The history of St Mary the Virgin, Ringmer, is mainly a history
of the building. There is not a lot of documentary evidence about what
went on within it, but doubtless it was very similar to what went on in
other rural churches throughout the country.
There
has probably been a church in Ringmer on the present site for
at least 1000 years. The earliest part of the fabric to which an
estimated
date can be given is the nave arcade. The arches are Early English in
style
and are therefore probably 13th century; the first name on the
incomplete
list of Vicars is Richard with a
date of 1233.
The
two chapels (the Lady Chapel to the N of the Sanctuary and the
Springett
Chapel to the S) were built to be chantry chapels shortly before the
reformation
at the start of the 16th century.
The tower, or towers, have the most varied
history. There must have
been a tower in the 16th century, for there is a record of a bequest to
the bell ringers from about 1550. However this tower had disappeared -
collapsed or burned down - by 1682 when there is a reference to "the
want
of a steeple" and a new tower was built about this time. That in turn
burned
down around 1800 and was replaced by a simple bell turret. The present
tower, a gift from Mr William Langham Christie of Glyndebourne, was
built
in 1884 complete with a ring of 8 bells - of these the second was a
"people's
bell" and the original list of donations towards its cost hangs in the
ringing room. There were about 200 donors (at this time the population
of the parish was about 2000) who gave anything from 3d (children) to 2
guineas.
In
the early 19th century in Ringmer, as in most rural churches, music was
provided by
a church band, and, again in the usual way, it was replaced by an organ
- in Ringmer's
case in 1856. A larger organ, the gift of Mr John Christie of
Glyndebourne,
replaced the original one in 1922. It is still in use after a major
refurbishment
in 1988.
The
first, and latest, major addition to the church since the building
of the tower was the addition of a Church Room on the north side of the
nave in 2000. This also provides a kitchen and toilets - the last a
long
requested facility!
The tower, or towers, have the most varied
history. There must have
been a tower in the 16th century, for there is a record of a bequest to
the bell ringers from about 1550. However this tower had disappeared -
collapsed or burned down - by 1682 when there is a reference to "the
want
of a steeple" and a new tower was built about this time. That in turn
burned
down around 1800 and was replaced by a simple bell turret. The present
tower, a gift from Mr William Langham Christie of Glyndebourne, was
built
in 1884 complete with a ring of 8 bells - of these the second was a
"people's
bell" and the original list of donations towards its cost hangs in the
ringing room. There were about 200 donors (at this time the population
of the parish was about 2000) who gave anything from 3d (children) to 2
guineas.