St. Faith's Church, Winchester
Encyclopedia
St. Faith's Church was the parish church of St Cross, a village just south of Winchester
, Hampshire
, England
. It was situated on the northern side of what is now Kingsgate Road at its junction with what is now St Cross Road. The church's graveyard is still there today. The church was demolished in 1507, and St Cross Church, part of the Hospital of St Cross
, became the parish church.
In 1445, the Bishop of Winchester
, Henry Beaufort, gave St Faith's Church to the nearby Hospital of St Cross and the Master of St Cross decided not to appoint a separate rector.
By the late 15th century, St Faith's Church was in a poor state of repair due to the decline in the population. The parishioners could not afford to repair it and requested permission to worship at St Cross Church in the Hospital instead. The Master of St Cross agreed and in 1507 St Faith's was demolished, leaving just the graveyard, which continued to be used for burials and still belongs to St Cross. The font, bell and stone screens from St Faith's were moved to St Cross Church. St Cross had had no need of a font prior to this as it had not been a parish church. The stone screens are now on both sides of the sanctuary in St Cross Church. The parish is now called St Cross with St Faith.
, a worker instructed to destroy the lectern at St Cross Church saved it by burying it in St Faith's graveyard instead. It was later dug up and returned to St Cross.
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, 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 was situated on the northern side of what is now Kingsgate Road at its junction with what is now St Cross Road. The church's graveyard is still there today. The church was demolished in 1507, and St Cross Church, part of the Hospital of St Cross
Hospital of St Cross
The Hospital of St Cross and Almshouse of Noble Poverty is a medieval almshouse in Winchester, England, founded between 1133 and 1136. It is the oldest charitable institution in the United Kingdom...
, became the parish church.
History
The earliest record of St Faith's Church is from the year 1172, but a pre-conquest cross-shaft discovered nearby suggests it was a place of worship from the 11th century or earlier.In 1445, the Bishop of Winchester
Bishop of Winchester
The Bishop of Winchester is the head of the Church of England diocese of Winchester, with his cathedra at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire.The bishop is one of five Church of England bishops to be among the Lords Spiritual regardless of their length of service. His diocese is one of the oldest and...
, Henry Beaufort, gave St Faith's Church to the nearby Hospital of St Cross and the Master of St Cross decided not to appoint a separate rector.
By the late 15th century, St Faith's Church was in a poor state of repair due to the decline in the population. The parishioners could not afford to repair it and requested permission to worship at St Cross Church in the Hospital instead. The Master of St Cross agreed and in 1507 St Faith's was demolished, leaving just the graveyard, which continued to be used for burials and still belongs to St Cross. The font, bell and stone screens from St Faith's were moved to St Cross Church. St Cross had had no need of a font prior to this as it had not been a parish church. The stone screens are now on both sides of the sanctuary in St Cross Church. The parish is now called St Cross with St Faith.
St Cross lectern
During the CommonwealthCommonwealth of England
The Commonwealth of England was the republic which ruled first England, and then Ireland and Scotland from 1649 to 1660. Between 1653–1659 it was known as the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland...
, a worker instructed to destroy the lectern at St Cross Church saved it by burying it in St Faith's graveyard instead. It was later dug up and returned to St Cross.