Renhold Church Repairs and Alterations
Most of the structural history of the church can be found in detail in Bedfordshire Historical Record Society Volume number 77 of 1998 Bedfordshire Churches in the Nineteenth Century: Part II: Parishes H to R put together by former County Archivist Chris Pickford from numerous sources some held by Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service and some held elsewhere or published.
In 1560 George Joye of Salpho Bury left a bequest for recasting a bell at Renhold. An Elizabethan chalice of 1570 is listed in the glebe terrier for 1708 but was disposed of by 1846. There is a 17th century pulpit and when the church was restored in 1863 a new desk was made from the surviving pieces of the old screen.
From 1624, when the Howbury estate was bought by Sir William Becher, Renhold was a closed village under the domination of the squire. As lay rectors the Becher family, followed by the Polhills who bought the estate in 1781, were responsible for the repair of the chancel and exercised control over the church generally. Monuments to the two families can be seen in the chancel and there is a Howbury mausoleum on the north side of the church. There was also a family pew in the chancel.
In 1657-8 the bells were recast and rehung in a new bell frame. In 1674 the impropriator was presented for failure to maintain the chancel but in 1675 Elizabeth Becher gave a new silver flagon. Her gift was followed in 1684 by a new silver paten presented by William Becher and in 1734 another member of the family gave a new cup and paten. One of the bells was recast in 1721 by Thomas Russell of Wootton and in 1775 the tenor bell was recast by his successor William Emerton.
The vestry on the north side of the chancel was built as a schoolroom in about 1725 under a bequest from William Becher who had died the previous year. It has been used as a vestry since a new school was built in the village in 1865.
From 1764 the churchwardens' accounts and bills record expenditure on the church. In 1773 a new decalogue board was errected, along with the Royal arms. In 1788 the top of the tower was restored under the direction of Mr Skinner and the lead covering of the spire renewed at a cost of over £50 by Thomas Empy and John Freshwater. In 1789 a new gallery was errected by John Cobb. There is an undated estimate from Charles Drew, a Bedford stonemason, for repairing and repointing the steeple, probably in about 1810. Further repairs were carried out in 1815 and 1821 when John Field was paid "for ceiling the church". Archdeacon Bonney ordered various improvements in 1823 and the work was completed by 1826.
In 1850 some minor repairs were carried out on the pews. In 1855 the west gallery was removed and open seats were substituted for some of the pews in the nave. This may have been in response to an article on the church in the Northampton Mercury of 8th January 1853 where ‘W.A.’ (John Martin, who wrote a series of articles on Bedfordshire churches) criticised the church: "In the nave is the lay rector's seat, occupying a large space, and rejoicing in all the display of modern upholstery softly cushioned and daintily carpeted. Thus rendering the dingy appearance that prevails more conspicuous."
The church was fully restored in 1862-3 by James Horsford, the Bedford architect, with advice from the Rev. William Airy of Keysoe who recommended the removal of the plaster from the walls. The work cost £800 and the church was reopened on 29th October 1863. The whole church was repaired, re-roofed and re-seated, with new stalls and sanctuary fittings (by Ratee & Kett) in the chancel, and a harmonium was acquired.
Later improvements included new lamps in 1870, repairs to the bells in 1872, a new lectern in 1887, a Bevington organ obtained in 1889 and moved to the north aisle in 1911, sanctuary curtains and oil lamps in 1889, the restoration of the bells in 1890 and further repairs to the tower in 1901. More recent changes included new commandment tablets in Hopton Wood stone in 1957, a new organ built in 1957 and since enlarged and improved, the Reaper window in the north aisle of 1966, the re-hanging of the bells in 1979, the addition of a chapter house on the north side of the chancel in 1984-5, and the Joyce memorial window of 1990.