Taken from and "Old" 19th Century, hand colored postcard (found in an Antique Shop) of St James Church and Graveryard in Stanstead, Babergh District, Suffolk, England.

The Parish of St James is bounded on the northwest by the river Ash, and on the southwest by the river Lea. On the northeast it is bounded by the forests of Newgate Wood and Black Bushes.

The Church itself was originally built in this place in the 13th century and has been updated since, although not much since the late 1600's. In the 17th century it was used as a chapel and during the week a school for boys, established in 1635. The tiled roof was added in the 17th century.

The main building material used is flint rubble with stone dressings. There is brickwork in the northeast chapel and in the east wall of the chancel. Some Roman tiles have been incorporated in the flint walls. The roofs are tiled, and the porch is timber-framed. Its plan consists of a nave and chancel under one roof without any structural division, a northeast chapel, a south porch, and a west tower. The tower is in two stages with angle buttresses at the west corners. At the top of the tower is a battlemented parapet and a small lead-covered spire. In the north wall of the nave is a blocked doorway, but no windows. The chapel has a small west door, two two-light windows in the north wall, and a three-light window on the east side. The east window of the chancel also has three lights. There are two two-light windows in the south wall of both the chancel and the nave.

The interior of the church is whitewashed. The tower arch dates from the early 15th century. The north arcade has four bays carried on octagonal piers. The circular font dates from the 13th century, and is carried on a 15th century pedestal. The 16th-century two-decker pulpit stands on the south wall. On the east walls of the chapel are Royal arms and commandment boards. In the chancel is a 13th-century double piscina. In the nave are three hatchments, a tortoise stove and box pews. Under the tower arch is a screen which has been made from the former canopy of the pulpit. Part of the former rood screen now forms part of a pew.

my ancestor on mothers side
https://old.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSsr=41&GSmcid=48413871&GRid=133039926&