A number of Chancel Roof Bosses in St Mary’s Church seem to date from the period of building 1395-1420, although there are also Victorian additions, from when the ceiling was rebuilt in the 1850s.
If you refer to the 1834 church interior image above, you will see that apparently there were only 5 ornamented ribs, which end beyond the Kingsmill memorial but before the arch to the chantry chapel containing the organ. That’s 35 bosses (2 x 15 per side + 5 medial or ridge).
Brakspear’s Architect’s fee account[1] make it clear that work was to be carried out in the chancel. William Shewbrooks of Taunton was the contractor for the chancel roof[2] In 1846, it was noted that there was “a major roof leak in the chancel”[3].
Architect’s Account
To furnishing a detail drawing and estimate of repairs of roof over chancel and chapel, amount of estimate £282 £7 14s 0d
Surveyor’s Account
To taking out quantities of work in the new chancel roof for the use of contactor’s estimate, being £188 6s 8d £3 15s 4d
I think it safe to assume that the pendants are Victorian, as they are integral to the heavily ornamented ribs. The angels are certainly Victorian[4]. Most current ornaments bear traces of a red colour, but this has been removed except in the crevices on the carvings, probably during the simplification of ca 1876. Brakspear may have coloured all of the bosses & angels red, but that endeavour may have been seen as ostentatious.
If you deduct the pendants, 25 in number, that leaves 45 ornamental bosses, 10 more than may have been present in 1834. If you then look closely at the photographic record of the bosses
(a) some look fresher than others
(b) some show repetitions of symbols (note especially the Star of David).
I think it is possible to identify 10 or so bosses which might be Victorian (Brakspear) copies of the original set of ca. 1420.
For instance, are all of 2N3, 2N4, 2N9, 2S4, 2S13 originals, or are some copies? Are some of the knot patterns the same? There may be others!
[1] 1855 9 June The Builder No 644, 269 Cited in Cattermole, Cox, Woolrich The Parish Church of St Mary, Bridgwater : A study of the nave seating and its context, 2007, p59
[2] SHC D\P\bw.m8/4/1
[3] Bridgwater Times 6 August 1846
[4] Jarman, S G A Handbook of St Mary’s Church Bridgwater , Bridgwater Gazette, 1885, p13 “In the chancel roof are ten figures of angels, carved in wood, which were placed there by the late Mr John Browne”
Dr Peter Cattermole 3 February 2013
Images of the Chancel Roof Bosses
Complete Ceiling in relation. The north row is on the left-hand side.
Floral Knots
Floral Knots
Victorian Pendant
Floral Knot
Five petalled Rose – a symbol of St Mary the Virgin (note that this is too early to be a Tudor Rose)
Floral Knot
Ferns with centre piece – possible a lower case letter (b?)
cf 1S13
Victorian Pendant
Floral Knots
Elephant and Castle
Knots inside knotted square cf 1S10
Knot with traces of red paint
Colied ferns
Traces of red paint
Victorian Pendant
IHC Christogram motif
Ouroboros-like animal ?dragon
No front legs, only back – long tail, no wings.
Red in crevices and on bottom left stem
Green Man approx over position of original altar chin to W
Eagle holding a scroll. Possibly a symbol of John the Evangelist
Tree of Jesse? This appears to be a styalised tree, possibly a monogram for WB?
Lion and Griffon below a tree
Unicorn, lion , tree
Coiled ferns
Ferns with contre pierced cf 1S4
Victorian Pendant
