St James the Great
Paulerspury, Northamptonshire
There are two distinct reasons for coming here. The rare medieval wooden effigies and the association with the great nonconformist missionary William Carey (1761–1834).
In the church there is a small museum collection of relics from the Woodville period together with useful explanatory notes.
The monument to the Queen's grandfather, Sir John Wydevyl (as it is spelled on his etched slab), is now situated at the west end of the church. It was he who added the tower to the building in around 1400.
The Fitzroy family emerge in a number of handsome wall tablets, the best of which is by John Flaxman RA to Charlotte, Countess of Euston (d1808). It is Grecian in style with a pair of protective white marble figures, Faith and Hope.
In 2011 these memorials were extended when one to Vice Admiral Robert Fitzroy (d1865) was put up by his descendant. He had been Captain of HMS Beagle on which Darwin served; he designed the Fitzroy Barometer and was a pioneer of weather forecasting. All this is to be found in a 13th century church which retains a good Norman tub faced font.