Monuments on the Walls

Chancel – North Side

Thomas Wilmot

"To the memory of Thomas Wilmot, Esqr. One of the founders of this Church to whose zeal and energy the inhabitants of Keresley and Coundon are mainly indebted for the consolidation of the two Hamlets into one Chapelry for all Ecclesiastical purposes, and for the Erection and Endowment of this Church. He lived to see the Work for which he had laboured long and anxiously completed, but died before its Consecration at his house in Coundon, on the XXVth day of March MDCCCXLVI, in the LXXIXth year of his age: and was buried at Allesley."

Thomas Wilmot , lived in Coundon House.  His obituary reads:

1846: died on 16th of May Thomas Wilmot Esq, aged 79 years, a Magistrate of this City, and one of the most indefatigable and liberal promotors of the establishment of the Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital

Porch

Grant for Seats

This Church was erected in the Year 1847. and contains accommodation for 420 persons. A grant for £200 in aid of its erection was made by “The Incorporated Society for promoting the Enlargement, Building and Repairing of Churches and Chapels” on condition that the seats for 320 persons, described on the annexed plan, should be set apart and declared to be free and unappropriated forever. William Thickens – M.A. Minister; Churchwardens Joseph Moggs David Waters

Notes on the original plan listed 100 pew sittings, 184 free sittings and 136 children making up the total of 420.  The original plan seems to show that 20 enclosed pews from the chancel to the font made up those 100 sittings and the more wealthy would have paid rent for sole use of these. These figures were later amended to 340 total with 240 free.

Pew rents at St Thomas were removed in 1924, after debate of a motion to abolish them.  Although concern was expressed that the loss of income would be difficult to make up, it was felt that they were “a bar to progress” and “a bar to religion, making them the excuse for staying away from church”.

The Incorporated Church Building Society helped create 2.4 million pew spaces in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, free for anyone to worship.

Chancel – South Wall

George Deerr

To the Glory of God and in loving memory of the REV GEORGE DEERR B.A. for 31 years Vicar of this Parish who died Oct 1st 1906 aged 77 years, and of EDITH JANE , his wife who died April 21st 1911 aged 73 years. This tablet is erected by their Children.

Theophilus George Patton Deerr was born to missionary parents in India in 1829, was ordained in 1854, and served as the second vicar of Keresley from 1874 to 1905.

Chancel – North Side

Hubert David Waters

In Memory of Hubert David Waters Churchwarden of this Parish from 1897 to 1907

The 1920 Vestry meeting minutes record: ”a brass memorial tablet had been placed by the parish on the north side of the sanctuary wall as a mark of respect to the many years of faithful service of one of their wardens—the late Mr H D Waters”. Hubert Waters died in 1918.  His son, Reginald Rigden Waters, pre-deceased him while on active service as a captain with the Royal Warwickshire Regiment in 1916 and is commemorated on the War Memorial outside.

Nave – East End

Oliver Robin Octavius Jagger

Sacred to the memory of Oliver Robin Octavius Jagger

Cadet R.N. Lost in H.M.S.Bulwark November 26th 1914 aged 16.

Oliver, youngest son of Arthur E Jagger, chairman of Singer & Co car manufacturers, was a cadet midshipman serving on HMS Bulwark in 1914. The vessel suffered an internal explosion in Sheerness harbour, killing over 700 men.

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