St. James' Church, Delhi
Encyclopedia
St. James' is an Anglican church in Delhi
, India
, built in 1836 by Colonel James Skinner
. It is one of the oldest churches in the city, and part of the Church of North India
Diocese
of Delhi .
It is situated near Kashmiri Gate
, at the intersection of Church Road and Lothian Road. It was the church the Viceroy of India, attended until the Cathedral Church of the Redemption
, near Gurudwara Rakab Ganj, was built in 1931 , only other church of that era, the St. Stephen's Church
, at Fatehpuri, Delhi was built in 1867 .
Behind the church is the bungalow of British Commissioners of Delhi, William Frazer
, who is also buried in the church graveyard .
, after he had vowed to build a church, while lying wounded in a battle field, if he survived.
Subsequently, he built the edifice at his own expense of 95,000 Rupees, under the design of Major Robert Smith. The construction started in 1826, and was completed in 1836. The basic design of Renaissance Revival style church is on a cruciform plan (Greek Cross), with three porticoed porches, elaborate stained glass windows and a central octagonal dome, similar to that of the Florence Cathedral in Italy
. It was consecrated on 21 November 1836 by the bishop of Calcutta
Daniel Wilson.
John Mitchley Jennings took over the edifice after Skinner.
The copper ball and cross on the top, which are said to be replica of a church in Venice, were damaged during the 1857 revolt, and were later replaced . A special service was held in 2003, to commemorate 200 years of Skinner's Horse, the cavalry regiment raised by Skinner in 1803 . Amongst those present were Margaret Skinner, great great grand-daughter-in-law of Skinner, Admiral Sushil Kumar
, retired Chief of Naval Staff
, Col. Douglas Gray who commanded Skinner's Horse from 1935 to 1947, and several former British officers .
, near the large Memorial Cross erected in memory of the victims of 1857 revolt. At the rear is the tomb of Thomas Metcalfe
, who lived in Delhi from 1813 to 1853, serving as Agent to Governor General of India and a Commissioner.
Skinner died at Hansi
on 4 December 1841 at the age of 64, and was first buried there. Later he was disinterred, and buried in Skinner's Church on January 19, 1842 in a vault of white marble immediately below the Communion Table
. North of the church lies the family plot, Skinner family, where many of his fourteen wives and many children, are buried, the burial in this place was that of a lady who died in England, but wished that her ashes be interred here .
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, built in 1836 by Colonel James Skinner
James Skinner (soldier)
James Skinner CB was an Anglo-Indian military adventurer in India, who became known as Sikandar Sahib later in life, and most known for two cavalry regiments he raised for the British, later known as 1st Skinner's Horse and 3rd Skinner's Horse at Hansi in 1803, which still are a part of the...
. It is one of the oldest churches in the city, and part of the Church of North India
Church of North India
The Church of North India , the dominant Protestant denomination in northern India, is a united church established on 29 November 1970 by bringing together the main Protestant churches working in northern India...
Diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of Delhi .
It is situated near Kashmiri Gate
Kashmiri Gate (Delhi)
The Kashmiri Gate is a gate located in Delhi, it is the northern gate to the historic walled city of Delhi...
, at the intersection of Church Road and Lothian Road. It was the church the Viceroy of India, attended until the Cathedral Church of the Redemption
Cathedral Church of the Redemption
Cathedral Church of the Redemption is Amongst beautiful and magnificent Churches in India, Church is located east of Parliament House in New Delhi and Rashtrapati Bhavan which was used by then British Viceroy. The Church resembles the shape of a Birthday cake with a candle placed on top...
, near Gurudwara Rakab Ganj, was built in 1931 , only other church of that era, the St. Stephen's Church
St. Stephen's Church, Delhi
St. Stephen Church is located on Church Mission Road in Delhi. The church was built in the year 1862, by the Anglican Missionary and DPW Engineers in the style of Italian Gothic architecture. It is part of Church of North India Diocese of Delhi....
, at Fatehpuri, Delhi was built in 1867 .
