On the south aisle wall near the south doorway are two charity boards, one of 1773, and the other of 1830 with addition of 1847.' The organ, made for All Saints' church, Wigston Magna c.1845, was brought to Sproxton between 1882 and 1884, and restored in 1984. It may be an early example of the work of the builder Holdich. For a one-manual instrument it has a remarkably large specification which ranges from a 16 ft. Double Diapason to a 1 ft. Tierce and 3-rank Mixture and Trumpet. Probably the least attractive possession of the church is the C19 stone pulpit which is drum shaped. Inscribed round it are the words 'In the name of the Father & of the Son & of the Holy Ghost'. The monument on the north wall nearby states 'Here lieth the body of William Dand; buried July 12, 1700'. This is a memorial to an infant. William was the son of the aforementioned William Dand, vicar of Sproxton from 1695 to 1704. The parish register records '1698 Apr. 25 Wm. ye son of Wm. Dand and Dorothy his wife born and baptized', and '1700 july 12 Wm. ye son of Wm. Dand and Dorothy his wife was buried'. William passed away only ten days after his sister Anne had been baptised in Sproxton church. The vernacular style inscription upon William's memorial is touching in its simplicity. Perhaps Reverend Dand had his infant son's memorial purposely placed here, next to the pulpit, to remind him of his bereavement. Behind the pulpit is a blocked 15th century doorway with a chamfered, depressed arch. This provided access, through the thickness of the wall, to the vanished rood loft which was taken down in 1547 when Edward VI's Privy Council ordered all roods throughout the land to be taken down. The doorway was blocked, and plastered over at this time, but its existence was rediscovered in 1882. The 19th century marble reredos to the rear of the altar has a repeated pattern of four-petalled flowers, and the Paschal Lamb in an openwork gable. Coats of arms of the Brabazons and Woodfords with various impalements formerly adorned the windows in the chancel. These were recorded by William Burton in 1622 in his 'Description of Leicestershire', but of the half-dozen examples mentioned by him, only one, showing Trussel impaling Brabazon, remained in 1729 when Francis Peck inspected the church. However, these coats of arms have recently been worked on a set of kneelers kept in this part of the church.
Sproxton
Sproxton Sproxton Previous Previous Next Next