Last updated 2nd April 2026
Memorial Plaques or Tablets in Churches: DAC Guidance
The DAC often receives applications for the installation of memorial tablets in churches. All such applications are considered by the DAC on a case-by-case basis. Such tablets become a permanent part of the church fabric: it is important that they are appropriate in form, and that there is not an excessive number of memorial tablets.
In a recent (2020) judgment in the Oxford Consistory Court, it was commented that: “There is a consistent line of authority in English ecclesiastical jurisprudence to the effect that the grant of faculties for the erection of memorials should be ‘sparingly exercised’.” Memorials may be expected to remain in place for a considerable time, with the potential to serve many generations; and the space for them within any church is finite.
The Chancellor will therefore apply the test of ‘exceptionality’ in relation to the character or service of the person to be commemorated: there will need to be a compelling reason for allowing a memorial tablet. For example, the person commemorated should have made an especially significant contribution to the life and work of the church in question, or to the local community, or to have been an individual of national significance. Before incurring the time and expense of presenting a faculty petition, it may be sensible to approach the Diocesan Registry with all the evidence relied upon in support of a case of exceptionality in order to canvass the preliminary, and provisional, views of the Chancellor as to whether the test of exceptionality may be satisfied
The DAC is aware that the Chancellor will need to be satisfied that sufficient time has elapsed between the death of the person commemorated and the application for a commemorative tablet to allow for a measured reflection on the life and contribution to the church and the community of the person concerned. The Diocesan Advisory Committee has decided that applications for plaques in churches will not be ordinarily supported unless the person to be commemorated had been deceased for at least five years. It is not acceptable to commemorate a living person, such as the spouse of the deceased, on the tablet. The brief wording of the tablet should be such as to make clear to a visitor to the church from outside the area why this individual has been considered worthy of commemoration.
It should also be remembered that where a family, or a congregation, wishes to commemorate the life of someone associated with a particular church, this can also sometimes be achieved by means other than a commemorative tablet, such as the gift of a prayer ‘kneeler’ or some other item useful to the particular church, or its churchyard.
Memorial tablets always require a faculty from the Chancellor or their Deputy. Neither the DAC nor the Registry have the authority to permit the installation of a memorial tablet. The petition will need to make the case for the ‘exceptionality’ of the monument. The advice of the DAC should be sought as to the suitability of the materials and design of the proposed plaque or memorial, and in relation to its proposed location within the particular church building.
Applications should be accompanied by drawings of the proposed tablet and should:
Materials and design:
After installation, the tablet should become the property of the church, rather than the person who presented or commissioned it. It should be recorded as such in the church terrier. Legal ownership will therefore pass to successive incumbents.
The Chancellor has made it clear that the fact a commemorative tablet has already been commissioned or created before seeking a faculty will not influence the decision as to whether or not permission will be granted.
It should be noted that the test of exceptionality does not apply where what is sought to be introduced into a church is not a memorial or a plaque commemorating a particular person but rather an artefact, such as a stained glass window, which is intended to adorn and beautify the church, and become part of its fabric, even though it may, in addition, incidentally commemorate a particular individual, such as the donor or a deceased member of the donor’s family. Otherwise, the above advice concerning memorial tablets and inscriptions also applies to the installation of a memorial stained glass window. If the PCC is considering accepting the commission of a new stained glass memorial window, they should contact the DAC Secretary for further advice.