Girton Church (RGL2024)

St Andrew, Girton

History of St Andrew, Girton

Listed Building:

Parish church, mainly C15 but part C12 and C13. Fieldstone, rubblestone and dressed limestone. West tower, nave, North and South aisles, south porch and chancel. West tower C12 and C15. Embattled and of three stages, the ground stage is flanked by the westernmost bays of the North and South aisles. The lower stages have fieldstones laid in on the rake. Restored C15 fenestration. The nave is also embattled and has a clerestorey of four cinquefoil lights to each side in four centred heads. The South porch is early C15 and late C15. Also of fieldstone and dressed limestone. Embattled roof. The gable of the original roof is visible. Two storeys, with the parish room on first floor added late in C15.

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Enid Porter quotes in Cambridgeshire Customs and Folklore p.5, a printed address dated 24th October 1780:

To the Young Women of Girton parish

Mr. P, having observed with great concern that many of the young women of this parish when they come to be married, are already big with child, and wishing to to put a stop to a practice offensive to decency, morality, and often destructive to their own happiness, does hereby promise to every young woman of sober behaviour belonging to the Parish who shall hereby be married in the church while under the age of 25 years that he will, upon the birth of her first child (if that shall happen nine months after the day of the marriage) give her 10s for ye Christing Dinner and also a silver plate of 10s value, to be worn upon the breast every Sunday when she comes to Church, with this inscription:

THE REWARD OF CHASTITY

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