St. Mary's Church and The Virgins' Crowns and Gloves, Abbotts Ann, Hampshire
The medieval custom of awarding Virgins' Crowns still survives in Abbotts Ann. A crown can be requested by the relatives of the deceased person who must have been born, baptised, confirmed and died unmarried in the parish and be of unblemished reputation. At the funeral service the crown is suspended from a white rod and carried in procession by two young girls dressed in white. After the funeral the crown is hung from the front of the gallery for three weeks and, if it is not challenged, it is then hung from a bracket near the ceiling of the church with a scutcheon bearing the name and date. Traditionally when a crown deteriorates and falls it is not re-hung.
