The Two Confessions by John Whitbourn (good books to read for adults .TXT) 📕

emblems of the Five Wounds of Christ, roughly carvedin hard wood.

Duringthe 'Reformation' some of the 15th century pew ends were stuck to the screen.The old pews had unusual 'poppy-head' tops but they have disappeared,presumably also at that time. The reading desk survives on a Jacobean-stylebase.

Thewindow-sill in the south transept is the original altar-stone; one of theconsecration-crosses can still be seen. Below is a memorial brass (the namealas erased by subsequent 'Protestant' vandals) of a Spanishgentleman-volunteer martyred in battle during the reign of Mary the Great.

In1508 Welcombe was made an independent parish, and the church was 'fittinglyrebuilt' - transepts were added and possibly a new chancel - andconsecrated along with its graveyard. On the wall may be seen a copy of theDeed of 1532 (the very eve of tragedy!) whereby the parishioners agreed toprovide a priest, and the Abbey to pay £5 a year towards his wages. Thededication was kept on the Sunday after Michaelmas, but it is now on the Sundaynearest St Nectan's Day - the 17th of June, when children and maidens inprocession bear foxgloves to the church.

The16th century pulpit originally had a sounding board.

Thetower contains 6 bells. An inscription on the tenor reads: 'A Gooding castus all fower for this new builded tower 1731'.

Inthe 17th century there was a gallery across the back of the church, and on theporch was a sundial dated 1735 and inscribed Fugit Irreparabile Tempus.

Thenaive but charming reredos paintings of the Good Shepherd and St Mary Magdaleneare the work of the Blessed Bridget Butt, a hermitress (and skilledwater-colourist) briefly attached to St Nectan's in the 20th century. Herpowers of prophecy and ecstatic visions led to her ‘invitation’ to Rome andeventual beatification, as well as artistic immortality via Bacon’scontroversial ‘Screaming Saint’ (sic) triptych.

Thebold Creed, Lord's Prayer and Ten Commandments are typical late 'Pure-Stuart',from the reign of Joseph I when orthodoxy harboured unnecessary concerns andchurches were required to display them over the Altar.

Thethree stained glass windows are in different styles, each portraying an aspectof Our Lord's existence. The light is a feature of this Church, ranging fromclear daylight to depth and mystery around the Altar.

Thegraveyard contains a tapsel gate, more usually associated with Sussex, and aclearly marked mass-grave pit from 'Counter-Reformation' days....'

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‘One,two, three, four....’

Samuelstopped and looked down at the low mound before him. The intervening years hadcaused it to weather and settle; in a short while it would be flush with theground: invisible. He had come just in time.

Hereconsulted his notes. The fourth grave from the Salway sepulchre, 'ten orso paces' behind St Nectan's Chancel wall, in line and to the left of a yewsapling. Samuel checked. That 'sapling' was now a tree, but it and allthe other clues were present and correct. There was no marker to assist him -though other Trevans in the family plot had merited a memorial stone. He wasentirely reliant on Father Jago's memory. The priest had said he remembered thisone well, out of the many hundreds he'd seen on their way. He'd even recalledhis words at the time, that 'she was as good as the rest now, their equal atlast, if only in death.’

Samuelwondered. It would be a fitting end, and the best joke of all, if he was nowbefore some stranger's grave, mistaken and deluded for ever. However, he wasleft with no choice but to trust. He had to make a decision and so made it.This was the one.

Thelight was fading swiftly. Samuel squinted up at St Nectan's square flint tower,and it was not only the declining sun that misted his vision. It was a quietplace this, a sheltered dip amidst steep green hills, separated even from thelittle village of Welcombe it served. Samuel was glad of that.

He'dgathered some woodland flowers and ferns, fashioning a rough arrangement ofthem with clumsy fingers. If anyone should have seen him at work in long andcareful selection, in doing the best he could to make a posy; if they'd laughedat him, a great grown man thus engaged - and there were no other witnesses - hemight have killed them.

Samuelgently placed his offering on the raised turf.

Itwould have been... nice to say a prayer - but he couldn't do that now. Therewere only useless words, a cold comfort to him, and nothing at all to her.She couldn't hear him. But he spoke anyway.

‘HelloMum…. Goodbye Mum.’

U[U[U[U[U[U[U

cHAPTER 16

‘What do you want?’

‘Somecourtesy for a start. What do you want: another broken door?’

‘I'llget Dad.’

‘Ishould.’

Uninvited,unsuspected, Samuel followed the youth into the house. Around the great kitchentable the farmhands were having their cider and fat-bacon breakfast. No onecommented. They knew his form from last time and carried on eating.

Theyouth bellowed into empty air.

‘'Ere,da! That blow-in's back. 'Er looks like trouble!’

Agruff voice answered from upstairs, though its tone was less robust than thechoice of words.

‘Then'e'll surely find it. Bind him there while I get me gun.’

Samuelbrushed past the stocky boy, who'd been unaware he had close company.

‘Oi!You can't just barge-....’

Butby then Trevan was past him and heading up the narrow stairs. Significantly, hewasn't followed or hindered, though there was ample opportunity.

Facedwith a selection of doors on the landing, he headed for the one mufflingfrantic sounds of distress. It opened wide at the prompting of his boot.

Hisbeloved cousin was still in his nightshirt, though milking was at least an hourpast. Roused up before schedule, he was sitting on the bed, revealing acres ofhairy flesh and equal trepidation. Perhaps it was the unusual circumstances,but a fumbling meal was being made of loading a plain and simple fowling piece.

Thefarmer's wife was beside him, still tucked up. She saw Samuel first and, justfor an instant, he got the impression she'd not object to finding him theremore regularly, in place of what she'd got. That was a notion, a bit ofleverage, a potential ploy, to be pondered on later. Meanwhile, the ladyrecalled propriety and screamed.

Oneof Samuel's hands permitted the farmer to see stars in the morning; the othertook the gun from him and smashed it against the bedside cabinet. Neitherweapon nor furniture survived their introduction. Then the stunned man washeaved off the bed and stood