The Hatchment to the Ray family.

Before the building currently being used by South East Derbyshire College was in place another previous building had been used for education.

Prior to being used as a school the building had been the family home of the Ray family. Every time a member of the family died the hatchment would be displayed outside in mourning. When the Ray family died out in about 1830 the hatchment was donated to the church.

Due to its age, and that fact that the hatchment had twice been in a church building suffering with damp the hatchment was in very poor condition when it was moved from its resting place in the tower whilst the main part of the church building was being demolished. According to records at the time the canvas backing on the hatchment had shrunk but the paint had not causing a rippling effect in the paint as well as some parts of the paint flaking off. Whilst the canvas was intact the shrinking had caused the canvas to rip on three sides and for them to have become loose.

After the rebuild the Council for the Care of Churches provided a grant for Mr Michaek Cowell to restore the hatchment.

To do this he had to build a new frame for the canvas and to gradually stretch the canvas day by day until it was back to its origional size and taut. The loose paint that had been part of the ridges where the paint had buckled had to be refixed and pressed. The canvas had to be rebonded to a new linen canvas to strengthen it and the sections where the paint had flaked and become lost had to be repainted. Finally the canvas was given a coating of protective vanish and matting agent to protect the whole painting.

The canvas was restored to the tower within the newly restored church building, and the family motto of "RESURGAM" (Latin - "I will rise again") was adopted as the church's motto for the year at it described both the restoration of the hatchment and the Church itself.

The images below show how George Mellor viewed the hatchment prior to its removal for restoration and the hatchment just after restoration.