The bell tower in St Stephens Church was rebuilt in the early 1500’s with a legacy from Dame Thomasine Percival, Lady Mayoress of London, and formerly Thomasine Bonaventure, a native of Week St Mary, some twelve miles away. Legend has it that she required the pinnacles to be big enough to be seen from Swannacott Farm at Week St Mary.

Dame Thomasine Percival had an interesting back story. The story goes that she was tending sheep when she was approached by a London merchant and asked whether she would work in his house in London. Having agreed to work for him, she ended up marrying him, becoming a widow, marrying again, becoming a widow again and then marrying for a third time to Sir John Percival, Lord Mayor in 1498. As Sir John’s widow, Thomasine Lady Percival had considerable wealth and supported a number of charitable works in the nearby area.