Eling is the tenth oldest church in England, a small chapel being built on this site around 850 A.D. All that remains of the original Saxon workmanship are the arch in the north aisle and a small window opening onto the Altar.

In the 11th Century Norman masons carried out repairs and renewals in the Chancel and Nave and in the 13th Century, the Abbey of Jumieges in Normandy, to which Eling has been linked had considerable work carried out, a special feature being the ornamentation at the base of the pillars each being of a different design, rarely seen in England, but not uncommon in Normandy.

Later the church was transferred by a subsequent king to the convent of Mottisfont by whom John-de-Somborne was appointed in 1329. A list of the vicars of Eling can be seen on the belfry wall adjoining the
font.

Mottisfont retained the patronage until the middle of the 16th Century, when, at the Dissolution of the Monasteries by King Henry VIII, Lord Sandys was presented with it, hence he also became patron of Eling.

It was this Lord Sandys who brought the beautiful picture of the Last Supper, believed to be by Marco Marziale, a pupil of Leonardo-da-Vinci, from Italy and presented it to Eling Church. It lay rolled up and forgotten until in the early 1900s.Rev. T. Thistle realised its value and had it placed in its present position.The scene of the Nativity which is now at the back of the font was removed from the Altar, for the picture to be placed where it would seem it had always been intended to be as a back cloth to the Altar - Do note the details - the cat climbing into the basket (was there fish in it?) and the little dog waiting for the "crumbles that fall from the Master's Table".At the chancel steps is a fine carved wooden screen, a memorial to the fallen of the First World War, whose names appear on a brass plate within the small arch on the right. This small arch seems to indicate that many years ago a flight of steps lead to a small Chapel, the only remains of which is a small three leaved opening, part of a piscina for washing holy vessels, put in its present position as an ornamentation by the mason working on the alterations. Another piscina can be seen on the right of the Altar, having two holes to let the water into a receptable below. Above us is the brass candelabra, with a dove in the middle, probably about 300 years old, being rescued from a passing tinker's barrow by a vigilant vicar. On the left of the Altar is a 13th Century arch, unaltered, and this leads to the vestry added in 1825 A.D., note the fine memorials on the wall to the Powlett and Serle families by the famous sculptor Rysbrack and to Sir John Mills by Chantry.

Just below hangs an iron helmet and coat-of-arms of some long ago knight or squire. Three of these coats-of-arms remain in the church, many having been discarded by various "spring cleanings" of bygone days.

In 1865 the gallery was removed, the seating "modernized", the aisles tiled, thus covering up much of the church history.

A small very ancient container of holy water can be seen beside the pulpit.

The church registers date from 1537 and are some of the oldest and best preserved in the country.

We have a service of Communion Plate of silver gilt given on the Feast of the Nativity 1693 of unusual size and magnificence, the flagon holding 7 pints of wine. This is now on view in Winchester Cathedral.

The tower, built in the 15th Century contains a peal of eight belts the last two being added to mark the Silver Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1977.

1 .Entering the church by the south door, on your left is the font. Baptism is the first stage of a person's life in the church. 2.Move to the West door. You may wish to look up the Nave to the High Altar. To the left and right are 12th. century Octagonal pillars and arches with various carved decorations at their bases. On the wall to the left of the West Door is a carved stone reredos representing the Nativity which was originally above the High Altar. 3. The Tower and the Belfry in the north-west corner were built in the 15th. century. It houses a peal of eight bells, the tenor weighing 12 cwt. 4.Before you go up the steps into the social area, notice the rounded arch (Norman style) and the plain glass Perpendicular window where it is believed there was originally a North Transept. 5. On the left of the archway is a funerary monument to the Serle family. 6. The social area contains some interesting monuments. The carved pulpit was moved from the Nave to its present position.       7. Looking through the archway into the Sanctuary, on the left hand side is a small Norman window. 8. On the right hand side is a Norman piscina ( basin )for cleaning holy vessels. 9. Over the High Altar is a 16th. century Venetian painting of the Last Supper. It was given to the church by Lord Sandys a friend of Henry 8th. 10.If you gaze up at the ceiling of the Chancel you will see the carved gold leaf bosses. 11. The carved screen across the Nave is a memorial to the dead of the First World War. 12.0n the right oftlie Chancel is the Thistle Chapel, furnished in memory of Thomas Thistle, a well loved and remembered Vicar of Eling. 13.Above the arclway to the Thistle Chapel is a hatchment and another one^over the South door. 14.On the wall by the South door is a Plaque in memory of those men who lost their lives in the Titanic disaster in 1912.

Looking through the archway into the Sanctuary, on the left hand side is a small Norman window.		The baptismal font
The gold ceiling bosses		The Chancel
The South Door		The carved pulpit was moved from the Nave to its present position
To the left of the West Door is a carved stone reredos representing the Nativity which was originally above the High Altar.

