Isel church

Saint Michael's Church, Isel, Cumbria.

ISEL - THE NAME:
The word Isel has been spelt in many ways e.g. YSALA, YSHALE, ISHALL. Several are shown in the chancel window. There are likewise numerous interpritations of which the one having most appeal is that given by Eckwall in the Oxford dictionary of English place names which may be summed up thus:- The first element YSA, ISA (etc) is a Germanic personal name. The second element HALE, HALGH, HALH (etc) means corner, an angle or secret place. In the north it came to mean a piece of flat alluvial land by the side of a river, or land in a corner formed by a bend of a river.

It is tempting, therefore, to give credit to a man called ISA who, many years ago, was so impressed by the word of God that he gave to the local community this area of flat land within the river bend on which to build a little church - the church of Saint Michael on ISA's flat land within the bend of the river.

Map and Gallery:

 Location Map

 PRE-NORMAN
Isel church stands near a site where an ancient British village is thought to have existed on the hillock above the present roadway.
The pre-Conquest name of St. Michael and fragments of crosses on display inside indicate a church on this site before the Normans. The first church would have been constructed of wood or dry stone.

So, by the banks of the Derwent - river of oak trees - not far from the Roman fort of Derventio (Papcastle) a village community worked and worshipped under the stabilising influence of the Christian ethic. Thus it remained until those great builders, the Normans came upon the scene.

 NORMAN AND LATER
There are several surviving Norman churches in this area of which Brigham was the "Mother" church. A study of dates assigned to the oldest parts of the churches in Cumbria shows that ninety per cent of them were built, or rebuilt, during the 12th century. Isel is c1130.
Among the first Norman landowners in this area were the Engayne family who married into the de Morvilles of whom the first knows was Simon de Morville.

 Simon was succeeded by his son Roger and then by Roger's son. His name was Hugh, and in association with William de Tracey, Richard le Breton and Reginald FitsUrse (who struck the mortal blow) assassinated Archbishop Becket on 29th December 1170. Consequent upon this act Isel church and parish became forfeit to the Crown and were given into the care of Hexam Abbey, the Abbots of which administered the parish until Elizabeth I gave everything back to the lords of Isel together with the tithes which originally supported the clergy. These were subsequently restored to the vicar by Sir Wilfred Lawson, the 2nd Baronet, and at the enclosure of the commons in 1808 they were exchanged for land which subsequently became part of the glebe.

The de Morville connection survives today in the village of Mauld's Meaburn. Maud was Hugh's sister. King's Meaburn adjacent to Mauld's was originally Hugh's Meaburn, but after the murder of Becket and forfeiture of land, was renamed King's Meaburn. The sword used by Hugh de Morville was kept at Isel for a long time and was subsequently transferred to the Arundell family. It was destroyed later in a fire at Brayton Hall.

 The original Norman stonework of the church is contained in the north and south walls of the nave and chancel, the south doorway and the chancel arch. The east wall and the west wall were demolished and reconstructed and the vestry added as explained later. Subsequent modification and repair due to deterioration and perhaps resulting from Border raids can be seen - especially in the south wall of the nave outside.

 THE 1878 RESTORATION
Before looking around it would be helpful to read the following contemporary account of the church prior to its restoration during the incumbency of the Reverend William Hutchinson Sharpe in 1878. Pertinent comment is given in parenthesis:-
"The old doorway in the south wall of the chancel was discovered after plaster and whitewash were removed. The chancel roof was in a bad state. The outside walls were covered in ivy and whitewash. Essentially the structure was as it is now except that there was only a tiny vestry at the north east corner of the chancel about seven feet square. Inside the church were old box pews and old woodwork. There was a 'porch' (extending outwards from behind the present organ) built c.1485 which originally contained the Leigh chest tomb that is now beside the church path on the south side. The church had a ceiling. There was a gallery at the west end for the bell ringers. Internal walls were plastered and whitewashed. The east end contained an alter. The church was damp. The floor was flagged stone. There was no drainage. The roof was removed and replaced with new. The ceiling was removed. The alter was removed. The stone floor was taken up and the soil excavated to a depth of 12 inches and replaced with concrete and covered with wood blocks. New open pew were fitted. The best of the old roof trusses were retained in the nave. Two windows in the chancel, one Norman and one early English, had been built up and were opened out. The old vestry was demolished and a new one constructed which enclosed the old Leigh porch as a boiler house for heating. A new pulpit, reading desk and the pews were made using wood from the old furnishings. The old alter was not fit to use and was replaced by a new oak table. The lectern was made from the old alter. The expense of the renovation (£1000) was met by public subscription. The vicar and the Lawson family and relatives and friends contributed £666.15.4d."

