About St Margarets Church
Clergy | Tradition | Discipleship | History | Churchyard
Clergy
Tradition
St. Margaret’s is part of the Diocese of Lichfield within the Church of England
Discipleship, Vocation and Evangelism
Here at St. Margaret’s, we are committed to playing our part in working towards the vision of our diocese…
“As we follow Christ in the footsteps of St Chad, we pray that the two million people in our diocese encounter a church that is confident in the gospel, knows and loves its communities, and is excited to find God already at work in the world. We pray for a church that reflects the richness and variety of those communities. We pray for a church that partners with others in seeking the common good, working for justice as a people of hope.”
History of St Margarets
Christians have probably worshipped on this site since the 7th or 8th century, and the presence of a priest here is mentioned in the Domesday Survey of AD 1080.
After falling into disrepair, the church was substantially rebuilt in the 16th century, and again in the 19th century. Parts of an early stone church from the 10th or 11th century were still visible in 1840s, and it is said that this building replaced an even earlier structure on this site.
The church has a long history of association with local families and dignitaries, including the Syneds, the Moretons, and the Adams, and there are several noteworthy 16th and 17th century tombs and monuments to them in the church.
The tower, built on the old medieval foundations, contains a peal of eight bells, six of which date from 1714, when they were installed in Trentham church, before being moved to St Margaret’s in 1767.
For more information on the history of St Margaret’s, download our guidebook by clicking on the following link…. <<to be added>>
St Margarets Churchyard
The Churchyard
St Margaret’s churchyard is an oasis of calm in the middle of Wolstanton, and has been in use for over 500 years. It contains many graves of local and historical interest, including the notorious ‘poison’ grave (where the gravestone names the victim’s suspected murderer), and the grave of Dr Henry Faulds, medical missionary and the pioneer of fingerprinting.
The upkeep of the whole churchyard is shared between the church and the local authority.
The erection of memorial stones and the adornment of graves in the churchyard is governed by strict rules. There are fees payable for a memorial stone application.
The current Churchyard Policy can be read by clicking the button below