Rushden Mass Dial

Rushden Mass Dial

Mr. J. Enos Smith, Rushden, writes: I send you a rough sketch of a mass dial on St. Mary's Parish Church, Rushden. I have noticed it for over fifty years and thought it was something of a sundial. It is on the south side of the church (exterior of course), cut on an ironstone. It seems similar to the one at Ecton with a double circle. The hole in the centre is very clear.

The Church formerly divided the 24 hours of the day into seven parts. Matins commenced at midnight, but the service called Matins, or Lauds, began   about three. Then followed Prime, the service began at daybreak unless Matins had not then concluded.

Assuming that the two dials sketched above are in their original positions the Rushden dial shows the convential time for commencing Prime, that is, six in the morning. This is the hori­zontal line on the drawing. The line below is about 7.30.

Tierce commenced at about 9, the time mass, but the next line shows 10 o’clock, and is in the exact position of the left hand line on the Higham Ferrers school dial. The next line on the Higham dial is a little later than half-past eleven. Was this hour and a half the period allowed the scholars for dinner?

The Church commenced Sext at 12, (the remaining line on the Rushden dial), Nones at 2 or 3 o'clock, Vespers at 4, and Compline at 7.

The Mass Dial at St Mary's Church Rushden It is diffcult to find. The photographer Jim Hollis, put in a stick to show the shadow it cast, when he took this in 2010.