Barrowby
Victorian Restoration
The first organ the church had was positioned under the tower in the early nineteenth century, previous to this there had been a church band playing for services.
White’s Directory for 1856 reports: ‘After being many years in a mutilated condition, the old pews were removed, and the church was restored, beautified and refitted with neat open benches of pine’
There was other repair and restoration work through the nineteenth century: in 1879 the spire was repaired and in 1889-90, re-roofing was done in 1889.
The choir-stalls are also from the nineteenth century. The present organ was installed in 1870. From hearsay it is thought the organ covers some interesting burial slabs. This could be, as it can be seen behind the organ that some slabs, both on the floor and wall, are partly hidden by the works.
The East Window of the late fourteenth century had its three lights fitted with stained glass in 1884; the centre light depicting the crucifixion was given by the Rector, the Rev. George Earle Welby, the other two showing the Virgin Mary and Mary Cleophas, were by subscription, all at a total cost of £140. Turning to the south wall of the Sanctuary, the lancet window contains stained glass to the memory of the Rev. George Earle Welby’s three young daughters, Edith, aged 10 years, Augusta, 5 years, and Katherine, 3 months. Part of the window was shattered during the last war and the glass refitted is not the right shade of blue. Canon Welby was Rector for fifty years, and contributed a great deal to the church and village. He was responsible for the foundation of our church school in 1851, and the building of the Reading Room on the corner of Church Street in 1899, and gave the Lych Gate as a gift on his Golden Wedding Anniversary. He retired to The White House in Casthorpe Road, taking with him the clock tower from the Rectory stables, which can still be seen there!
Gifts to the church in this period include the Litany Desk given as a gift by Lady Emily Mostyn after the birth of her daughter Rhona in 1894, and the brass lectern given in memory of William Downing 1892.