Parish Notes Northumberland

Ovingham St Mary the Virgin

[Population 1911: ]

Church

The church of St. Mary is a cruciform building of stone, chiefly in the Early English style, consisting of chancel, nave of three bays, aisles, transepts, porch and a low tower of massive masonry, with belfry windows of coupled lights, divided by rude balusters, and containing 3 bells: the chancel retains two sedilia of early date, with trefoiled heads, and modern shafts, and has a low side window; here also lie two altar stones, and several inscribed floor slabs, including one with arms and crest of a singular eulogistic epitaph to William Ovrd esq, ob. 27 April, 1630, and Ann his daughter, ob. 2 Dec. 1631; and others to the Addison family, and the Blackett's of Wylam: the transepts, which have western aisles, exhibit some good corbels, with the nail-head ornament, and in the south transept is a piscina: both the chancel and transepts are lighted by tall narrow lancets, the east end having a triplet: in the porch is a grave slab bearing a cross: the tower is possibly Saxon: the church was restored in 1857, when the destroyed north aisle was rebuilt and the blocked arcade reopened: there are 500 sittings. In the churchyard are the graves of Thomas Bewick, the celebrated wood engraver, d. Nov. 8, 1828, his wife and his brother John, also an engraver, d. 1795.The register dates from the year 1679. The living is a vicarage, yearly value £176, including 38 acres of glebe, in the gift of the trustees of the late Lieut.-Col. William Bigge, and held since 1886 by the Rev. Charles Edward Blackett-Ord M.A. of Corpus Christi college, Oxford. [Kelly's Directory of Durham & Northumberland (1890), pages 1020-21.]

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Topography

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History

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The Parish Chest

EP 102/20 Burials 1798-1812

EP 102/21 Burials 1813-1843

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Non-Parochial Records

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Monumental Inscriptions

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