Enjoy the latest Stories from St. Mary’s – telling the tale of why our parish church is no ordinary village church…

Eton College Take Over and Rebellion

Henry VIII’s break with Rome and reform of the church led to two significant events for Bloxham. Firstly the dissolution of the monasteries led to Bloxham Church, having been under Godstow Abbey near Oxford, being gifted to Eton College in 1547. Because the church also owned significant pieces of land around the village, the college also became a local landlord.

Secondly, reform of the church led to a new Book of Common Prayer in 1549 which was met by rebellion, involving many priests including John Wade, the vicar of Bloxham, due to its use of English as opposed to Latin. Fuelled by changes in how land was allocated, the rising gained momentum until put down by a Royal force of 1500 soldiers in a clash thought to be at Enslow Hill in Oxfordshire.

Many ringleaders were condemned to death, including James Webbe, the vicar of Barford St Michael, who was hanged, drawn and quartered at Aylesbury. John Wade was sentenced to be hung from his own steeple here in Bloxham but it seems he was pardoned, as he was alive in 1553.

This series is brought to you by the BoF Heritage Group. Throughout its history, St. Mary’s Church, Bloxham, has adapted to the needs of the time. The Building Our Future (BoF) project is dedicated to enhancing our magnificent church with up to date facilities, to make it more welcoming and more practical for all – whilst maintaining the beauty of this historic building. Subject to current Covid restrictions, please feel free to explore our parish church for yourself.

Please contact us via bofcomms@gmail.com to join the mailing list for future updates, to find out more or to share your own Stories from St. Mary’s!