DAY 169 - (Part 3) - Singing in the Same Norbury Church as My Great-Grandma Clarke

Sept 4 - FINALLY...the Church and the Song

I'm finally here at the Church that I've heard about for years.  This is so exciting!

If you've been following along, you may have wondered if we really did find the church where my ancestors went and where my great-grandmother sang.  YES!  My dad had a little booklet that told all about it that he had given me back in 1989.

 And - I was about to learn even more about the St.Mary and St. Barlok Church in Norbury, Derbyshire, England by the man who knows everything - Timothy.  We had "accidentally" met him earlier in the afternoon and he had agreed to meet us there at 5:30 for a tour.

He was excited to meet us because he thought I was related to Lloyd Clarke, a man from Iowa, who donated money every year to the church.  I'm from Idaho, and that sounds close to Iowa, so he thought we were one and the same.  I was excited because I had found one of the few distant cousins that I had and now I have his address so I'll contact him.

Lloyd and I have the same great-grandparents....Thomas Davis & Mary Elizabeth Clarke.  Mary Elizabeth was born in the house that he is standing in front of.  I am hoping to meet him someday soon as he is in his 80's now.

Entrance sign and to the old 1050 year-old church

The church has old grave stones both in front and in back.

How great to be the only ones around as we biked everywhere & finally to the historic Church of Norbury.

"Welcome to the Church in Norbury", says Timothy

The present church of St Mary and St Barlock was built piecemeal over a period of about 200 years. The chancel is the earliest part of the church, and is unusually large in relation to the rest of the fabric. 

Another view, but from Rich's camera

 The present church of St Mary and St Barlock was built piecemeal over a period of about 200 years. The chancel is the earliest part of the church, and is unusually large in relation to the rest of the fabric. 

 The present church is the third one on this site, the first being Anglo-Saxon and the second a Late Norman church. This second church was built c. 1179 by John Fitzherbert, 3rd Lord of Norbury and dedicated to St Barlacus. The saint appears in the centre light of the south window; he is portrayed holding a pastoral staff in his left hand and a book in his right. Underneath there are the words Sactus Burlok Abbas. The name also appears as Saint Barlok in a 1491 charter. 

Timothy said that recent stain glass cleaning and renovation determined that it is from the year 1306.  This is the original stain glass and every picture tells a story.  It cost $300,000 pounds to have the stain glass cleaned.  WOW!

 The Bible on the front table was a special gift to the congregation and to the church from my 3rd cousin, Lloyd Clarke.  It had his name on the front page.  I am so proud to have such great heritage.

View from further away from the table with the Bible

This was on the floor and is found to be original.  It is very close to the tombs.

I can't exactly remember what this is, but it's OLD.

Another photo of the cross.

Ancient Saxon Cross - Norman Period

10th century Anglo- Saxon Cross Shaft.   The cross shaft is highly decorated with interlacing and a rope -like edging

This is a great close-up photo of this ancient 900 AD Cross at Norbury.

The Font is from the Norman period - about 1400

I so enjoyed listening to the wealth of knowledge that Timothy had.

                                      

"I've been talking to these guys my whole life, but they just don't want to talk back," says 80+ year-old Timothy.

Before we go outside, I asked Timothy if I could sing a hymn in the church.   (See the post right before this one on Dec. 5th).  I was sure that my great-grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Clarke Davis would approve, also.  I have some of her music that my Grandma Esther Davis Olson had given me.  We had played and sang together on Mary's old upright piano back in Broomfield, Colorado.  I chose to sing "How Great Thou Art."  It was a wonderful feeling knowing that she had sung in this beautiful eddifice, also.  I felt others listening as I poured out my heart.  I love this hymn!  I had sung it not only at Esther's (Grandma Olson's funeral), but also my mother and father's double funeral.  Music is the best way to communicate with the dead.  What a wonderful afternoon!

Here we see where the Saxons sharpened their arrows back in the Medieval times... CRAZY!

Outside to the Old Church Yard and the GRAVES

Rich caught a great view on his panorama view

My ancestors are just to the right as you walk in the front door.

My great-great grandparents and other extended family all in a row.

A couple of relatives, but not directly related - probably uncles or cousins

Thomas was a very popular name back then.

Joseph Harrison - My Great-Great-Great Grandfather

John Clarke was my great-great grandfather, Mary Elizabeth's Father

This is the oldest tomb in the graveyard.  It is a pre-Norman conquest gravestone - over 1,000 years ago.  Hopefully someday they will put a little fence around it or have a special marker to preserve the history.  We were lucky that Timothy knew so much about this area.

Probably the OLDEST tombstone in the yard.

This is the oldest part of the church from the outside and its beautiful original stained class windows.

My absolute FAVORITE photo of some of the tombstones in the churchyard.  Isn't it great?

I LOVED this VERY old tree right in the middle.  Too bad it can't talk.

Norbury Manor,  next to the church...VERY old and lots of history

Time to leave these beautiful, holy grounds.

I will add a few more photos to this day tomorrow( Dec. 5), but for now I leave you, my reader, and the Church of Norbury.