| Summary : Site of Formby medieval chapel, abandoned 18th century following inundation by wind-blown sand. A font,from the chapel, and now in St Luke's Church built near the chapel in 1852-6, is certainly C12th and possibly Saxon. The earliest references to the chapel date to the C13th. The cemetery continued in use until the mid-C19th. A stone known as the Godstone is inscribed with a cross and a rebus and may be Mediaeval in origin, although the most recent research shows that it was part of the fabric of the chapel. This is located in the old churchyard. |
More information : (SD 28070668) Church (NR) Site of (1)
The parochial chapel appears to have stood originally in Raven Meols,
but the site of the modern St Luke's Church, with its ancient burial
ground is now within the limits of Formby. Little is known of it.
As it was far distant from the parish church it is probable that
few services were held there after the Reformation. Some of the
material of the old chapel was used in the erection of St Peter's
Church in 1736. St Luke's Church was built in 1852-5 near the site
of the ancient chapel. (2)
About 1/2 mile from the shore is the burial ground of the ancient
village of Formby. The village suffered so much from the inundations
of blown sand that about mid-18th cent the church was rebuilt some
2 miles inland and the village followed it. A memorial chapel has
been erected on or near the site of the older church and on a pile
of stones there, is the bowl of an ancient font (? 12th c) in a
dilapidated condition. (3)
Mention is made of Robert, the chaplain of Raven Meols in the
Cockersand Deeds of the 13c. In a marriage settlement of 1510,
Richard Formby referred to his 'Manor and Chapel of Formby'. The
chapel is again mentioned in 1597 and 1650 and it is also shown
in Herald's Map, 1565, the Harleian Map of 1598, and John Speed's Map
of 1610. The old stone font was found towards the end of the last
century, partly buried in the graveyard boundary cop, by John Aindow,
the Sexton. It has been declared Norman and even Saxon by experts.
It is not now in use but is mounted on a pedestal in the NE corner
of the nave of St. Luke's Church.
The chapel was destroyed by sandstorms and windstorms in 1739.
St. Peter's, its successor, was opened, two miles away, in 1746, but
the old graveyard continued to be used. The small fragmentary
shapeless stones bearing no more chiselling than names and dates
lie in scores and date from 1666 to 1850. St. Luke's was built in
1855 near the site of the chapel.
In the churchyard is the God-stone. It is egg-like in shape and
upon it is marked a Calvary Cross surmounted by a circle. Tradition
says that it was ancient custom to carry a corpse three times round
the stone in the direction of the sun's journeyings so as to drive
out evil spirits. This stone is a very ancient curious survival,
and it has been suggested that it is the original one placed here
by the Danish settlers, and that the cross may be a Rebus carved by
the Missionaries who Christianized the Danish settlers. The Rebus
signifies the way (the steps) to heaven (a circle) through the cross.
(4)
There is little reason to doubt that the chapel dates back to Norman
times, for the place-name 'Fornebei' is included in the Domesday
Book. (List of Curates given 1558-1739). (5)
"I occasionally encounter the old stone foundations of the chapel
four or five feet down amongst the graves to the south of the
church. The stones are roughly shaped". (6)
SD 2806 0669. There are now no traces to be seen of the old chapel.
The 'God-stone' is no longer in situ but is unearthed and lies on
its side in the south part of the graveyard.
Godstone Grade II. (7)
Additional reference. (9) |