St Mary Redcliffe

Redcliffe was originally a suburb of Bristol outside of the old city boundary and incorporated into Bristol in 1373. There was a church there from the early 12th century but its main structure is ‘decorated’ and ‘perpendicular’ in style built 1320-80. Although it grew to be a very large fine building is was and always has been a parish church.

The church has a large yard but in the mid 1800’s compensation was paid when a railway tunnel was built underneath the churchyard. With this money, land was purchased and a new cemetery for parishioners was established by the A4 Bath Road, opposite Arnos Vale Cemetery.

There are many tombs and memorials in the church. A brass plate in front of the high altar shows a lawyer and his wife with this inscription:

“Here lies the body of that venerable man John Brook, sergeant-at-law of that most illustrious prince of happy memory, Henry VII, and Justice of Assize for the same king in western parts of England, and Chief Steward of the honourable house and monastery of the Blessed Mary of Glastonbury, in the county of Somerset, which John died on 25th day of the month of December, in the year of our Lord 1522. And near him rests Joanna his wife, one of the daughters and heirs of Richard Amerike, on whose souls may God have mercy. Amen”

Quoted in St Mary Redcliffe, an Architectural History by Michael Quinton Smith, published by Redcliffe 1995