St. Marys Middleton

[jihfadiuh]

I was knocking around the church up Middleton and came across these carved heads, they look like they are supposed to look like someone and are not the usual grotesque carvings seen on churches, the church was built in 1846 but one of the carvings is of a knight which I found a bit odd for the time that it was built.

Does anyone know if these have any significance, were they carved to look like someone?

[jihfadiuh]

Here is another

[jihfadiuh]

looks like a crown on the other ones head, so a knight and a king?

[warringtonrhino]

the building of the church was partly funded by local coal miners, who also helped with the construction work, perhaps the sculptures are based on some of them??