History of St Margarets Parish Church
(God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and Wisdom to know the difference.)
Our Church stands next to the school in isolation from the village. It is dedicated to St. Margaret of Antioch. A Church has stood here for over 700 years. There is an account in ancient Lincoln Diocesan Records of the Induction of a Vicar to Quadring in 1250. In the Doomsday Book of 1086 (recording properties and population of England), a large part of Quadring parish belonged to the Bishop of Lincoln and he would be obliged to provide for the religious needs of the people, in other words, a church would be built. Others involved in this were the Percy family. They bequeathed the church to the Abbess of Stainfield Priory (which they owned) near Lincoln. During Henry VIII's reign Stainfield Priory was destroyed, and probably Quadring Church was damaged.
Edward VI allowed the Bishop of Lincoln to regain possession of the church and he was once more responsible for the appointment of priests.
The Ancient Church Registers show us how good and evil times came. In the reign of Elizabeth I, a young Vicar came to take charge of Quadring Church. The marshy fenland must have been too trying for his health for, within two years he lost his wife, and two children and then died himself. As you enter the church the first thing that strikes you is the light and spacious interior. On the left of the door you will see an ancient "hood"(hude), these were peculiar to the fens, and were used at funerals, being carried out into the churchyard on wet misty days to shelter the vicar at the graveside.
The Hood
If you look to the right in the south Transept there is a chapel dedicated to St. John, that this was used for sacremental worship is clear because the Piscina for vessels still remains. Above this chapel is a modern stained glass resurrection window, designed by Brian Thomas and dedicated to Mary Randall, a resident of this village. To see the full beauty of this window, one must see the sun shining on it. As you proceed back towards the door and continue to the chancel, on your left stands an ancient chest this was for the storage of Parish Registers etc. It had three locks on it, to be opened by the vicar and the two churchwardens, it could not be opened by one person. In 1836 this chest, and other things were stolen from the church, the chest was later found with the lid broken, in a neighbouring ditch. (Five guineas reward was offered for it's return).
The Ancient Chest
The Reward
At the entrance to the bell tower stands the font, it has an ancient Latin inscription at the base mentioning the Percy family - "Pray for the soul of Robert Percy who caused this font to be made". The font has signs of new stonework, it was damaged in 1939 when lightening struck the church tower and stonework fell on the font.
Damage to font in July 1939
Above the font are key crevices in the wall indicating a singing gallery once existed in our church, this housed the choir
Together with their instruments (in the days before the organ was installed).
The bell tower contains six bells.
As you turn to go down the chancel, look up at the roof, on one of the beams is evidence of newer wood and the date 1698
plus two sets of initials L.P. and N.C., these are thought to be the churchwardens initials at the time of the repair.
On the pillars in the chancel are faces and heraldic coats of arms (possibly the Derby family).
The Derby family in 1400 gave to the church eight windows for the nave.
At one time a Roodstair and 1oft arched the west end of the chancel, all that remains is the turret.
The organ on the right was donated to the church by the Robinson family.
Beside the pulpit is a brass plaque on the wall, it has a Latin inscription which translates
"Here lies Bristovius Brown a perfect child the eight-fold hope of noble parents, while he lived ajoy. Who departed
in the third year of his birth January 9th year of our lord 1685/6".
Passing into the Nave, the East window is dedicated to the Rev. Ashwin and his family, a former vicar of Quadring.
Near the main altar to the left, on the floor is a tablet and an inscription (barely readable) to
Richard Pereson vicar in 1472.
Returning from the Nave and turning right, there is the Lady Chapel, complete with Aumbry and ancient Piscina for
the washing of vessels.
The chapel is dedicated to Our Lord's Mother - the Virgin Mary.
Above the altar the stained glass windows are brightly coloured and show Quadring Church, Lincoln Cathedral, also Stonehaven,
home of the Robinson family, who gave the window, also the three windows on the right which depict the life of Christ.
The Robinson Window
Returning to the rear of the church you will pass the ancient bier, also, no longer used at funerals.
There is proof that the chancel and the sanctuary once extended further Eastwards.
The doorway, which is blocked with stone from without on the south side was a priest's door and would
lead to a part of the chancel beyond the sanctuary.
Now the sanctuary has been moved forward to include the place where this doorway once stood.
Further witness may be called to the ancient glory of the church.
On the outside wall to the right hand side of the south door, the hours of the day are scratched upon the stonework
just like the dial of a clock. Originally a long straight piece of metal was fixed in the centre of the dial,
to throw a shadow from the sun's rays on the correct hour - marking which showed the time of day.
This little "Scratch-Dial" must have been put there at some time before clocks were introduced into England
and when people largely relied upon the sun to tell the time. When the village people passed by the church they
could make sure of the time of day.
