CHURCHES
ST JAMES' CHURCH, Parkham, Devon
The south aisle of the church is thought to have been erected by the Giffards of Halsbury.
Both Halsbury and Parkham are named in the following extract from the poem Giffard's Leap by Ambrose Hardinge Giffard (see Appendix 19):
... the young heir of Halsbury
Tells his soft wish and wins her heart;
A bold and graceful youth is he,
And formed to play the lover’s part.
And Parkham bells have told the tale
That lovely Margaret is his bride,
And every village in the vale
Has to that joyous sound replied.
And the will of Sir Roger Giffard of Halsbury (1645-1733) contains the following:
"my Body to be buried decently in the grave by my departed wives and child in the parish church of Parkham"
[image copyright: Jane Sercombe Lewis]