 THE NAVE
Font:
The standing octagonal font still in use today is dated c.1275. It is believed to have had relief carving on the sides similar to the font at Bridekirk church. This might have been the case because the lack of equality of the eight angles and the roughness of all the surfaces is suggestive of deliberate defacement having taken place - perhaps during the Parliamentary period.

Nearby is a small mutilated holy water stoup of the Norman period.

 Stone fragments:
Near the door are two large fragments of Anglo-Saxon cross shaft. They were found in the walls during the 1878 restoration and are typical of "local" workmanship of the pre-Norman period. They are similar to other crosses in this region, of which that at Gosforth church is of outstanding beauty.

Woodwork:
The ancient roof trusses with tenoned and pegged joints throughout are thought to be c.14th century.

The pews are made out of wood from the old pews and underneath the seat of the fourth in front of the pulpit some workmen have wrote their named and added "Russo - Turkish war 1878". A piece of useful graffiti!

 Lampholders:
The overhead wrought iron lamp holders were designed and made in 1902 by Bainbridge Reynolds a notable craftsman in iron work. They were made at the request of the Vicar, the Reverend B. Hawker and contain paraffin lamps.

The Litany Desk:
The Litany Desk with brass top plate, by the south door, is dedicated to Henry Stordy Fisher, aged 15 years.

 The North Doorway:
The north doorway traditionally known as "the devils doorway" was blocked off during the restoration in 1878. In ancient days it was opened to exorcise the devil from the church prior to performing baptism.

The Windows:
In the north wall are two original Norman lancets and it is likely there was one between them. The window in the west wall was remade in 1878 in the sae style as its predecessor. The original Norman west wall would have contained three long lancets. The window in the south west corner is probably a 15th century enlargement of the original Norman one and the other three in the south wall are thought to be 19th century, all of which replaced earlier ones with the object of admitting more light.

 The wall surfaces:
The wall surfaces were restored in 1932. Earlier plaster had painted texts on it which might have dated from the Reformation period.

The Chancel Arch:
The Chancel Arch with its string course at the spring of the arch is Norman. It will be seen that repair work, noticeable in the light coloured stones, has been done and that the re-pointing is out of character. Note the similarity in design of the capitals and bases with those of the south door.

The fine bases of the columns have been cut at sometime to accommodate a frame, perhaps for a screen.

On the left of the arch is a bracket on the face of which is carved a monogram of the name of 'Christ - ihs -'. The vertical line of the 'h' takes the form of an (incomplete) Egyptian ankh, the symbol of rebirth. The purpose of the bracket could have been to hold a lamp by the pulpit in days past.

 Royal Arms:
Above the arch is a painting by Mathias Ried of the Armes of George I dated 1721. It was probably commissioned by Sir Wilfred Lawson, the 3rd baronet, who was groom of the bedchamber, to the King. Restoration to it was effected in 1969 by Miss M.E. Burkett who, at that time, was Director of the Abbot Hall Museum and Art Gallery in Kendal.

The stepped window sill adjacent to the pulpit:
Although suggestive of a stairway, the change of direction, height from the floor, and the restrictive geometry of these steps make them impracticable and unsafe to use as such. They are more likely to have been a "decorative" form of shelving.

 The Organ:
The organ was designed and made by Cassons Positive Organ Company Limited and was installed in 1900. The casing was designed by Gilbert F.M. Ogilvy.

The Lectern:
The lectern which was made from the old oak alter is very elaborate in design - probably to use as much of the wood as possible - and is a double shelf pattern so that it may be used to read lessons to the congregation, or the Litany facing the alter. It was presented to the church in memory of Anna Maria Wybergh Lawson (daughter of the vicar) who was a remarkable artist at the age of ten years.

 The pulpit:
The pulpit was made in 1878 from the old oak furnishings. Between this date and 1900 is stood on the opposite side of the nave but on the installation of the organ was moved to its present position as mentioned above.

The oval tablet:
The oval tablet by the pulpit is historically important. It commemorates Thomas Wybergh of Clifton to whom the Isel estates passed on the death of his uncle the 10th baronet and last of the Lawson baronetcy of the first creation.

The brass plate:
The brass plate by the pulpit commemorates the Reverend W.H. Sharpe and the two church wardens at the time of the 1878 restoration, namely W.Dixon and J. Bushby.

 The wall boards:
The wall boards were repositioned in 1878 and from their appearence are most likely contemporary with the Royal Coat of Armes over the chancel arch.

The hymn board:
The was given by Arthur Lawson in 1912.

The bells:
The bells were installed in 1953.

 THE CHANCEL:
The blocked doorway:
The blocked doorway in the south wall was made in the 14th century when the chancel was extended. Before this the west wall was approximately where the present sanctuary step is situated. The join in the stonework may be seen on the external face of the south wall.
Originally, a chancel was that part of the church which contained the alter and was relatively small. Subsequently, in order to create space for the clergy and choir, the chancel was extended easterly and the sanctuary made a separate part of it.

