Spotlight on Local History with James Balme
Just twelve miles to the south east of Warrington lies the picturesque village of Rostherne well known by many for its magnificent mere and nature reserve.
Mentioned in the Domesday book of 1086 Rostherne was held by Gilbert De Venables who came to England at the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066. Gilbert was given large tracts of land by William the Conqueror mostly in Cheshire which he held under the Earldom of Cheshire. One interesting story tells that on the side of the Tatton estate facing Rostherne once stood a Tudor Village in the fields known as ‘Camp Green’. The story goes that the Egerton family who resided at the hall had the village completely demolished and relocated to new buildings in Rostherne as the village was spoiling their view.
But the Jewel in the crown and most recognised landmark in Rostherne has to be the church of St Mary standing proudly on high ground overlooking the mere. In the Domesday book of 1086 there is no church recorded, but in a deed dated to 1188 AD it mentioned that ‘a church had stood here for quite some time’. In the early 18th century disaster was to strike St Mary’s despite many warnings made in previous years. The tower of St Mary’s was built in the year 1533 but was allowed to fall in to a desperate state of disrepair by the early 1700s, however the fall of the tower was not unexpected and on the 12th October 1703 a church warden stated ‘ an agreement has been reached to allow only one bell to be rung in regard to the looseness and sorry state of the bell frame’.
In 1734 it was decided to try and repair the cracks using mortar but by 1738 it became apparent that severe damage had been caused. But still the situation dragged on and on and a year later its condition had become critical.
Quickly messengers were dispatched to nearby Macclesfield to find one John Rowson who was to attend the church to carry out immediate repairs. With his Masons in tow John tried in vain to sure up the steeple but to no avail and shortly afterwards the tower came crashing down with devastating effect. By 1744 the tower that we see today was fully repaired and the four bells dating to 1630, 1656, 1717 and 1732 were rehung. Two further bells were added to the tower, one in 1771 and the other in 1785 and in 1890 all six bells were once again rehung.
If the events of the collapse were not bad enough St Mary’s was to see further tragedy when on the 10th November 1845 Charlotte Lucy Beatrix Egerton aged just twenty-one was to drown in Rostherne Mere on the eve of her wedding. Charlotte born on 13th September 1824 was the only daughter of Wilbraham and Elizabeth Egerton of nearby Tatton Hall. Today a beautiful carved marble memorial stands inside the church dedicated to Charlotte.
My film, For Whom the Bells Fall, shot at Rostherne, can be viewed for free with many other local history films by visiting my channel, youtube.com/Tvpresenter4history.
