In medieval times many churches had a chantry chapel. This would have probably been founded by the patron of the living and endowed with money for a priest or chaplain to be appointed (in addition to the rector of the parish) to pray for the soul of the patron “for ever”. There would have been a separate altar in the church for this purpose.

 

It is believed that the chantry at Stathern was the first in Leicestershire to be established. This was in 1294 when the first chaplain was appointed. The altar was dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and was placed at the east end of the north aisle, where the organ is now situated. At that time the arch at the back of the organ was not built. The vestry, which was originally a chapel, was built in about 1450 and the arch was constructed then. The chantry moved into this chapel until being abolished in 1539. At some later stage the chapel then became a schoolroom.

 

A list of the Stathern chantry priests is hung in a frame on the north wall of the nave. It covers 246 successive years until 1539 when all chantries were abolished by Henry VII at the Reformation.

 

The chantry priests lived in a stone-built cottage in what is now Chapel Lane, likely to be at or in the vicinity of an old cottage now known at Chantry House.This is a listed building of late17th and earlier origins, and was formally known as the King William Public House, A few years ago an excavation in the front garden, and next to the adjacent White Cottage revealed large dressed stone blocks which may have been the foundations of the chantry priests’ buildings. Apparently the house had an orchard running down to the Rundle Beck and a dovecote.

 

Two important artefacts remain from the site of the chantry priest’s buildings. One is a small medieval window which is built into the Chantry House front wall (pictured below) and another is the remains of the dovecote for the chantry priest’s cottage (also pictured).

 

The building containing the dovecote was converted into a Methodist Chapel in 1825 and the east wall of the original building which contained the dovecote ‘dove holes’ was preserved. When the Methodist Chapel closed and was demolished to build a house in about 2012, this wall was retained at the east end of the house. This picture of the internal dovecote was taken when the Methodist Chapel was being demolished in about 2011. Whilst the dovecote is now covered up, it is preserved and is recorded as being of local historic interest.