendicular Gothic style. It is a noted example of a Suffolk medieval wool church

Wool church

A wool church is an English church built primarily from the proceeds of the mediaeval wool trade. Wool churches are common in the Cotswolds and in East Anglia, where enormous profits from the wool business spurred construction of ever-grander edifices....

, founded and financed by wealthy wool merchants in the medieval period as impressive visual statements of their prosperity.

The church structure is highly regarded by many observers. Its cathedral-like proportions and distinctive style, along with its many original features that survived the religious upheavals of the 16th and 17th centuries, have attracted critical acclaim. Journalist and author Sir Simon Jenkins

Simon Jenkins

Sir Simon David Jenkins is a British newspaper columnist and author, and since November 2008 has been chairman of the National Trust. He currently writes columns for both The Guardian and London's Evening Standard, and was previously a commentator for The Times, which he edited from 1990 to 1992...

, Chairman of the National Trust

National Trust

National Trust most commonly refers to an organization dedicated to preserving the cultural or environmental treasures of a particular geographic region. They generally operate as private non-profit organizations, although some receive considerable support from their national government...

, included the church in his 1999 book “England’s 1000 Finest Churches”. He awarded it a maximum of 5 stars, one of only 18 to be so rated.

Origins

A church is recorded as having been on the site since the reign of King Edward the Confessor

Edward the Confessor

Edward the Confessor also known as St. Edward the Confessor , son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, was one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England and is usually regarded as the last king of the House of Wessex, ruling from 1042 to 1066....

 (1042-1066). It was originally endowed by the Saxon Earl Alric, who bequeathed the patronage of the church, along with his manor at Melford Hall

Melford Hall

Melford Hall is a stately home in the village of Long Melford, Suffolk, England. It is the ancestral seat of the Parker Baronets.The hall was mostly constructed in the 16th century, incorporating parts of a medieval building held by the abbots of Bury St Edmunds which had been in use since before...

 and about 261 acres of land, to the successive Abbots of the Benedictine

Benedictine

Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...

 Abbey of Bury St Edmund’s. There are no surviving descriptions of the original Saxon structure, although the roll of the clergy (see below) and the history of the site extend back to the 12th century.

15th century reconstruction

The church was substantially rebuilt between 1467 and 1497. Of the earlier stuctures, only the former Lady Chapel (now the Clopton Chantry Chapel) and the nave arcades survive.

The principal benefactor who financed the reconstruction was wealthy local wool merchant John Clopton, who resided at neighbouring Kentwell Hall

Kentwell Hall

Kentwell Hall is a stately home in Long Melford, Suffolk, England. It includes the hall, outbuildings, and a rare breeds farm and gardens. Most of the current building facade dates from the mid 16th century, but the origins of Kentwell are much earlier, with references in the Domesday Book of...

. John Clopton was a supporter of the Lancastrian

House of Lancaster

The House of Lancaster was a branch of the royal House of Plantagenet. It was one of the opposing factions involved in the Wars of the Roses, an intermittent civil war which affected England and Wales during the 15th century...

 cause during the Wars of the Roses

Wars of the Roses

The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic civil wars for the throne of England fought between supporters of two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the houses of Lancaster and York...

 and in 1462 was imprisoned in the Tower of London

Tower of London

Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...

 with John de Vere, 12th Earl of Oxford

John de Vere, 12th Earl of Oxford

John de Vere, 12th Earl of Oxford , was the son of Richard de Vere, 11th Earl of Oxford , and his second wife, Alice Serjeaux...

 and a number of others, charged with corresponding treasonably with Margaret of Anjou

Margaret of Anjou

Margaret of Anjou was the wife of King Henry VI of England. As such, she was Queen consort of England from 1445 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471; and Queen consort of France from 1445 to 1453...

. All of those imprisoned were eventually executed except John Clopton, who somehow made his peace with his accusers and lived to see the Lancastrians eventually triumphant at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485.

