Village link found to Gunpowder Plot (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Village link found to Gunpowder Plot

2:23pm Thursday 2nd November 2006 in News

A collection of beautiful historic vestments links the village of Kemerton, near Tewkesbury, with the Gun Powder Plot.

The vestments - three chasubles, one green, one black and one white - date from around 1620.

They were embroidered by Helen Wintour, the daughter of Sir Robert Wintour, who along with his brother Thomas took part in the unsuccessful plot to blow up Parliament and was captured and executed.

The family home was Huddington Hall, 13 miles from Kemerton Helen never married and spent her life embroidering church vestments and teaching other girls the skills of church embroidery.

Tradition has it that she did so in reparation for the part her father and uncle played in trying to overthrow Parliament.

On her death in 1670, Helen left the vestments to the Jesuits but, after some dispute over the will, they were given to her niece Mary Wintour.

Over the years, they passed through various Catholic hands, ending up with the Eyston family, who lived in Overbury.

George Eyston worshipped at St Benet's RC Church in Kemerton and 1874 gave the vestments to the church.

Both the black and green vestments have been re-backed to preserve them, but the white one is substantially the same as when it was made.

They are in carefully controlled storage at Stonyhurst, a Jesuit school in North Yorkshire.

The story of the vestments is included in a history of the church, written by Christine Collins.

It will be launched at an auction of promises at the church on Sunday (November 5), in aid of the church restoration fund.