The windows:
The only remaining Norman window is the small lancet by the vestry door. When the east wall was demolished and rebuilt during the extension in the 14th century the original Norman lancets were lost and were replaced by a single window; this window was remade in 1878 using the original sill and sides. The central mullion and top tracery and arch date from 1878. The lancets in the north and south walls adjacent to the chancel arch were probably 12.13th century alterations to admit more light. The window in teh south east corner and the simple tracery window are 14th century.

 The communion rail:
The communion rail was the gift in 1711 of Lady Frances Lawson, the sister of Sir Wilfred seemingly as a result of a polite hint from Bishop Nicholson in 1703. It is the first rail the church had possessed and was refurbished in 1878 using the balustrades of the original.
Lady Lawson also gave an oak alter table which was replaced in 1878.

The alter:
The alter is new. The simple table made in 1878 had become considerably dilapidated over the years. The present alter was presented by Mr W.R. and Mrs A.E. Hartland and was made by the Reverend Canon F.B. Hambery. It was consecrated by the Bishop of Carlisle, the right Reverent Ian Harland on the 6th January 1991.

 Wall plaques:
On the east wall two slate plaques commemorate members of the Lawson family. The one on the left is dated 1632 and is dedicated to Sir Wilfrid Lawson who was twice member of Parliament for Cumbria and four times high Sheriff. He married Maud, the widow of Thomas the last of the Leighs and this union brought the Lawson family from Yorkshire to Isel in 1575. The inscription on the plaque is worthy of note, it is the verse written by Sir Walter Ralaigh on the eve of his execution and was found in his bible in the gatehouse of the Tower. Since it is difficult to read in situ it is given below:-

"Even such is time, which takes in trust,
Our youth, out joys, and all we have,
And pays us but in age and dust,
Who in the dark and silent grave,
When we have wandered all our ways,
Shuts up the story of our days,
And from which earth, and grave, and dust,
The Lord shall raise me up, I trust.!

How this acclaimed verse came to be quoted only fourteen years after Raleigh's death, on a tablet in a Norman church far from London is not known.

 The plaque on the right is dated 1688 and applies to Sir Wilfrid Laswon, the grandson of the foregoing Sir Wilfrid.

In the Civil War he turned from Royalist to Cromwellian but reversed his allegiance in the Restoration of the monarchy and represented Cockermouth in the Restoration Parliament. He was created baronet by James II in 1685.

The brass plaques on the south wall relate to members of the Wybergh family. In 1806 Sir Wilfrid Lawson, the 10th baronet, who was the last of the Lawsons, died without issue and the estates passed to his nephew Thomas Wybergh of Clifton. This Thomas assumed the name of Lawson and is commemorated on the oval tablet by the pulpit.

A plaque on this wall worthy of note is that which commemorates the Reverend W.H. Sharpe who was responsible for the 1878 restoration.

On the north wall are two brass plaques, the one dark with age commemorates Thomas de Sandes of the now demolished Redmain Hall, who died on 14th November 1485. He married the heiress to the hall. He was a member of the legal profession, a member of Parliament and also sat on several Royal Commissions. The plaque has been thrown away at some point but was discovered in 1878.

 The stone remnant in the wall by the chancel arch is important. It is part of a recumbent grave slab having part of the head of a cross and is dated 8th / 9th century thus making it the earliest sculpture in this church.

 The four oil lamps:
The four oil lamps in swivel brackets are part of the 1878 restoration.

 The Triskele Stone:
In the tracery window in the south wall of the chancel is a picture of the ancient Triskele stone. The stone itself stood in this window but to the shame of those resposible was stolen in 1986. It was originally discovered when the Isel bridge of 1691 was being reconstructed in 1812. It is the upper portion of a cross shaft belonging to the 10th century. It is attributed to a local school of west coast Viking age sculpture and has spiral scrolls as well as triskeles.

On it are:-
A female swastika (the female form is by tradition unlucky), a three legged triskele which is representative of a trinity and may be seen surviving in the three legs of Man; another triskele with one arm turned backwards; and a symbol known as Thor's thunderbolt. Underneath all four signs in an elongated S placed horizontally, known as the Sun Snake.

 OUTSIDE THE CHURCH:
The south porch:
The south porch which is entered on leaving the nave is built strongly but roughly and is possibly 14th century. The carved stone in the west wall is a remnant of a medieval grave slab. The identity of the remnant adjacent to it has not been established. There is an interesting list of clergy.

