HertfordshireTompkins, Herbert W. (Herbert Winckworth)
History
Hertfordshire
Tompkins, Herbert W. (Herbert Winckworth)
Hertfordshire (England) -- Guidebooks
IPPOLLITTS or St. Ippolitts (2 miles S.E. from Hitchin) was formerly
called Hippolits, Eppalets or Pallets, according to the taste of the
speaker. It was thought by Norden to owe its name to Hippolits, a
supposed Saint, who was very skilful in the treatment of horses. After
the Saint's death a shrine was placed to his honour in the parish
church, and to this shrine near the high altar divers persons brought
their ailing steeds to be healed by the attendant priest with the help
of relics of the Saint. The relics were of efficacy commensurate with
the gifts of those who desired the Saint's blessing! "The horses," says
one writer, "were brought out of the North Street, through the North
Gate, and the North Door of the Church, which was boarded on purpose to
bring up the horses to the Altar." The church was restored in 1878; it
is of flint and rubble, and is now chiefly Perp. and Dec. with a few
older portions. Note (1) ambry and double piscina in the chancel; (2)
brass in N. transept to Robert Poydres (d. 1401); (3) brasses in
chancel, with effigies, to the Hughes family, one of whom, Alice, was
daughter of Thomas Bybsworth, "an ancient dweller in this parish"; she
died 1594. There is a tumulus about 1 mile S.
KELSHALL (21/2 miles S.E. from Ashwell Station, G.N.R.) has a restored,
but interesting church, dedicated to St. Faith, partly Perp. and partly
Dec. Over the S. porch is a small chamber, and in the N. aisle is a
recess, the nature of which is not quite understood, but it was probably
used for the safe-keeping of banner-staves, crosses and other
pre-Reformation ornaments. There is a brass with two effigies to
"Rychard Adane and Maryon his Wyff" (d. 1400 and 1435 respectively). In
the churchyard is an old sundial on the shaft of a stone cross. John
Janeway, a young divine of astonishing spirituality, whose _Life_, by
his brother James, was subsequently prefaced by Robert Hall, was buried
here in 1657: Richard Baxter was one of his admirers. The Manor of
_Chelesell_ was the property of the Abbot of Ely at the time of the
Conquest, having been given to that ancient foundation by the father of
Edward the Confessor.
_Kensworth_ was transferred to Bedfordshire in 1897.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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