The dates of the reconstruction of the church are derived from contemporary wills, which provided endowments to finance the work.

Reconstruction of main tower

In 1711 the main tower was damaged by a lightning strike. It was replaced with a brick-built structure in the 18th century and subsequently remodelled between 1898 and 1903 to its present day appearance, designed by George Frederick Bodley

George Frederick Bodley

George Frederick Bodley was an English architect working in the Gothic revival style.-Personal life:Bodley was the youngest son of William Hulme Bodley, M.D. of Edinburgh, physician at Hull Royal Infirmary, Kingston upon Hull, who in 1838 retired to his wife's home town, Brighton, Sussex, England....

 in the Victorian Gothic Revival style. The new tower was closer to its original form with stone and flint facing and the addition of four new pinnacles.

Dimensions

The dimensions of the church are:

Total length of church and Lady Chapel	245 ft
Length of nave	152 ft 6 ins
Height of nave	41 ft 6 ins
Length of aisles	135 ft 4 ins
Height of aisles	24 ft

Nave

The nave

Nave

In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...

 is believed to be the longest of any parish church in England. There are nine bays, of which the first five at the western end are believed to date from an earlier structure.

The interior is lit by 74 tracery windows, many of which retain original medieval glass. These include the image of Elizabeth de Mowbray, Duchess of Norfolk

Elizabeth de Mowbray, Duchess of Norfolk

Elizabeth de Mowbray, Duchess of Norfolk was the one of two surviving daughters of John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury and his wife Lady Margaret Beauchamp.-Family:...

, said to have provided the inspiration for John Tenniel

John Tenniel

Sir John Tenniel was a British illustrator, graphic humorist and political cartoonist whose work was prominent during the second half of England’s 19th century. Tenniel is considered important to the study of that period’s social, literary, and art histories...

's illustration of the Queen of Hearts

Queen of Hearts (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)

The Queen of Hearts is a character from the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by the writer and mathematician Lewis Carroll. She is a foul-tempered monarch, that Carroll himself pictured as "a blind fury", and who is quick to decree death sentences at the slightest offense...

 in Lewis Carroll

Lewis Carroll

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the...

's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures...

.

Sanctuary

The sanctuary is dominated by the large reredos

Reredos

thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....

, of Caen

Caen

Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....

 stone and inspired by the works of Albrecht Dürer

Albrecht Dürer

Albrecht Dürer was a German painter, printmaker, engraver, mathematician, and theorist from Nuremberg. His prints established his reputation across Europe when he was still in his twenties, and he has been conventionally regarded as the greatest artist of the Northern Renaissance ever since...

. It was installed in 1877, having been donated by the mother of the then Rector Charles Martyn.

On the north side is the alabaster and marble tomb of Sir William Cordell who was the first Patron of the Church after the dissolution of the Abbey of Bury St Edmund's in 1539. On either side of the tomb are niches containing figures that represent Prudence, Justice, Temperance and Fortitude.

Clopton Chapel

The Clopton Chapel is in the north east corner of the church. It commemorates various Clopton family members and was used by the family as a place of private worship.

The tomb of Sir William Clopton is set into an alcove here, in the north wall. An effigy of Sir William, wearing chain mail and plate armour, is set on top of the tomb. Sir William is known to have died in 1446 and it is therefore believed that this corner of the church predates the late 15th century reconstruction. There are numerous brasses set in the floor commemorating other members of the Clopton family; two date from 1420, another shows two women wearing head attire in the butterfly style from around 1480, and a third depicts Francis Clopton who died in 1558.

There is an altar set against the east wall of the chapel and a double squint designed to provide priests with a view of the high altar when conducting Masses.

Clopton Chantry Chapel

The Clopton Chantry Chapel is a small chapel at the far north east corner of the church, accessed from the Clopton Chapel. This was the original Lady Chapel and is the oldest part of the current structure. After John Clopton's death in 1497, his will made provision for the chapel to be extended and refurbished and for him to be buried alongside his wife there. The chapel was then renamed, while the intended Chantry Chapel became the Lady Chapel.

