Melbury Sampford, Dorset
Chapel of St Mary,  once the parish church of the lost village of Melbury Sampford Dorset stands next to Melbury Hall both in private hands .   <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/v9068da440">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/v9068da440</a>
&quot;Sampford&quot; was added by the Saunford family, Lords of the Manor here from the late 13c.   In medieval times it was often alternatively called Melbury Turbeville from the family of that name.   
Nearby are the villages of Melbury Bubb &amp; Melbury Osmond. 

Inside, under the central tower, are the 15c canopied tombs with identical praying knights, <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/36rhb1sifS">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/36rhb1sifS</a> originally erected by Alice Burton widow of William Brouning 1443 to her husband and his father John Brouning 1415 
c1500 Sir Henry Strangways 1504 acquired the manor by his marriage to &quot;the widow of William Brouning&quot;  .  Later the tomb to John Brouning was commandeered by his son Sir Giles Strangways 1547 after he had built a new mansion house here.  There are other  memorials to the Strangways family  which line the nave walls.
Also one by Chantrey to Caroline Leonora, wife of Henry Stephen Fox Strangways, 3rd earl of Ilchester, who died in 1819 after childbirth.  <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/82EiSod7B4">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/82EiSod7B4</a>

Built of coursed rubble stone with ashlar Ham stone dressings, the chancel, two stage crossing-tower with north and south transepts, and nave all date from the 15c    There is a  newel staircase to the tower, square externally, in the south west angle.
By the mid-18c there were no further Strangways male heirs and it passed through the female line, their husbands taking the name and arms of Strangways.   Awarded an earldom in 1758 by George II, Stephen Fox added his mother’s maiden name to his surname to become Stephen Fox-Strangways, 1st Earl of Ilchester, and Melbury Sampford became their seat  until 1964.   The pioneer of photography Henry Fox Talbot was born in the house.

In 1874 the nave was extended to west, involving destruction of former west porch, followed by further restoration in 1878 when the interior roofs were renewed on stone corbels, furniture refurbished, and external embattled parapets were topped with terminal figures. 

The 15c octagonal font: survives partly built into north respond of west crossing-arch,


Picture with thanks - copyright Mike Searle CCL <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Heritage_Open_Day_at_Melbury_House_" rel="noreferrer nofollow">commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Heritage_Open_Day_at_Melb...</a>(4)_-_Chapel_of_St_Mary_-_geograph.org.uk_-_4163210.jpg
melbury sampford church dorset