Combe Florey Somerset
Church of St Peter &amp; St Paul, Combe Florey Somerset built of red sandstone. 
The first mention of the manor is in 1100 when Baldwin de Cume / Combe held it of the Bishop of Winchester for 3 knights fees    
Baldwin was succeeded c1135-1154, by Hugh de Fleuri / Flory who was probably of Norman origin ,  and after by his son Randolph who added his name to the village.  (Combe indicates a valley) 
The earliest mention of a church here is in  1292, when the patrons were the Prior and Canons of Taunton Priory.
There was also a north  Lady chapel here at this date belonging to the Abbey of Athelney, and dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In this chapel lord of the manor Walter de Meriet founded a chantry c.1313 also dedicated to the BVM. and endowed it for the singing of masses for the his soul - for the next 250 years - John de Ammyngford being inducted as chaplain  &amp; successive priests were presented to this chantry by the lords of the manor who later owned &amp; maintained the north aisle as their personal mausoleum  .    The chantry house was possibly on the site of the present rectory and the glebe lands still include the Chantry Down and Chantry Down Coppice. .   The chantry  was later  suppressed in 1547 with the last priest Robert Sprye described as aged 48 yeres, a man of honest conversacion, indifferently lerned &quot; who was pensioned off receiving £3. 4s 4d 

There is nothing in the church that can be ascribed to a date earlier than 1292, except the base of the font which is dated to c.1250, and in the rebuilt north aisle wall the re-used arches to the windows which were widened and later provided with the present wooden Y-tracery in the early 20c. 
c 1480, during the ‘perpendicular’ period, much rebuilding took place: the tower, the font shaft and basin, the nave wall, the windows and roof, the nave arcade, the east end of the north aisle, the organ arch and the existing carved pews and pulpit all belong to this time.
c 1520 the rood screen was extended to the north aisle, but this was demolished in c.1850 when the chancel was rebuilt in the Victorian style, and the pulpit was moved to its present position from the north side of the chancel arch.   The existing screen is in memory of the men who fell in both World Wars.

c 1730 the windows in the north aisle were replaced by the present Georgian wooden ones, the west window was filled in to take the marble monument attributed to John Michael Rysbrack  of Philippa Francis who died in  1745 and left £40 to pay for it, though it was never inscribed  <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/5335NQ02AF">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/5335NQ02AF</a>
The 15c pews were replaced by deal box pews and an eastern one made of oak which was reserved for the Lord of the Manor and his family.
The priest’s doorway and square window were filled in and the east doorway was made. The two eastern windows were inserted to match the others in the north wall.

In the second half of the 13c Sir Simon de Meriet of Hestercombe and Merriott and his wife Lucy came to live in the Manor House.   Sir Simon was succeeded by his eldest son Sir John de Meriet and the stone effigies in the north aisle are considered to represent Sir John who died in 1327  and his two wives Mary de Mohun &amp; Elizabeth Peynel <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/3763iVqX85">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/3763iVqX85</a>
Initially the effigies were in three recessed shrines in the north wall, possibly either side of an earlier heart shrine which held  ‘Le quer dame Maud de Merriete, nun of Cannington’.  About the beginning of the 18c when the windows of the north aisle were altered and the wall panelled for box pews, they were removed to the west end of the aisle. In 1901 when the aisle was restored and re-seated, they were moved to their present position.
Sir John de Meriet had been excommunicated for removing the heart from his deceased first wife.  He was later absolved in 1314 provide the heart was returned to be buried with the body.  (This was not as barbaric as it would seem -  the practice of a separate heart burial was not uncommon and was done in order to obtain additional prayers by burying the body in one church and the heart in another.)  
The de Meriets were succeeded by the Frauncies on the marriage of their heiress Alice daughter of Nicholas Hele to William Fraunceys of Frances Court Kildrington Devon -  remaining here for 12 generations from c 1400 to 1799
Their earliest tombstone  is to Nicholas Frauncies 1480 &amp; family <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/9V486BP93C">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/9V486BP93C</a> followed by two more generations of brass figures - 
Florence Ayshford <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/072396861R">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/072396861R</a> wife of his son John Frauncais 1485 &amp; their son Nicholas Frauncies 1526 <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/dYN7aY1H9W">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/dYN7aY1H9W</a>

The north aisle belonged to the Lord of the Manor for 650 years, before finally being handed over to the church authorities in 1966.

By the south entrance is a portrait memorial to Sydney Smith 1845, the celebrated wit, writer, preacher, champion of parliamentary reform and sometime Canon of St Paul’s Cathedral.   From 1829 until his death,  his care of the people of Combe Florey endeared him to all as physician, counsellor and friend.   <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/xgM778PR49">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/xgM778PR49</a>

The novelist Evelyn Waugh 1903-1966 lived in Combe Florey House for the last 10 years of his life and is buried in a private plot on the north east side of the church <a href="https://www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/A8rtd6556R">www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/A8rtd6556R</a>


Picture with thanks - copyright <a href="https://bishopslydeardbenefice.org/combe-florey-churchb/#iLightbox" rel="noreferrer nofollow">bishopslydeardbenefice.org/combe-florey-churchb/#iLightbox</a>[167d892385d8752c1fa]/0
combe florey church somerset