This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1901 Excerpt: ... CHAPTER III DESCRIPTION OF THE CHURCH We come now to a description of the church, which consists of a rectangular Nave, 38 ft. long by 25 ft. wide; a Chancel (in its present form) 40 ft. by 14 ft.; a tower built in the fourteenth century, and a modern organ chamber and vestry. The chancel originally was not as large as it is now, and probably extended only 18 or 20 ft. from the present chancel arch. A buttress on the south side marks its former termination, beyond which it has been conjectured that there was an Eastern apse, as sketched in the annexed plan. The first question that naturally suggests itself is with regard to the Dedication. Battely, followed by Hasted, was of opinion that the church was originally dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and afterwards re-dedicated to St. Martin by Bishop Liudhard. For this statement there is apparently no authority, yet we must remember that the earliest dedications of churches were either to the Saviour, the Blessed Virgin, or one of the twelve Apostles. That the Italian Mission followed generally this ancient practice is shown in their dedication of the cathedrals of Canterbury, Rochester, London, and York to Christ, St. Andrew, St. Paul, and St. Peter respectively--of St. Augustine's Abbey church to St. Peter and St. Paul, of another church in the same abbey to the " Holy Mother of God," and also of the early Saxon church in Lyminge to St. Mary; but it is unnecessary to multiply further instances, the very rare exceptions to the rule (such as St. Pancras) applying principally to churches which contained the relics of martyrs. This exception would not embrace St. Martin's--and Battely's statement, therefore, from whatever source he derived it, is not intrinsically impossible. We can say nothing more positiv...