A history of St Mary the Virgin, Ambrosden

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A church has stood here from Saxon times for the Parish of Ambrosden was referred
to as being already in existence as early as 1069 AD, It was constructed as a
Catholic Church. The Norman tower and a church which included part of the nave
were built at the end of the 11th century or the beginning of the 12th century. The
actual year of its consecration is unknown but it is assumed to have been in the
month of September close to the birthday of the Virgin Mary whose name it bears.
The first recorded priest was Willielmus Sacerdos de Ambrosden (William priest of
Ambrosden) in 1106 and an interesting list of those who have followed him can be
found framed behind the entrance door to the Church. To mention a few:

The Rev. J Stubbings (1637-1656) was responsible for building the old vicarage,
which stands behind the wall on your left as you walk towards the church entrance. It
was the centre of parish and village life for over 300 years. It was built in 1638, in the
reign of Charles l and replaced a mediaeval one dating from 1336. It passed into
private hands in 1949. A stone in the chancel, between the communion rail and the
altar, marks the place where the Rev. Stubbings was buried.

Ambrosden Snow

The Rev. White Kennett (1685-1701) who later became Bishop of Peterborough,
published a book in 1695 called Parochial Antiquities which is well known to
historians and is a documented study of Ambrosden and the surrounding countryside
from his own times back to those of the Romans. There is a sad story here too..When he
was 30 he married Sarah Carver of Bicester. They were very happy together but his young
wife died in childbirth at the age of 18 at the Vicarage here. He was so grief stricken that he
became seriously ill and, as a result, his hands were so permanently swollen and shaky that it
affected his writing for the rest of his life.

The Rev. T. P. Matthews started the first school in Ambrosden in 1818, at the
vicarage and the Rev. Henry Dryden continued this work and started a further
school in Arncott, at his own expense, in 1833. The Rev. L. G. Dryden (1836-1866)
built the north wing of the vicarage facing the church porch.

The Rev. C. E. Bagshawe was said to have set a very high standard and was
responsible for sharing Mission Rooms in Arncott and Blackthorn.

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The bell tower has a ring of eight bells and a sanctus bell. The Sanctus dates from 1336 and
the four heaviest, were first hung in 1190, the tenor bell weighs over 1.25 tonnes. Two more
were added in 1552 and 1697 and the last two in 1928.

There is a memorial to those who died in the 1914-18 War. Their names were also engraved
on the new treble bell in 1928. Our villagers were more fortunate than most in the second
war war for all those who served in the Forces returned alive. We do however remember
members of our armed forces (based within our parish) who have lost their lives in conflicts
in recents years, at our remembrance service, and there are a number of war graves within
our churchyard.

St. Mary's churchyard is also the final resting place of the mother of the doctor who tried to
save President Abraham Lincoln's life after he had been shot by John Wilkes Booth in 1865.

More history can be discovered when you visit our lovely Church.

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Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello

The following information is specifically for those planning a visit, so that you know, beforehand, what to expect on a Sunday morning.

Where and When

We meet at the Church Building (details here) for our Sunday Service starting at 10:30am. For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to ensure you get a parking space and find somewhere to sit before the service begins. When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team who will be wearing a Welcome lanyard.

We serve tea, coffee and biscuits from 10am, before the service begins. It is a great way to meet people, or simply take time to find your bearings. All refreshments are free.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There are disabled toilets in the main foyer.

Our Service

The main service begins at 10am with a warm welcome from one of our team members. Then follows a time of sung worship, led by our band. We typically have 2 or 3 songs lasting approximately 20 minutes. Sometimes a person might pray out loud or read a small passage from the bible. Sometimes people share things that they believe God is saying to the whole church family. This might seem strange the first time you hear it but it’s all part of our connecting with God. We then share news and notices, usually about what’s going on in the life of the church. One of our leaders will then give a sermon that is bible based and that we can apply to our everyday life. We then finish with a final worship song. Sometimes there is an opportunity to receive prayer at the end of the service.

images: Services

What about my kids?

We have a great programme lined up for kids of all ages:

Creche (0 months to 3 years). Children under 6 months are welcome but must be accompanied by their parent/grown-up at all times.
Livewires (3-7 years)
Encounter (7-11 years)
Katalyst (11-15 years)
Young people (15+ years) Stay in service.

Children stay with their parent or grown-up at the start of the service for the welcome, songs and notices. We really value worshipping God all together as a family. At the end of the notices someone will announce that it’s time for the younger members to go to their various groups. You will need to go with your children to their groups and register them as part of our child safety policy. Whilst you are dropping your kids off at their groups, we pause to take time to chat to someone sitting near or next to us, giving folk a chance to come back before the sermon begins.

The kids group activities vary depending on the age but usually there is a friendly welcome, bible stories, testimonies, praying, music, craft, drama, fun games and free play. Please pick your children up as soon as the service finishes.

Getting Connected

Small Groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week, some afternoons and some evenings. Check out Small Groups and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a small group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group.

Serving and Volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team.

Other Ministries

We also run the following ministries:

Men's Ministries
Women's Ministries
Night Shelter
Foodbank

Get in touch with us to plan your visit

If you would like to come and visit the church beforehand you are more than welcome! Get in touch and we can arrange a time that suits you.

Name:

Telephone:

Email Address:
Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?

Next, we will contact you by email to say hello and help arrange anything necessary for your visit.

Leadership


Leader 1		Leader 2
Leader Intro		Leader Intro

We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at our church.

Best Wishes

(Handwritten Signature)