Brackley parish church celebrates a gift from 400 years ago

Brackley Morris Men handed over the plate to the Revd. Rich Duncan at St. Peter’s Church on St George's Day.This silver paten was given in 1623 to the church of St. James in Brackley, a church which was demolished many years ago. Inscribed upon the plate are the names of the seven men who donated it. They were said to be the Lords of the Whitsun Ale, or the Morris men of the day.On Sunday April 23, the Morris men did a processional dance in St. Peter’s Church, and John Weaver, the Fool of the side, re-presented the paten, which was then used for the communion wafers. 2023 is special because it is the 400th anniversary of the presentation of the paten, but also the 800th anniversary of the church itself. During the year, a number of events are planned to mark this significant milestone.