The tomb of John Clopton and his wife is set in the wall leading into the chapel. Inside, the canopy vault displays faded portraits of the couple. Also displayed is a portrait of the risen Christ with a Latin text which, translated, reads Everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. A continuous frieze of saints are set in niches around the walls. Around the cornice, John Lydgate

John Lydgate

John Lydgate of Bury was a monk and poet, born in Lidgate, Suffolk, England.Lydgate is at once a greater and a lesser poet than John Gower. He is a greater poet because of his greater range and force; he has a much more powerful machine at his command. The sheer bulk of Lydgate's poetic output is...

's poem "Vine of Life"is displayed in the form of a scroll.

Lady Chapel

The Lady Chapel is a separate building attached to the east end of the main church. In an unusual layout, it has a central sanctuary surrounded by a pillared ambulatory - this reflects its original intended use as a chantry chapel with John Clopton's tomb in its centre. Clopton was forced to abandon this plan when his wife died before the new building was completed and consecrated; so she was buried in the former Lady Chapel and John Clopton was subsequently interred next to her.

The stone carving seen in the Lady Chapel bears similarities to work at King's College Chapel, Cambridge

Cambridge

The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...

 and at Burwell Church

Burwell, Cambridgeshire

Burwell is a large fen-edge village and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England, about 10 miles north east of Cambridge. It is situated on the south-eastern edge of The Fens, a large area of relatively flat former marshland which lies close to sea level and covers the majority of Cambridgeshire...

 in Cambridgeshire. It is known that the master mason employed there was Reginald Ely

Reginald Ely

Reginald Ely was an English gothic architect responsible for much of the design of King's College Chapel, Cambridge. He may also be responsible for the parish church of Burwell.-References:...

, the King's Mason, and although there is no documentary proof, it is believed that Ely was also responsible for the work at Holy Trinity, Long Melford.

The chapel was used as a school from 1670 until the early 18th century, and a multiplication table on the east wall serves as a reminder of this use. The steep gables of the roof also date from this period.

Martyn Chapel

The Martyn Chapel is situated to the south of the chancel. It contains the tombs of several members of the Martyn family, who were prominent local wool merchants in the 15th and 16th centuries, and who also acted as benefactors of the church. These include the tomb chest of Lawrence Martyn (died 1460) and his two wives. On the floor are the tomb slabs of Roger Martyn (died 1615) and his two wives Ursula and Margaret; and of Richard Martyn (died 1624) and his three wives.

Originally, the Martyn chapel contained an altar flanked by two gilded tabernacles, one displaying an image of Christ and the other an image of Our Lady of Pity. These tabernacles reached to the ceiling of the chapel, but were removed or destroyed during the English Reformation

English Reformation

The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....

 in the reign of King Edward VI

Edward VI of England

Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...

.

List of Rectors

In common with other English churches, for much of its lifetime, the Rector was "presented" (appointed) by the Church Patron

Advowson

Advowson is the right in English law of a patron to present or appoint a nominee to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, a process known as presentation. In effect this means the right to nominate a person to hold a church office in a parish...

. Until its dissolution in 1539, the Church Patron was the incumbent Abbot of the Benedictine

Benedictine

Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...

 Abbey of Bury St Edmund's; after this date, the patronage was held by a prominent local person, transferring either by bequest or by sale.

The list of Rectors of Holy Trinity, Long Melford dates back to the 12th century, but there are gaps prior to 1309.

