The next church of which we have to treat is the village church of St.
Mary’s, Weston, another of the Spalding Priory churches. The parish of
Weston formed part of the at one time large Manor of Spalding and its
members, of which the Priors of Spalding were lords; and all records
point to the able and philanthropic way the monks treated the places
within their jurisdiction. With respect to the mode in which they treated
Pinchbeck, and the means by which they built that fine village church,
the existing records of the monastery give a most interesting account.
That Weston Church was restored under the able direction of the then
vicar, the late Rev. Canon Edward Moore, F.S.A., is sufficient guarantee
that it was a thorough, though conservative, restoration, and those who
visit the church will be ready to testify that as a model of a village
church Weston St. Mary would hold a very high place.
That the present is not the first church at Weston we have proof, for
about the year 1135 Thomas de Multon, who was the chief tenant of the
Prior of Spalding, and resided at his castle at Moulton, whilst attending
the funeral of his father in the Abbey Church of Spalding, gave to the
monks, in the presence of his family, the Abbot of Croyland, and many
others, the church at Weston. Weston was in his manor of Moulton. The
gift was confirmed in the presence of the Chapter of the Priory of
Spalding, and also by Thomas de Multon depositing his clasped knife on
the high altar of the Abbey Church. This Thomas was the father of Lambert
de Multon, who, with his wife Matilda, was buried in Weston Church;
and there is still in the north-west corner of the north transept his
sepulchral slab which formerly had two effigies. Lambert doubtless was a
benefactor to the church, and so acquired the honour of sepulture within
its walls.
In the early part of the thirteenth century (during the reign of King
John), and whilst John, a Spaniard, was the Prior of Spalding, a fine
was levied between him and Lord Thomas de Multon for the advowson of the
Church of Weston, and, judging by the architecture, it was about this
time the monks began the building of the present church.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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