Reign of Richard ll 1377-1399
A new Rector arrived in Willingham in 1377, Roger de Weston. Roger appears to have held the living for an incredibly long time until 1447 although there is also mention of a Richard Weston during this period. It is very likely that the wallpainting of St Christopher was commissioned during Roger’s ‘reign’ at Willingham. A tradition had developed in English churches of painting patterns on all the internal walls (and often roofs). They were a medieval form of our wallpaper. Gradually these were replaced by colourful pictures of legends and biblical events as a means of projecting the Christian message by the priest to his largely illiterate congregation. They were the visual aids of their time.
The occasion of a new Rector gave the opportunity for him to limewash over existing paintings and commission new ones more to his taste. Willingham church has no less than five layers of paintings which have been conserved. One of the best, from the second layer is that of St. Christopher, the patron saint of travellers, painted around 1380 on the nave wall almost opposite the main door. He is standing in shallow water, the Christ Child on his shoulder with, a ‘fish fork’ staff and several fish around his feet. They have been identified as burbot, perch, roach and eel, all fish that were then commonly found in the surrounding fens. It is one of the finest examples of a wallpainting of St. Christopher in England.
Next time: National Revolt
