All Saints Church, Kedleston, Derbyshire

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]
Surnames/tags: Churches Derbyshire

All Saints’ church was originally dedicated to St Margaret.

The church is first referred to in a document of 1198. The Norman south door, with its chevron moulded arch and columns with a beak-head design, is the earliest visible feature, while the majority of the church is late 13th century.

The memorial chapel, begun in 1907, contains a monument to Lord Curzon, Marquess Curzon of Kedleston, Viceroy of India (1899–1905) and his wife Mary, by Sir Bertram Mackenna.

The windows, c.1910 by FC Eden and J Fisher, showing saints named Mary, were inspired by Lady Curzon’s forename. The memorial itself, with the recumbent effigies of Lord and Lady Curzon, is in white Serravezzo marble on a black base, while the floor is in green Aventurine, a quartz from the Urals, chosen by Lord Curzon to contrast with the white tomb.

Memorial of 1737 to Sir Nathaniel Curzon, 2nd Baronet (d.1718) and his wife Sarah (d.1727), daughter of William Penn of Penn, Buckinghamshire, by the noted sculptor Peter Scheemakers of Antwerp. They are seated on either side of a funerary urn.

Memorial to Sir Nathaniel Curzon, 4th Baronet (d.1758) and his wife Mary, designed by Robert Adam and sculpted by J M Rysbrack another noted craftsman from Antwerp. Their two sons and a child who died in infancy are also shown.

Memorial to Alfred Nathaniel Holden Curzon, 4th Baron Scarsdale (d.1916), rector of Kedleston and father of George Curzon, Viceroy of India.

Memorial to Blanche Curzon (d.1875), wife of the 4th Baron and mother of George Curzon, Viceroy of India, by H H Armstead. This contains Derbyshire Blue John, a fluorspar found only in this county.

Alabaster ledger-slab in memory of William Curzon (d.1547).

Two late-13th-century sunken roundels, believed to be Sir Richard Curzon, 5th Lord of Kedleston (d.1275) and his wife. They were probably originally painted.

Memorials to Sir Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Baron Scarsdale (d.1804) and his wife Lady Caroline Colyear (d.1812), builders of the present Kedleston Hall. The memorials were designed by their great-grandson, Lord Curzon.

Memorial to Francis Curzon, 3rd Viscount Scarsdale (d.2000). He gave Kedleston Hall to the National Trust in 1987.

Monument of 1664 to Sir John Curzon and his wife Patience, with their four sons and three daughters shown underneath.

Monument to Sir John Curzon, who died in 1727 from injuries following an accident while hunting buck in the park.

Sources

• http://www.visitchurches.org.uk/Assets/Visitortourismdocuments/DerbyshireKedlestonAllSaintsChurchWRG.pdf?1314959525 A walk round guide to All Saint's Church, Kedleston, Derbyshire]