now lost, and is, arg. a chevron gul. between three eagles legs erased sab.
But though it was begun by him, he lived not to see it finished, for it was not perfected till 1527, as the date on the north side of the nave (still remaining) discovers to us. Among Mr. Le Neve's papers I find, that against the north wall of this chancel, at the upper end thereof, was a fair raised monument, once adorned with two fair portraitures, and escutcheons of brass, but now all reaved, with the epitaphs; he observed that the inhabitants told him, it was a knight of the family of the Pilkingtons. And in Mr. Anstis's book it is said, that there is a fair monument, having its brasses taken away, erected for a Pilkington. Now I take it, that this Sir Roger Pilkington and his wife were buried under it, the tradition still remaining that it was the tomb of the builder of the church; it is now [1736] taken down, and the top stone laid level with the floor, that it might not hinder the uniformity of the altar rails, the steps of which half cover the stone.
The building is very neat and uniform, having a nave, two isles, and south porch, all covered with lead; a fine lofty square tower, with a tunable ring of five bells; the chancel is tiled, which was not rebuilt with the church, it being much more ancient. Here are but few stones, and those that had brass are all disrobed. In the windows the following coats still remain, viz. In the south isle, the arms of Bury abbey, and arg. three pallets gul. on a bend sab. three estoils or. In the north windows of the nave are Verdon's arms; and in a north-isle window, Cressi, or Morley. Those that follow are now lost, Scales and Howard, Brotherton, Ufford and Beck, Vesey, Segrave, the East Angles, and St. George's. In the chancel are the following inscriptions:
On a black marble; the arms and crest of
Tilney, arg. a chevron between three griffins heads erased gul. Crest, a griffin's head.
Sub hoc Marmore, Humatur Corpus, Viri Venerabilis, Francisci Tilney, A. M. hujus Ecclesiæ, Septem plus et Quadranginta Annis, Pastoris indefessi, Objit, 13 Septembris, Anno Salutis 1715, Ætatis 81.
On a freestone.
Francis Tilney, son of Francis Tilney, Cler. and Elizabeth his Wife, buried June the 10 Anno Dni. 1682.
