The Parish Church of
Saint Mary and All Saints, Whalley

The family of Abbot Paslew lived in the Parish at Wiswell Hall and had a Pew in this Chapel, which has since been removed. The Coat of Arms on the Pew immediately outside the Chapel, bearing the date 1638, are those of Sherburne, of Stonyhurst. The Sherburne Pew stood where the Pulpit is now, and the Arms were no doubt moved for preservation when the Pew was taken away.

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After 1666 the Nave became the centre of worship for everyone. It was filled with family pews attached to local landowning estates and a gallery for people of a lower class.

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At the back of the Church was the Churchwardens’ Pew and the Constable’s Pew, which can still be seen. Above this was the Singers’ gallery occupied by singers and either a company of musicians or more rarely, by an organ.

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More relics of this time have survived with The Cage, The Starkie pew and The West Gallery in front of the organ.

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The Thomas Bradyll Monument is now in the south west corner of the aisle, is of similar stone to the Paslew Tomb. The translation on the monument is :-

“Here lies Thomas, second son of Thomas Bradyll, Esq, and Jane his wife, who departed from this light the 19th day of February, 1672, and in the 10th year of his age.”

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The Church Chest is a massive oak “safe,” metal bound and with provision for three padlocks, as was customary, with one each being for the Official and Churchwardens. It dates from 1684 and held the Registers and other valuable Church documents secure from almost every danger except fire.

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The Church Wardens Pew is situated at the west end of the north aisle. It contains eight seating places assigned to the Churchwardens of the eight Townships chargeable with the upkeep of the Parish Church. On the panel of each seat are the names of each Township and the initials of the Churchwardens at the time the Pew was made. The date is given as 1690. The Staves of Office are still attached. The eight names inscribed on the seats are: - Whalley, Read, Wiswell, Pendelton, Coldcotes, Simonstone, Padiham and Hapton. Only Wiswell remains in the Parish of Whalley.

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The Clerestory Windows are thought to have been circular at first and much smaller than the present ones. When the Tower was built in the 15th century, a very fine West Window, was blocked and the Church considerably darkened. The enlarged Clerestory windows (Clerestory meaning a lighting and cooling system), partly compensated for the loss of light, but this did not satisfy a later generation, who added a Dormer Window in 1695. 

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The Font oak cover is 17th century and the stonework of the Font still bears the marks of the lock which was ordered to secure the cover when the Font was not in use