St Mary
Chalgrove, Oxfordshire
The church was closely connected with Wallingford from Saxon times until 1317 and when the Norman castle of Wallingford was built and its chapel was linked to three churches.
Early in the 14th century the nave was rebuilt in the Decorated Gothic style and the north and south aisles were linked to it by sweeping arcades. The west tower and the Perpendicular Gothic east window of the chancel were added in the 15th century. The pulpit and tester are Jacobean.
The church contains several notable monuments including a number of brasses.the north aisle is a brass commemorating John the Smith, who died in 1371 which bears an epitaph written in Middle English.
The epitaph reflects upon human mortality:
man com & se how schal alle ded li: wen yolk comes bad & bare
moth have ben ve awaẏ fare: All ẏs wermēs yt ve for care:
bot yt ve do for god ẏs luf ve haue nothyng yare:
yis graue lẏs John ye smẏth god yif his soule hewn grit.
In the chancel are two brasses commemorating John Cottesmore, who died in 1439. Stone monuments include two 16th century chest tombs of members of the Carleton family, and a substantial English Baroque monument to members of the Stone family. This was built between 1670-1690, replacing monuments to John Stone (died 1640) and his son Sir Richard Stone (died 1660) that were destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666.