The church doorway:
The church doorway is Norman and preserves much of its original stonework. The two free standing pillars which originally flanked the sides are missing. Repairs to the stonework in the arch are noticeable especially in the chevron carving which is inferior to the Norman work and lacks continuity of matching in paces. The right hand capital is a later insertion and the decoration is not compatible with the quality of the Norman work on the left side. Note that the decoration of the capitals and bases is similar to those on the chancel arch. It will be seen that there has been some replacement of stones in the wall on the left of the doorway. The extent of damage strongly suggests a physical attack on the doorway in bye-gone days.

 The sundial:
The sundial incised on a later fitted stone on the right hand side of the doorway is of particular note. From the early times churches were often used as places for tuition purposes. This dial includes the canonical hour of SEXT, i.e. noon, when one of the daily offices could have been read by the priest. The other times given are strongly suggestive of suitable times for tuition purposes. The hour of TERCE (9am) is also included. The dial was probably cut in the 13th century but when the porch was built it became obscured and the information given on it was transferred to the chancel window with modification between 8am and 2pm. If there was a school at this period it would have been held in the nave.

Close to the corner between the nave and the chancel you will see again the old blocked doorway. Notice how low it is and also the well worn step suggesting that apart from use by the priest, many small feet could have contributed to its concavity over a long period of time.

The use of the chancel for tuition instead of the cold, badly lit nave of the time, is a tempting thought.

The sundials on the left of the tracery window are some of the best remaining in Cumbria but they have suffered greatly from erosion. Some markings might refer to tuition times, some to particular services and some show canonical hours for the recitation of daily offices. In the latter case all dials contain the noon-day hour of SEXT. The lower dial shows the hour of PRIME (6am) and that of NONES (3pm). All the gnomons have of course, disappeared. Not all the canonical hours are given. The top dial having equal divisions is typical of a Saxon dial. Note that times are read from left to right with mid-day at the base.

 The chancel extension:
The chancel extension may be noticed at ground level about 2.5 metres from the south east corner where the well dressed Norman footings cease and the rougher ones commence.

Now turn around and you will see the chest tomb of Sir William Leigh who died in 1484. The Leigh family were former lords of Isel and Redmain before the advent of the Lawson family. Previously this chest tomb was contained in a small chapel jutting out of the north wall of the nave behind where the organ now stands. At what point in time the tomb was transferred is not known but it was done hurriedly, or carelessly, for it will be seen that it has been placed upside down! The purpose for transferring the tomb could have been to use the chapel as a vestry.

At the south east corner of the chancel wall is a headstone dedicated to the Reverend John Kendall who was vicar for 53 years in the 18th century. A romantic diary about him was published in London in 1860. It is, however, not the genuine but rather a literary exercise written by one or more of the four daughters of a succeeding incumbent of the parish namely Christopher Hilton Wybergh (who was vicar of Isel for 50 years) and perhaps inspired by the success of the Bronte sisters. When walking along the east wall note the window of the chancel which was made in 1878 using some of the earlier stonework. Next you will see the 16th century vestry window, repositioned and given a new central mullion. The cross at the top of the gable end is very old. Turning the corner you may now walk along the 1878 extension which consists of the vestry as far as the door, then the kitchen (behind the small window) and at the end is toilet accommodation. The kitchen and toilet stand where the small chapel containing the Leigh tomb formerly stood. Along the north wall of the nave you will see the two small Norman lancet windows and the blocked off north doorway. At the corner look at the rough vertical join in the stonework. This occurred when the tower was demolished and the west wall rebuilt.

 The tower:
As originally built, most northern churches with their small, high windows and heavy walls were used for refuge purposes during Border raids. In those days there was no seating and the floors were earthen or flagged stone. Services as distinct from the daily office were not frequent. A church, therefore, provided substantial temporary accommodation. Subsequently, several churches, of which Isel was one, had towers of equal width to the nave built on to the west end, to provide segregated accommodation. They usually consisted of ground floor and first floor; access was from the church nave. They were not intended for siege purposes. The dates of building and demolishing the tower at Isel are not known but an old painting shows it to be in existence around 1710.

 If you look now to the north west you will see Isel Hall, formally the home of the Lawson family which is now extinct. It is built on the site on which the Norman lords once lived. To the north east is a hillock where the ancient village if Isel possibly once stood. Arriving back at the church porch you will see opposite to it the chest tomb of the Simpsons of Redmain. They were an ancient and notable family. Two menbers became eminent classical schollars at Oxford, another was vicar at Setmurthy and later of Holme Cultrum Abbey and a canon of Carlisle Cathedral.

 GENERAL:
In the year 1499 a man named Alexander Dykes was murdered in Isel parish by Black Tom Curwen (who is buried in Camerton Church) and his associates.
The King's Bench ordered that a chantry priest should be provided at the church to prey for the soul of Dykes for two years

The burial ground which was surrounded by a thorn hedge in 1704, was extended to the west in 1878 and then northerly in 1935. A further extension to the north side was made in 1887.