Rosliston – St. Mary’s Church

St. Mary’s Church in Rosliston doesn’t look at first sight the sort of place where a huge controversy took place at the end of the nineteenth century, when the Bishop called his own vicar “cruel and wicked”.

There has been a church here since either the late Saxon or early Norman period. The current structure partly dates to the fourteenth century, although it was restored in 1802 and the nave and chancel were then rebuilt in 1819 using some of the same materials. There was an advert in the Staffordshire Advertiser in early January 1820, which offered two pews, in the eastern corner of the church, for sale at auction which is a rather different situation to religious services today.

Most of the tower, including the doorway and steeple, date to the fourteenth century.

Unfortunately, the interior of the church was closed, although most of the contents appear to date from the late nineteenth century. It does feel peaceful today, but I can imagine the build-up of anger towards the rather wayward vicar which the parishioners once had to deal with.