History of St Catherine's church
A Short History and Guide
The Church, dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria, dates back to the 13th Century, although it is doubtful if any of the original structure remains above ground. The oldest part is the Tower, the foundations are believed to be of Saxon origin.
The present Church was rebuilt during the years 1842-1845, on the original foundations, in what was then described as the 'modern gothic style'. The money was raised locally and cost in the region of £2500, a very large sum in those days. Contributors to the fund included the Dowager Queen and the Duchess of Rutland.
Lists of previous Rectors, dating back to 1209, are on display in the Church. There have only been 12 Incumbents in the Parish of Burbage since the reign of Elizabeth the First, which is something of a record.
St. Catherine's contains a number of interesting memorial tablets. On the south wall of the Chancel is the monument to Anthony Grey, Earl of Kent, who for 54 years was the Rector of the parish, during the period 1589 - 1643. He died aged 95 years and is buried in the Chancel of the Church. His wife, Magdaline, bore him twelve children. One son became Master of Leicester Hospital, and later Rector of Ibstock. The eldest son, Henry, inherited the title as Earl of Kent.
The painted fresco to be seen on the east wall of the south aisle was erected in 1857 to the memory of Richard Wightman, his two wives, and eight children. On the north wall of the Sanctuary is the memorial to Blackwell Parkyns, of Leicester Grange in the Parish, who died in 1721. Records show that Sir William Parkyns, the father of Blackwell, was convicted (with others) of High Treason during the seventh year of the reign of William III, and was executed on 3rd April 1696.
Of further interest is the South Door, which dates back to 1633, and the Font, said to be 400 years old, bears the coat of arms of the Hastings family.
The Church Registers commence in 1562, but unfortunately they contain no details of the way of life in the Parish during that early time.
The present clock was placed in the Tower in 1887 to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. Originally the Tower contained five bells, but in 1925 these were found to be unsafe and were removed. An appeal was launched and enough money was raised to rehang the bells and increase their number to eight.
In 1994 the Church was extensively re-ordered, a Lady Chapel was created at the end of the north transept, the font was relocated to the south aisle and the Choir stalls were rebuilt in the north aisle (the original stalls were a gift from the Patrons of the Benefice, Balliol College Oxford) With the Chancel opened up the Victorian tiled floor was uncovered, repaired and extended. In the area under the ringing chamber a creche was created. All of the re-ordering made the Church more flexible for worship and other activities.
