The North West Pillar

February 1922

Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 25 February 1922

The North West Pillar

In the course of his address on Sunday morning,  on the text “It shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel.” the Vicar mentioned that the carved capital of the North-west pillar of the church, which is illustrative of this passage is most probably no less than a thousand years old.

This not only his own view, but experts who have carefully examined the carving, which represents the figures of serpents and angels are practically unanimous in their verdict that the work is Saxon in its origin.

Unfortunately the faces of the figures have been broken off, and as no other portion of the carving, except the faces, which appeared at each of the four angles, has been damaged, it would appear that the defacement is quite deliberate, and not due to accident.

Now it is a historical fact known to everyone who has read an account of the troubled times following the Reformation, that Thomas Cromwell was most zealous in moving paintings and images from the parish churches of the country, and it is most probable that it was at this time that this act of vandalism perpetuated.