St Mildred's Church, Whippingham
50°44′24″N01°16′37″W/ 50.74000°N 1.27694°W
| St Mildred's Church, Whippingham | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Broad Church |
| Website | [2] |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Mildred |
| Administration | |
| Province | Province of Canterbury |
| Diocese | Portsmouth |
| Archdeaconry | Isle of Wight |
| Deanery | Isle of Wight |
| Parish | Whippingham |
| Clergy | |
| Priest in charge | Revd Allie Kerr |
St Mildred's Church, Whippinghamis theChurch of Englandparish churchof the village ofWhippingham,Isle of Wight.
History
[edit]The village of Whippingham, and St Mildred's Church as its parish church, are best known for their connections withQueen Victoria.Whippingham was the centre of a royal estate supportingOsborne HouseandBarton Manor.
In 1804 a church was reconstructed by John Nash on the site of the lost medieval parish church: in 1854–60 it was pulled down and rebuilt.Prince Albert (the Prince Consort)took an active role in the redesigning of the church building. The chancel of the church was built in 1854 and 1855 by the architectAlbert Jenkins Humbert[1]although Prince Albert is thought to have had a guiding hand. The remainder of the church was constructed in 1861 and 1862.
A side chapel with the tomb ofPrince Henry of BattenbergandPrincess Beatrice,is dedicated to theBattenberg/Mountbattenfamily.
Queen Victoria took a close interest in 'her people' in Whippingham. This is reflected in the many memorials in St Mildred's Church which commemorate members of the Royal Family, including the Prince Consort,Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of HesseandPrince Leopold, Duke of Albanyand members of the royal household.
The church also has a memorial to theHessian soldierswho fought under the British flag in the 1790s, and were invalided to the Isle of Wight. Soldiers from theMusketeer Regiment Prinz Carlwere housed in the newly built Whippingham mill, which became a temporary barrack and hospital. Eighty-four of them are buried in the churchyard. The memorial was unveiled in 1906 by theLandgrave of Hesse.[2]
The church is now in a united benefice withSt James's Church, East Cowes.
Interior
[edit]Inside the church, there are brilliant rose windows and a large octagonal lantern in the centre.
Organ
[edit]A specification of theFather Willisorgan can be found on theNational Pipe Organ Register.
Memorials
[edit]A number of memorials in the church commemorate members of Queen Victoria's family and household.[3]
- Chancel
- Queen VictoriaReredos presented byKing Edward VII.
- North transept
- Rt. Hon. SirHenry Ponsonby,Private Secretary and Equerry toQueen Victoriaand Keeper of Her Majesty's Privy Purse. A work in bronze byLady Feodora Gleichen.
- Lord Henry Seymour-Conway,second son of theFrancis Seymour-Conway, 1st Marquess of Hertford.
- William Arnold, Collector of His Majesty's Customs', died 1801. Father ofThomas Arnold,Headmaster ofRugby School.
- Rev. Matthew Arnold, a Fellow ofCorpus Christi College, Oxford,andForces Chaplain,who was drowned at the age of 35.
- South Transept
- Prince Henry of Battenberg.Brass Lectern
- Canon Prothero (1818–1894), Chaplain to Her Majesty,Canon of Westminsterand DeputyClerk of the Closetand Rector of Whippingham.
- Battenberg Chapel
- Tomb ofPrincess BeatriceandPrince Henry of Battenberg.A double sarcophagus of white marble, adorned with cast-iron sword.
- Urn ofThe 1st Marquess of Carisbrooke.A brass casket set into a niche above his parents' double sarcophagus.
- West wall
- South wall
Burials
[edit]
St Mildred's Church contains the last resting places of several members of theBattenberg/Mountbattenfamily. Inside the church, in a side chapel called the 'Battenberg Chapel', are buried:
- Prince Henry of Battenberg(double sarcophagus with his wife,Princess Beatrice)
- Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom(double sarcophagus with her husband,Prince Henry)
- The 1st Marquess of Carisbrooke(ashes in a brass casket above his parents' double sarcophagus)
- The Marchioness of Carisbrooke(ashes,photo)
- Lady Iris Mountbatten,daughter of The Marquess of Carisbrooke (ashes)
- The 3rd Marquess of Milford Haven(ashes,photo)
Exterior
[edit]
The church has a tower reminiscent of a castle on theRhine,with five soaring pinnacles.
Churchyard
[edit]In the churchyard are the graves ofPrince Louis of Battenbergand his wife,Princess Victoria;alsoUffa Fox,the yachtsman and designer.[4]
The churchyard contains war graves of seven Commonwealth service personnel, four fromWorld War Iand three fromWorld War II.[5]
References
[edit]- ^The Buildings of England, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.Nikolaus Pevsner
- ^"Parishes: Whippingham Pages 197-202 A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 5. Originally published by Victoria County History, London, 1912".British History Online.
- ^"Whippingham: St Mildred's Church".Isle of Wight Family History Society.
- ^"The Churchyard & Grounds".St Mildred's Church, Whippingham.
- ^[1]CWGC Cemetery Report. Breakdown obtained from casualty record.
External links
[edit]
- website:whippinghameastcowes.org.uk
- 1862 establishments in England
- Churches completed in 1862
- Church of England church buildings on the Isle of Wight
- Grade I listed churches on the Isle of Wight
- Burials at St. Mildred's Church, Whippingham
- Mountbatten family
- Burial sites of the Mountbatten family
- Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
- Queen Victoria
- Prince Henry of Battenberg