Dates	Name	Comments
1198 and earlier	Hugh, the Clerk	Rector of Melford before the approbation of part of Melford Church property to the Hospital of St Saviour at Bury.
1199-1200 and after	Walter Hervey	Then known as Vicar of Melford.
1200-1309	(no records)
10 October 1309	Dominus Simon de Clayber, Priest	Presented by Abbott Thomas de Tottington
5 December 1311	Henry de Stanton	Presented by Abbott Thomas de Tottington
9 October 1312	Dominus Allanus de Ely, Priest	Presented by Abbott Thomas de Tottington
(no date)	Dominus .... de Welbourne
9 December 1326	Dominus Thomas de Chedworth, Priest	On the resignation of de Welbourne; presented by Abbot Richard de Draughton.
3 April 1333	Magister Simon de Draughton	Presented by Abbot Richard de Draughton.
7 June 1334	Richard de Harlinge, Priest	Presented by Abbot Richard de Draughton.
6 February 1364	Magister Theodorus de Otlania, Priest	Presented by John de Brinkdale, Abbot of St Edmund's.
30 July 1371	Thomas de Grynesby	Presented by John de Brinkdale, Abbot of St Edmund's.
25 August 1410	Magister William Wygor de Cavendish, Priest	On the resignation of Thomas Grynesby; presented by Abbot William Cratfield
1 April 1417	Nicholaus Mansel, Priest	Presented by Brother Robert, Prior of the Monastry of St Edmund of Bury and Brother William of the same Monastry, the Abbot being absent in foreign parts
2 February 1419	Magister Thomas Barnsley, Priest	Presented by William Exeter, Abbot of St Edmund's.
6 December 1429	Stephanus Wilton, in Doctor's orders	On the resignation of Thomas Barnsley; presented by William Curteys, Abbot of St Edmund's.
7 February 1433	Johannes Enachdunensis Episcopus, Venerable Father in God	Presented by William Curteys, Abbot of St Edmund's. This prelate was John, Lord Bishop of Enachdun (now Annaghdown Annaghdown Annaghdown is a parish in County Galway, Ireland. It takes its name from Eanach Dhúin, Irish for "the marsh of the fort". The village lies around Annaghdown Bay, an inlet of Lough Corrib... ), Ireland Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... .
3 August 1439	Dominus Thomas Lewysham	Presented by William Curteys, Abbot of Bury St Edmund's.
19 July 1441	Thomas Crameworth, Priest	Presented by William Curteys, Abbot of St Edmund's.
5 March 1446	William Hannibald	Presented by William Curteys, Abbot of Bury St Edmund's.
21 June 1454	William Coxe, Bachelor of Laws, Priest	Presented by John Boone, Abbot of Bury St Edmund's.
21 December 1456	John Mydwell	Presented by John Boone, Abbot of Bury St Edmund's.
21 April 1460	Thomas Warden, Professor of Theology	Presented by John Boone, Abbot of Bury St Edmund's.
8 April 1474	Aegidius Dent, Bachelor of Theology	Presented by Richard Hengham, Abbot of Bury St Edmund's.
14 September 1484	Thomas Aleyn, alias Carver, Priest	Presented by Thomas Racclesden, Abbot of Bury St Edmund's.
9 March 1504	William Skern or Skeyne	Presented by William Codenham, Abbot of Bury St Edmund's.
5 March 1514	Magister Robert Stourton, Professor of Theology	Presented by Abbot John Reeve of Bury St Edmund's. Reeve was the last Abbot of Bury - the Abbey was dissolved in 1539.
21 July 1514	Magister Johannes Maltby	Presented by John Reeve, Abbot of Bury St Edmund's.
1534 (approx)	William Newton	Presented by John Reeve, Abbot of Bury St Edmund's.
20 July 1548	Henry Mallet, Clerk	Presented by Princess Mary (later Queen Mary I Mary I of England Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547... . Henry Mallet was the Princess Mary's chaplain.
30 March 1558	Magister Christopherus Hill, Bachelor of Theology	Presented by Sir William Cordell William Cordell Sir William Cordell was Solicitor General and Master of the Rolls during the reign of Queen Mary I and Speaker of the House of Commons during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.... , knight, Master of the Court of Chancery of King Philip Philip II of Spain Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....  and Queen Mary Mary I of England Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...  and patron of the church. Cordell was a prominent lawyer and polititian who lived at neighbouring Melford Hall Melford Hall Melford Hall is a stately home in the village of Long Melford, Suffolk, England. It is the ancestral seat of the Parker Baronets.The hall was mostly constructed in the 16th century, incorporating parts of a medieval building held by the abbots of Bury St Edmunds which had been in use since before... .