Behind the church is the bungalow of British Commissioners of Delhi, William Frazer
William Frazer
-See also:*William Fraser *Willie Frazier, American football player*Frazer Will, Canadian athlete...
, who is also buried in the church graveyard .
History
The church was commissioned by the British Colonel James SkinnerJames Skinner (soldier)
James Skinner CB was an Anglo-Indian military adventurer in India, who became known as Sikandar Sahib later in life, and most known for two cavalry regiments he raised for the British, later known as 1st Skinner's Horse and 3rd Skinner's Horse at Hansi in 1803, which still are a part of the...
, after he had vowed to build a church, while lying wounded in a battle field, if he survived.
Subsequently, he built the edifice at his own expense of 95,000 Rupees, under the design of Major Robert Smith. The construction started in 1826, and was completed in 1836. The basic design of Renaissance Revival style church is on a cruciform plan (Greek Cross), with three porticoed porches, elaborate stained glass windows and a central octagonal dome, similar to that of the Florence Cathedral in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It was consecrated on 21 November 1836 by the bishop of Calcutta
Bishop of Calcutta
The Bishop of Calcutta exercises episcopal leadership over the Diocese of Calcutta of the Church of North India. The diocese was established in 1813 as part of the Church of England and the first bishop was Thomas Fanshawe Middleton and the second Reginald Heber...
Daniel Wilson.
John Mitchley Jennings took over the edifice after Skinner.
The copper ball and cross on the top, which are said to be replica of a church in Venice, were damaged during the 1857 revolt, and were later replaced . A special service was held in 2003, to commemorate 200 years of Skinner's Horse, the cavalry regiment raised by Skinner in 1803 . Amongst those present were Margaret Skinner, great great grand-daughter-in-law of Skinner, Admiral Sushil Kumar
Sushil Kumar (admiral)
Admiral Sushil Kumar , a Nagercoilite Christian from Tamil Nadu, was a Chief of Naval Staff in the Indian Navy. His Christian surname is Isaacs which he dropped as not to confuse his initial with his brother who is also in the Service...
, retired Chief of Naval Staff
Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy
The Chief of the Naval Staff is the commander and typically the highest-ranking officer in the Indian Navy. The position is abbreviated CNS in Indian Navy cables and communication...
, Col. Douglas Gray who commanded Skinner's Horse from 1935 to 1947, and several former British officers .
Graves
The church houses several tombs. One houses the remains of the British Commissioners of Delhi, William FrazerWilliam Frazer
-See also:*William Fraser *Willie Frazier, American football player*Frazer Will, Canadian athlete...
, near the large Memorial Cross erected in memory of the victims of 1857 revolt. At the rear is the tomb of Thomas Metcalfe
Sir Thomas Theophilus Metcalfe, 4th Baronet
Sir Thomas Theophilus Metcalfe, 4th Baronet was an East India Company servant and agent of Governor General of India at the imperial court of the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah II. He was invested with the Order of the Bath....
, who lived in Delhi from 1813 to 1853, serving as Agent to Governor General of India and a Commissioner.
Skinner died at Hansi
Hansi
Hansi is a city and a municipal council in Hisar district in the Indian state of Haryana. Its 2011 population is estimated to be 1,34,568. It is located at a distance of east of Hisar on National Highway 10. Geographically, it is semi-arid with around 46 cm of annual rainfall. It appears...
on 4 December 1841 at the age of 64, and was first buried there. Later he was disinterred, and buried in Skinner's Church on January 19, 1842 in a vault of white marble immediately below the Communion Table
Communion table
A Communion table is used by many Protestant churches, particularly from Reformed, Baptist, Congregational, and non-denominational traditions, for the preparation of the Eucharist ....
. North of the church lies the family plot, Skinner family, where many of his fourteen wives and many children, are buried, the burial in this place was that of a lady who died in England, but wished that her ashes be interred here .
Sources
- St. James' Church, Kashmere Gate, Delhi, 1836-1986, 21st November commemoration of the 150th anniversary of consecration. Published in 1986, The Church, Delhi. http://openlibrary.org/b/OL2003087M