St. Mary The Virgin

CLOSE		St. Mary the Virgin There was a church and a priest at Clifton recorded in the Domesday book. The church had been owned by the monks of Coventry but had been unjustly seized by Earl Alberic prior to the Domesday survey. It is assumed that the church was rebuilt about 1100. The church was important locally since in 1140 the church was recorded as the "Mother Church" of Rugby. During the reign of King Stephen (1135 - 1154) Ernald de Bois was the owner and he made the church over to Leicester Abbey in about 1143. It stayed in their hands until the Dissolution . It then passed into the ownership of the Revel family then to their heirs the Whitney's of Herefordshire. When the Whitney family hit hard times it was bought by the Bridgeman's, (later the Earls of Bradford). In 1851 the church, the churchyard and a house in the corner of the churchyard was owned by the Vicar of Clifton as part of the living. Thomas Vann then one of the churchwardens lived in the house. Thomas was married to Prudence (Whitmell) and they had four children. Thomas had married late in life and the couple had their children in quick succession. Prudence was the sister of Mary Hewitt of Clifton Mill. Mary's husband Henry was also churchwarden. The church was substantially restored in 1896 with help from Thomas Sutton Townsend. This photograph was taken in the 1920's well after that restoration.

St. Mary the Virgin

There was a church and a priest at Clifton recorded in the Domesday book. The church had been owned by the monks of Coventry but had been unjustly seized by Earl Alberic prior to the Domesday survey. It is assumed that the church was rebuilt about 1100. The church was important locally since in 1140 the church was recorded as the "Mother Church" of Rugby.

During the reign of King Stephen (1135 - 1154) Ernald de Bois was the owner and he made the church over to Leicester Abbey in about 1143. It stayed in their hands until the Dissolution . It then passed into the ownership of the Revel family then to their heirs the Whitney's of Herefordshire. When the Whitney family hit hard times it was bought by the Bridgeman's, (later the Earls of Bradford). In 1851 the church, the churchyard and a house in the corner of the churchyard was owned by the Vicar of Clifton as part of the living.

Thomas Vann then one of the churchwardens lived in the house. Thomas was married to Prudence (Whitmell) and they had four children. Thomas had married late in life and the couple had their children in quick succession. Prudence was the sister of Mary Hewitt of Clifton Mill. Mary's husband Henry was also churchwarden.

The church was substantially restored in 1896 with help from Thomas Sutton Townsend. This photograph was taken in the 1920's well after that restoration.