Monument record 2416/4 - Medieval Chapel

Site of the Medieval Chapel of St Thomas of Canterbury, first mentioned in 1400, still extant in 1540 and possibly demolished in the 18th century, no visible remains.

{1} The Chapel of St Thomas of Canterbury, later of Our Lady, Oundle, was extant in 1540 at the junction of the roads from Benefield and Stoke Doyle (ie TL 036 881) in the 18th cent its E and W windows and parts of its N wall were built into a private house.

{2} It was demolished and replaced by two cottages; these in turn were later demolished and replaced by a Jesus Church in around 1879. The chapel was dedicated to St Thomas of Canterbury; located at TL03688809(2);

{3}There was within the town another chapel, decicated to St.Thomas, which is first recorded in 1400. Endowments were still being made to the chapel in the early 16th century for in 1519 J.Butler left 6/8d for the repair of the chapel of St.Thomas, and in 1529 J.Barnard left 3/4d in his will to the chapel. Leland, who visited in the 1540s, reported seeing ‘another chirch or chapelle of S. Thomas, now of our Ladie, as I enterid into Oundale toun.’ It may have had burial rights for in 1565 the site is described as the ‘cemetery’. The change in dedication indicates that in the 1530s it must have become a chantry chapel which was the responsibility of the Guild of Oundle. This is confirmed in 1548 at the dissolution of the chantries when it is listed under the Guild of Our Lady in Oundle. It was at that time ‘a Chapell of Ese stonding in the said Towne coveryd with lead unoccupyed no Lande thereto belonging but the Churchyard and defacyd by the Town; whereof the towneshipe require that the king take the same and suffer the chappell at Ashton to stand in place of that.’

1548 the ‘late chapel’ was granted to Francis Samwell and John Byll who then sold it to Philip Stockwell. He still owned the site in 1565, which lay ‘in the midst of the street’ and was described as a cemetery, formerly a chapel with stone walls and tiled. The chapel had previously had an endowment of 1 acre of arable and 1 acre of meadow. By the 17th century the chapel had been converted into a house. Bridges recorded in 1719-21: ‘In Chapell End supposed to be a Chappel where the wheelright Mr.Bradshaw lives remains of large east and west windows and a large arch on the north side and a little stone arch for a door with pillars also on the north side - stonework of east window almost entire - seems to be a chappell of some note.’ This building is clearly visible on Buck’s engraving of 1729 of Barnwell castle which gives a very small scale prospect of the town. In 1813 the site of the chapel was occupied by a number of buildings, but in 1879 a new chapel, the Jesus Church, was built and still remains today.

{4} Mr Lynchfield said he has read that when the Chapel of St Thomas was demolished two cottages were erected on the site they in their turn were demolished and Jesus Church erected there at TL 03688809 c1879.

<1a> Leland J., 1543, Itinerary (Series). SNN13988.

<1> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.404-405 (checked) (Book). SNN77326.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, TL08NW25 (checked) (Index). SNN443.

<3> Foard G.; Ballinger J.;, 2002, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Oundle, Section 3.2.2.2 St Thomas's Chapel (Report). SNN102637.

<4> Baird, J, 1969, Field Investigators Comments, F1 JB 02-SEP-69 (Note). SNN111452.

<5> Historic England, Unknown, Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments, Oral: Mr Lychfield Local Historian (Oral Report). SNN111577.

Record last edited

Dec 15 2022 11:29AM