Extracts from the Churchwardens accounts:
 

1667 (The Great Fire of London was in 1666) Gave two Londoners who came with a pass who lost in ye fire 2s. 6d

To two mearchants who were Wracked and had a pass 0s. 6d

Paid for 8 ffoxes heads 8s 0d

To ye ringers on gunpowder reason day last past 6s 0d

1670 To the man that went with the collect money to ye briefe concerning ye slaves in Turkey for two daies 2s 6d

1672 Paid a horseshire to carry away a woman that was great with child into ye next parish 0s 6d

Paid for watching a madman 1s 6d

Paid to 2 families of Norfolk people being 16 of them who had sustained great loss to the value of 2000 pound by ye breach of waters on their land 2s 6d

1674 for paving belfrey with stone 1Pound

1678 To John Smith and other maimed soldiers 1s 4d

Collecting a briefe for St Paul's Church London towards ye rebuilding it 1 pound 15s 0d

Spent at T hackstones on ye ringers ye 6th of Ffeb being ye day that ye king came to his crown 15s 0d

1689 Paid to Mr George Strode for halfe a hund. of ffagots to make a bonfire when ye king and queen were proclaimed 2s 3d

THE TITANIC MEMORIAL
Inside the church on the wall by the South Door is a plaque in memory of those men who lost their lives in the Titanic disaster in 1912.

The Memorial to the men who lost their lives in the Titanic disaster

The loss of the Titanic was the greatest disaster ever to hit the Southampton area. Over 500 men from the area perished when the great ship sank in 1912. This caused great distress in the city and in surrounding areas.

Totton has alwas had a strong maritime tradition. This might seem strange at first but it need to be remembered that the Eling area has a long tradition of shipbuilding and seafaring. New Forest timber has supplied local shipbuilders since the Middle Ages. By the time of the Napoleonic Wars the area was building ships for Nelson’s Navy. The Warwick family were particularly’ important as local shipbuilders.

Details of the numbers of local men who served as seamen are sketchy but the census of 1851 lists a number of seafaring men. There are records of three, possibly four, Totton men who served on the Titanic. The probleni is that the names do not appear in all the sources. We can identify the following men, The Plaque in Si. Mary‘s church, Eling, identifies three Totton men listing their names and ages. The men listed are Frederick Godwin, aged 34 years, Tom Warwick, aged 25 years and W. T. Fox, aged 27 years. The Church Plaque is a good source of information as it must have been paid for and put up by local people who knew these men personally. A fourth man, F. Gardner is listed in the Board of Trade Inquiry hut nowhere else.

Frederick Godwin, aged 34 years, was a greaser on tile Titanic. Greasers worked in the Engine Room helping to maintain, the machinery, literally greasing the working parts. In terms of rank, greasers were one of the lowest ranks in tile shipping world. Strangely enough this man is not mentioned in the list of casualties in the official Board of Trade Inquiry. He is mentioned in the Crew and Passenger List produced by the White Star Line. As for where he lived and who his family were, a search of the local census returns for 1881 and 1891 is quite revealing. Three Godwins are listed as members of the old

Workhouse at Ashurst in1881. They are Robert Godwin, no age given, Samuel Godwin aged 6years and Frederick Godwin aged 2 years. Frederick is listed as having been born in Lyndhurst. Since the Frederick Godwin, on the Church Plaque is aged 34 years it would seem sensible to identify him, with 2 year old child called Frederick Godwin, in the Workhouse in 188 1. Other Godwin’s are mentioned in tile census of 1891.

Tom Warwick came from a local family which had a long reputation as shipbuilders in tile area. The family name can be traced back to 1500. Tom Warwick was a Saloon Steward, attending to the needs of the passengers. He would have waited on them generally looking after their comfort. The 1881 census lists a Henry Warwick, Boot maker aged 24 years living at Bearslane Totton. The census of 1891 is more informative. It lists a Henry Warwick, Shoemaker aged 34 years. At the same address is his wife, Mary , also aged 34 years. Their children are listed as William Warwick no age given, Edward Warwick aged 6 years, Emma Warwick aged 9 years and Tom Warwick aged 4 years. The last named must be the Tom Warwick on the Titanic since the sinking took place 21 years after the census of 1891. The Warwick on the Titanic was 25 years old when he lost his life. Tom is named on the Plaque in St. Mary’s church, in the Board of Trade Inquiry List  and in the List presented by tile White Star Line.

W T. Fox is listed in official Board of Trade Inquiry and in the Passenger and crew List presented by the White Star Line. He is also mentioned on the Church Plaque. The Board of Trade Inquiry lists his job as Steward and his address as Polhawn, Springfield Road Totton. The modern name for this road is Downs Park Avenue. This manor his family are mot mentioned in the census returns for 1881 amid 1891. Kelly’s Directories of the time also fail to record the family. Other sources record a W. T. Fox living in Shirley Road. There is some confusion here. W. T. Fox must have sonic connection with the Totton area since his name is on the plaque. Perhaps he went to school in the area.

An F. Gardner, a greaser, of Totton is listed in the official Board of Trade inquiry. He is not named in the White Star List or named on the Church Plaque. The name does appear in the census for 1891. An S. Gardner and a M. Gardner are listed as living in Calmore in 1891.

Two other men are listed on the plaque in Eling Church.  They are Richard Russell, aged 17 years, a steward and William Edward Hine, aged 36 years, a baker. Russell’s address is given as the Anchor Inn Redbridge. Hine address is given as Lyndhurst. They are both mentioned in the official White Star Passenger and Crew List and in the Board of Trade List. Although not resident in Totton, they be on the Church Plaque because they went to school in the area.

THE STORY OF ELING'S SAXON STONES
ELING CHURCH INVENTORY 1553
ALL OUR YESTERDAYS
ELING MURDER
THE REFORMATION & ELING CHURCH