Holy Trinity Church is the Anglican parish church of Rudgwick, a village in the Horsham district of West Sussex, England.
The oldest part of the church is the font, which is made from Horsham or Sussex Marble and dates from the 12th century. The tower of the present church was built in the 13th century though much of the material probably came from the older church that was pulled down to make way for the current building. Parts of the south wall may have been retained from the original church and so may be as old as the tower. The majority of the rest of the church dates from the 14th century with some from the 15th. The vestry is Victorian. The church is a Grade I Listed building.
History
Holy Trinity dates from the 13th century, when about the year 1260 Alard the Fleming who owned the great manor of Pulborough and was granted the right to hold a fair at Rudgwick on “the eve, feast and morrow of the Holy Trinity” (Trinity Sunday).
List of rectors, vicars and curates
Rectors
Date Rector Before 1275-6 John de Swyneford 1275-6- Robert de Schardeburg 1287-8 Hugo de Stanes 1351-2 Alan de Boys 1355 Alexander 1363 - 4 John de Lyndeford - 1405 David Thomas 1405 - Richard Monk 1411, 1413 Thomas Clerk - 1427 Robert Payton 1427- William Papelon 1430 John (Bishop of Eunachdon) - 1443 John Marchall 1443 - Richard Clyff 1445 Richard Baynton, presented (Appropriation to take place at next avoidance) 1478 - 9 William Holden 1482 John Chambyr 1500 James Boniface 1521–1536 William Aspull (Ashpole) - 1548 William Burton
Vicars
Date Vicar 1270-1 Thomas 1355-6, 1367-8 Alexander 1396-7- John Averay - 1429 Robert Tailour 1429 - Robert Potterne 1430, 1450-1 William Illory -1478-9 Richard Lovelady, resigned 1478-9 - Elias Garnet 1500 Richard Mathew, died 1500, 1536 John Frankysshe 1541 William Benett 1543, 1546 George Merbury (Morbourie) 1546, 1547 William Mason 1549, 1571 William Styrar (Sterat, Tyrer) 1576 Nicholas Burrell 1611 Owen (Eugene) Stockton 1612-13 William Wady 1624 George Benson 1627 Samuel Eburne 1637 Syvester Adams 1646 Thomas Mead 1660–1665 Thomas Mead 166- Tobias Henshawe 1673 William Loriner 1674-5 George Rutt 1716–1741 Richard Cotton 1741–1768 Humphrey Crawley 1768–1776 John Jones 1776–1813 Robert John Sayer 1813–1831 Roger Evans 1831–1833 Henry Browne 1833–1866 George Redaway Matthews 1866–1908 Benjamin Joseph Edward Drury 1908–1916 Arthur Frederick Young 1916–1927 William Hampton Chambers 1927–1951 Alfred Norman Wynn 1951–1965 John William Tanner 1966–1977 John Charles Hart 1977–1989 Theodore (Tom) Arthur Barker Charles Dec 1989 – June 1998 John Dudley Morris Nov 1998 – Sept 2009 Richard Charles Jackson (subsequently Bishop of Lewes now Bishop of Hereford) April 2010 – Present Martin Peter James King
Curates
Date Curate 25 June 2016 – 2 February 2020 Peter Deaves
The church today Holy Trinity Church was designated a Grade I Listed building on 22 September 1959. The graveyard was expanded in 2023, after consecration by the Bishop of Horsham.
See also Bishop of Chichester Bishop of Horsham Bishop of Lewes Church of England Diocese of Chichester Grade I listed buildings in West Sussex List of places of worship in Horsham (district)
References
Notes
Bibliography