St. Bartholomew's Church, Armley
Encyclopedia
St Bartholomew’s Church, Armley is a parish church
in the Church of England
located in Armley
, West Yorkshire
until 1674. In 1737 it was extended to the north, the roof was raised and a small balcony was added at the west end.
In 1825 the chapel was much enlarged through the benevolence of Benjamin Gott
, a local industrial businessman with woollen mills in Leeds.
A new church was built starting in 1872 to designs by the architects Henry Walker and Joseph Althron of Leeds. It was consecrated in 1877 but the tower was not dedicated until 1904. The church is constructed of Horsforth sandstone. The old chapel was demolished in 1909.
The pulpit is of alabaster and marble, copied from that at the shrine of Sebaldus
in St. Sebaldus Church, Nuremberg.
There is a sculpture by Joseph Gott at the west end of the north aisle to Benjamin Gott
of Armley House who died in 1839. In the south aisle there is 'Faith comforting the Mourner', commemorating the two sons of Benjamin and Elizabeth Gott who died in Paris and Athens.
. It was originally installed in Meanwood Towers in 1869. In 1877 it was inaugurated in St. Peter's Church, Harrogate
. Following a dispute with the vicar, the organ installed in St. Bartholomew’s in 1879. It was rebuilt in 1905 by James Jepson Binns
and other restoration work took place in 1956 by Hill, Norman and Beard, 1974 by John T. Jackson and Son and 2004 by Harrison & Harrison
.
The organ has been awarded a Grade II* listing by the British Institute of Organ Studies
for organs which are good representatives of the work of their builder, in substantially original condition.
A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
located in Armley
Armley
Armley is a district in the west of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It starts less than a mile from Leeds city centre. Like much of Leeds, Armley grew in the industrial revolution and had several mills, one of which is now the Armley Mills museum...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
History
The first chapel at Armley was built in 1630 but not consecrated by Richard Sterne the Archbishop of YorkArchbishop of York
The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
until 1674. In 1737 it was extended to the north, the roof was raised and a small balcony was added at the west end.
In 1825 the chapel was much enlarged through the benevolence of Benjamin Gott
Benjamin Gott
Benjamin Gott was one of the leading figures in the industrial revolution, in the field of textiles. His factory at Armley Mills, Armley, Leeds, was once the largest factory in the world and is now home to the Armley Mills Industrial Museum.Gott was born in Calverley, Pudsey in West Yorkshire,...
, a local industrial businessman with woollen mills in Leeds.
A new church was built starting in 1872 to designs by the architects Henry Walker and Joseph Althron of Leeds. It was consecrated in 1877 but the tower was not dedicated until 1904. The church is constructed of Horsforth sandstone. The old chapel was demolished in 1909.
List of vicars
- Canon Frederick George Hume Smith
- David Hartley
- James Buchanan SeatonJames Buchanan SeatonThe Rt Rev James Buchanan Seaton, DD was an eminent Anglican Bishop in the first half of the 20th century.He was born on 19 March 1868, educated at Leeds Grammar School and Christ Church, Oxford and ordained in 1894. After a period as a Curate in Oswestry he was Vice-Principal of Leeds Clergy...
1905 - 1909 (later Bishop of WakefieldBishop of WakefieldThe Bishop of Wakefield is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Wakefield in the Province of York.The diocese based in Wakefield in West Yorkshire, covers Wakefield, Barnsley, Kirklees and Calderdale...
) - The Ven. Ralph Creed MeredithRalph Creed MeredithThe Ven. Ralph Creed Meredith, M.A., was an Anglican Cleric who succeeded Edward Keble Talbot as Chaplain to His Majesty, King George VI and afterwards Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II...
1914-1917 (later Vicar of Windsor, 1940-1958, and Chaplain to George VI and Elizabeth II, 1946-1952) - Herbert Lovell Clarke 1923 - 1933
- William JohnstonWilliam Johnston (bishop)The Rt Rev William Johnston was Bishop of Dunwich from 1977 to 1980. He was born on 7 July 1914 and educated at Bromsgrove School and Selwyn College, Cambridge. After ordination he held curacies in Headingley and Knaresborough . Following this he was Vicar of St...
(later Bishop of DunwichBishop of DunwichThe Bishop of Dunwich is an episcopal title which was first used by an Anglo-Saxon bishop between the 7th and 9th centuries and is currently used by a suffragan bishop who assists a diocesan bishop. The title takes its name after Dunwich in the English county of Suffolk, which has now largely been...
