Potterspury Photo Gallery and History These photos were taken by David Winmill during a trip to England in 2002.  Potterspury  and Yardley Gobion  was home to the Winmill family from the early 1600 until the mid 1700s.  Read a short history of Potterspury here. John Winmill (born 22 Jan 1686/1687) signature on Bishops Transcript.  This is a copy of John Winmill's signature when he signed as one of the Church Wardens in 1732 vouching for the transcription of the Parrish Records to the Bishops transcripts. A house in Potterpury Parrish Hall in Potterpury     These pictures of St. Nicholas Parrish were taken with Davis in the foreground The church of St. Nicholas At Potterspury. "The church stands on the northern side of the main part of the village. It consists of a tower, nave, north and south aisles and a south porch. The tower is an impressive four-stage structure with massive buttresses, dating from the mid 15th century; the oldest surviving windows are also Perpendicular. Inside, the nave is separated from the north aisle by five arches, one of which contains a circular pillar with a Norman capital, perhaps of c. 1150; the others are Decorated, as are the three dividing the nave from the south aisle. There were probably altars or chapels at the east end of the two aisles before the Reformation, which modern sources state were dedicated to the Virgin and St. Thomas. Early 16th-century wills include bequests to the high altar of St. Nicholas, the chapel of Our Lady, the Jesus altar, the Trinity, St. Thomas, the Holy Rood, the Sepulchre, the Sacring Light, and to the torches. In 1510 6s. 8d. was left towards the building of a new south porch. " The arrangement of arches separating the nave from the chancel, consisting of a central arch resting on piers on each side, with a small arch supported by a bracket on the north and south, may date from the 16th century and result from the removal of a rood loft. The tower contains five bells, one of which is dated 1774. A gallery was erected at the west end of the church in 1760. The font is octagonal and dates from the 14th century. Source: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=22789#s34 Additional historical reference are found here: http://www.potterspury.org.uk/vh/st_nicholas_church.htm "An Independent church was established in {Potterpury in}1690 by the Rev Michael Harrison. The history of the Independents in the 18th century is largely bound up with the name John Heywood. He was an eccentric and remarkable man, described as tall and thin with a mean and slovenly appearance, mostly due to the neglect of his imprudent wife who remained outside the church for the first 28 years of their unsuitable marriage. However, he was held in high esteem by many including the Duke of Grafton, who allowed him to use his library. " Source:: http://www.potterspury.org.uk/history.htm After a series of students and trial ministries, "James Slye, was invited to become pastor and was ordained in June 1825. The church then had 23 members. (fn. 77) Soon after he arrived Slye installed galleries in the meeting-house for the Sunday school children (who numbered at least a hundred in the 1820s), (fn. 78) and in 1826 the church built a second meeting-house at Yardley Gobion, where the minister officiated on Sunday evenings, (fn. 79) having previously preached in the village once a fortnight. From 1828 he also preached at Alderton (fn. 80) and in the same year a burial ground was opened at Potterspury. (fn. 81) In 1831 Slye published a short history of the church. (fn. 82) In 1851 Potterspury claimed an average attendance of 150 at morning service and 130 in the evening. The Sunday school, which acquired its own building in 1846, (fn. 83) had 85 in the morning and 45 in the evening. The chapel was said to have 500 sittings, of which half were free. (fn. 84) At Yardley, which Slye described as a chapel of ease to Potterspury, there were 300 sittings, of which 200 were free. The Sunday afternoon service had an average attendance of 110, although, as he admitted, the congregation was to some extent the same as that which worshipped at Potterspury in the morning and evening. (fn. 85) Source: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=22789 Announcement of a Charity benefit performance for St, Announcement of a charity benefit at St. Nicholas Church in Potterpurry. The announcement includes Roger Windmill as part of a piano duet. perhaps a distant cousin.  Rioger Windmill is apparently an organist at St. Nicholas.