1560 (approx)	Edmund Humphrey	Known to have held his first manor court for the Rectory of Melford on 17 July 1560.
6 February 1583	Ralph Jones, Professor of Theology	Presented by Dame Mary Cordell, widow of Sir William Cordell, the late patron, who had died in 1581.
28 November 1590	Peter Wentworth, Clerk	Presented by Jane Allington, widow, patron of the church in her own right. She was the sister and heiress of Sir William Cordell.
4 September 1599	William Gilbert, Clerk, Master of Arts	On the right of presentation belonging to Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeth I of England Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty... . He was chaplain to Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury, 7th Earl of Waterford, KG was was a peer in the peerage of England.He was the eldest surviving son of George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, by the latter's first marriage to Gertrude Manners, daughter of the first Earl of Rutland.In 1568, Gilbert was... .
23 September 1618	Robert Wareyn, Clerk, Master of Arts	Presented by Thomas Savage, knight and baron. Wareyn, a Royalist, was turned out of the living in October 1643 at the beginning of the English Civil War English Civil War The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists... . Upon the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660, he was reinstated, but resigned on 24 November 1660 - he was then 96 years old. He died the following year.
1643 - 1660	Seth Wood, Samuel Boardman, Ralph Brideoak, Seth Wood, Peter Sainthill, Claudius Salmarius Gilbert	Puritan Ministers - exact dates unknown.
12 November 1660	Nathaniel Bisbie	Presented by Sir Robert Cordell, Bart., on the resignation of Robert Wareyn. In 1689, Bisbie was deprived of the Rectory of Melford for refusing to take the oath of allegiance to King William III William III of England William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland... .
26 July 1689	Henry Felton, LLD., Fellow of St Peter's College, Cambridge	On the deprivation of Nathaniel Bisbie.
1701	James Johnson	Presented by Sir John Cordell, 3rd Bart.
1741	Abraham Oakes, LL.D.	Presented by Sir Cordell Firebrace, Bart.
1758	John Jacob Oakes	Presented by Sir Cordell Firebrace, Bart. Eldest son of the previous Rector.
1771	Robert Butts	Eldest son of the Bishop of Ely.
1790	John Leroo	On his own presentation, having purchased the advowson Advowson Advowson is the right in English law of a patron to present or appoint a nominee to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, a process known as presentation. In effect this means the right to nominate a person to hold a church office in a parish...  two years earlier for £2,400. He insured the life of Robert Butts, the previous incumbent, for this sum; so the living cost him only two years premiums.
1819	Bransby Francis	Presented by the Rev. William Tylney Spurdens.
1830	Edward Cobbold	Presented by his father, John Cobbold. The living was for many years in sequestration because of his debts. He committed suicide in London.
1862	William Wallis, M.A.	Presented by John Chevalier Cobbold, M.P. John Cobbold (1797–1882) John Chevallier Cobbold DL JP was a British brewer, railway developer and Conservative Party politician.-Background:Cobbold was the son of John Cobbold and Harriet, daughter of Reverend Temple Chevallier.-Political career:...
1869	Charles John Martyn, M.A., Christchurch, Oxford	On his own presentation, having purchased the advowson.
1892	George St John Topham M.A.
1902	Frederick Trevor Bamber
1922-1923	Herbert Reginald Stapylton Bree
1933-1938	Gordon Bourchier Ince
1939-1953	Charles Sydney Hardy M.A.
1955-1960	Fred Stanley Wood Simpson M.A.
1962-1977	Charles Robert Valentine Herbert
1978-1999	Christopher John Sansbury M.A.
2001-	Ian M. G. Friars