) - Norman Ernest (Norry) McCurry 1963 - 1973
- Owen Conway - late 1970s
- Nicholas Plant
- Timothy Lipscomb
- Ian Wright
Features
The reredos erected in 1877 has alabaster carvings of the Magi, crucifixion and Old Testament figures.The pulpit is of alabaster and marble, copied from that at the shrine of Sebaldus
Sebaldus
St. Sebaldus of Nuremberg is venerated as the patron saint of Nuremberg, traditional administrative centre of Franconia, and the guarantor of its independence...
in St. Sebaldus Church, Nuremberg.
There is a sculpture by Joseph Gott at the west end of the north aisle to Benjamin Gott
Benjamin Gott
Benjamin Gott was one of the leading figures in the industrial revolution, in the field of textiles. His factory at Armley Mills, Armley, Leeds, was once the largest factory in the world and is now home to the Armley Mills Industrial Museum.Gott was born in Calverley, Pudsey in West Yorkshire,...
of Armley House who died in 1839. In the south aisle there is 'Faith comforting the Mourner', commemorating the two sons of Benjamin and Elizabeth Gott who died in Paris and Athens.
Organ
The church is perhaps best known for its organ. It was built by the german builder Edmund SchulzeEdmund Schulze
Heinrich Edmund Schulze was a German organ builder. He was the last of five generations of the Shulze family to build organs, starting with Hans Elias Schulze , Edmund's great-great-grandfather...
. It was originally installed in Meanwood Towers in 1869. In 1877 it was inaugurated in St. Peter's Church, Harrogate
St. Peter's Church, Harrogate
St. Peter's Church, Harrogate is a parish church in the Church of England located in Harrogate.-History:The church was formed out of the parish of Christ Church, High Harrogate....
. Following a dispute with the vicar, the organ installed in St. Bartholomew’s in 1879. It was rebuilt in 1905 by James Jepson Binns
James Jepson Binns
James Jepson Binns was a pipe organ builder based in Leeds-Organs:Pipe organs at the following locations were either built or rebuilt by James Jepson Binns or his JJ Binns company. A number of these buildings have been demolished and the organs broken up or destroyed...
and other restoration work took place in 1956 by Hill, Norman and Beard, 1974 by John T. Jackson and Son and 2004 by Harrison & Harrison
Harrison & Harrison
Harrison & Harrison Ltd are a British company that make and restore pipe organs, based in Durham and established in 1861. They are well known for their work on instruments such as King's College Cambridge, Westminster Abbey and the Royal Festival Hall....
.
The organ has been awarded a Grade II* listing by the British Institute of Organ Studies
British Institute of Organ Studies
-Aims:The aims of BIOS are* To promote objective, scholarly research into the history of the organ and its music in all its aspects, and, in particular, into the organ and its music in Britain....
for organs which are good representatives of the work of their builder, in substantially original condition.
A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.
Organists
- 1862-1868: John Varley Roberts (afterwards organist of Halifax Parish Church)
- 1878-1921: Thomas Cawthra
- 1921-1924: Thomas E Pearson (afterwards organist of Halifax Parish Church)
- 1924-1937: Herbert Bardgett (afterwards chorusmaster of Nottingham Harmonic SocietyNottingham Harmonic SocietyNottingham Harmonic Society is Nottingham's civic choir, and has established itself as one of the leading provincial choruses in Britain.It started life as the Vocal Music Club of the Nottingham Mechanics' Institution formed in 1846, but soon became independent of the Institute under the name...
) - 1937-1938: John B Dalby (afterwards organist of St Machar's Cathedral AberdeenAberdeenAberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
) - 1938-1939: Donald H Martin
- 1939-1940: Eric Whiteside
- 1940-1953: W Iles Pulford
- 1953-1955: Alan A Tranah
- 1955-1962: John J F Watkins
- 1962-1966: John Snow
- 1966-1973: Anthony Norcliffe (later organist of St Chad's Church, Far HeadingleySt Chad's Church, Far HeadingleySt Chad's Church, Far Headingley is the parish church of Far Headingley in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The dedication is to Chad of Mercia, who was bishop of York and died in AD 672....
and Mill Hill Chapel) - 1973-1986: Arnold Mahon
- 1986–present: Graham Barber