Mellis

Introduction

Mellis was recorded in Domesday variously as "Melles", "Metles" and "Mellels". It appears on John Speed's 1610 map as "Melles".

It has one of the most impressive of all un-enclosed greens in the county (second in size only to Wortham). The green was the scene of the county's only fatality during the English Civil war when on "11th April 1644 Edward Gibes of Thrandeston was slain at muster, being shot through the bowels". Despite this the church retains the coat of arms of Charles I. The church also holds the tomb of the "foolish, prating knave", Francis Yaxley, who was sent to the Tower of London for communicating state secrets. He obviously did not learn his lesson from the episode as he is later recorded as enlisting help for Mary, Queen of the Scots in Spain. He may have been fortunate to have drowned on his way home?

The old telephone kiosk was bought by the community for £1 when BT decommissioned it. 23 of the 24 stained-glass windows were created by different villagers, with the 24th created by a professional stained-glass maker, who taught the others how to do it. A photo of this can be seen in the gallery…

Gallery

Acknowledgements

Some historical information from English Heritage's National Monuments Record.