St. James Church, Louth
Encyclopedia
St. James' Church, Louth is a parish church
in the Church of England
in Louth
, Lincolnshire
, England
. It is notable for its tall spire
.
The chancel and nave were re-built between 1430 and 1440. Work began on the spire in 1501 and it was completed around 1515. The cost was £305-7s-4d. The spire was restored
in 1844 by Lewis Nockalls Cottingham
.
The church is mainly 15th century and is the third building on the site, replacing 11th and 13th Century buildings.
Originally the church had five subsidiary chapels and altars and a three-story rood screen
.
In October 1536, as a result of Henry VIII's ecclesiastical changes, people gathered in the church to start the Lincolnshire Rising, which was followed by the Pilgrimage of Grace
. Neither succeeded and the church was stripped of its riches including the rood screen.
as the focus of the pilgrimage
to Santiago de Compostela
.
in 1868/9. After a rebuilt in 1911 by Norman and Beard, it now has 37 stops and three manuals and pedals.
area.
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...
in Louth
Louth, Lincolnshire
Louth is a market town and civil parish within the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England.-Geography:Known as the "capital of the Lincolnshire Wolds", it is situated where the ancient trackway Barton Street crosses the River Lud, and has a total resident population of 15,930.The Greenwich...
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is notable for its tall spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
.
History
The church is a medieval building. At 295 feet (89.9 m) tall, it has the tallest spire in England of any Anglican parish church, and the second highest spire of any parish church after the Roman Catholic Church of St. Walburge, Preston.The chancel and nave were re-built between 1430 and 1440. Work began on the spire in 1501 and it was completed around 1515. The cost was £305-7s-4d. The spire was restored
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
in 1844 by Lewis Nockalls Cottingham
Lewis Nockalls Cottingham
Lewis Nockalls Cottingham was a British architect who pioneered the study of Medieval Gothic architecture. He was a restorer and conservator of existing buildings...
.
The church is mainly 15th century and is the third building on the site, replacing 11th and 13th Century buildings.
Originally the church had five subsidiary chapels and altars and a three-story rood screen
Rood screen
The rood screen is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, or wrought iron...
.
In October 1536, as a result of Henry VIII's ecclesiastical changes, people gathered in the church to start the Lincolnshire Rising, which was followed by the Pilgrimage of Grace
Pilgrimage of Grace
The Pilgrimage of Grace was a popular rising in York, Yorkshire during 1536, in protest against Henry VIII's break with the Roman Catholic Church and the Dissolution of the Monasteries, as well as other specific political, social and economic grievances. It was done in action against Thomas Cromwell...
. Neither succeeded and the church was stripped of its riches including the rood screen.
Dedication
The dedication of the church is to James, son of Zebedee, who was of great importance in the middle agesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
as the focus of the pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
to Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain.The city's Cathedral is the destination today, as it has been throughout history, of the important 9th century medieval pilgrimage route, the Way of St. James...
.
List of Rectors
- 1200 Jordan, Priest
- 1247 Herueus (Harvey)
- 1276 Gilbert de Tetilthorp
- 1278 Master Richard de Welleton, Chaplain
- 1294 William de Leycton
- 1328 Robert de Foston, Deacon
- 1345 John de Waynflet
- 1349 Thomas de Kele
- 1368 Robert de Bloxham
- 1369 John de Harhill
- Simon Waynflete
- 1421 Thomas Gedeney (Gednay)
- 1443 Master Thomas Sudbury
- 1502 Master Richard Barnyngham
- 1514 Master Thomas Egleston
- 1527 Master George Thomso
- 1534 Master Thomas Kendall
- 1537 Geoffrey Baily (or Baylie)
- 1549 John Louth
- 1558 Robert Doughty
- 1600 James Calfhill
- 1601 Alexander Cooke
- 1604 John Melton
- 1630 Paul Glisson
- 1654 Henry Gray
- 1656 Henry Daile
- 1668 Samuel Adcock
- 1671 William Wetherell
- Samuel Nicholls (not instituted)
- 1704 William Richardson
- 1711 Charles L'Oste
- 1730 Stephen Ashton
- 1764 Stephen Fytche
- 1780 Wolley Jolland
- 1831 Edward Reginald Mantell
- 1859 Albert Sydney Wilde
- 1915 A.S. Duncan Jones
- 1916 Charles Lenten
- 1928 Humphrey Phillippe Walcot Burton
- 1952 Aidan Crawley Pulleine Ward
- 1969 Michael Edgar Adie
- 1977 David William Owen
- 1993 Stephen Douglas Holdaway
Bells
There is a fine peal of 8 bells. They were recast in 1726 by Daniel Hedderly. In 1798 the great bell was cracked when it was rung to celebrate Nelson's victory on the Nile.They were re hung in 1957 and the treble and two were recast.Organ
The original Gray & Davison organ from 1857 was altered by Forster and AndrewsForster and Andrews
Forster and Andrews was formed by James Alderson Forster and Joseph King Andrews , who had been employees of the London organ builder J. C. Bishop.They opened the business that bore their name in Hull in 1843...
in 1868/9. After a rebuilt in 1911 by Norman and Beard, it now has 37 stops and three manuals and pedals.
Organists
- Joseph Hill 1768 - 1819 (formerly a pupil at Beverley MinsterBeverley MinsterBeverley Minster, in Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire is a parish church in the Church of England. It is said to be the largest parish church in the UK....
; about 30 years of age when he was appointed to Louth, presumably his first and only appointment. See also obit.) - William Hoyland 1819 - 1859 (previously organist of St. James' Church, Sheffield)
- George Dixon 1859 - 1865 (afterwards organist of St. Wulfram's Church, GranthamSt. Wulfram's Church, GranthamSt Wulfram's Church, Grantham is a parish church in the Church of England in Grantham in Lincolnshire.In his book, England's Thousand Best Churches, Simon Jenkins describes St Wulfram's Church as having the finest steeple in England.-Spire:...
) - George Henry Porter 1866 - 1897
- Owen Menai Price 1897 - 1946
- Harold Dexter 1946 - 1949 (later organist of Southwark CathedralSouthwark CathedralSouthwark Cathedral or The Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Saviour and St Mary Overie, Southwark, London, lies on the south bank of the River Thames close to London Bridge....
) - Dennis TownhillDennis TownhillDennis William Townhill OBE was an English organist and composer.Born in Lincoln, he was educated at Lincoln School and studied under Dr Gordon Archbold Slater at Lincoln Cathedral....
1949 - 1956 - William PierceWilliam PierceWilliam Pierce may refer to:*William Pierce , Continental Congressman from Georgia*William G. Pierce , engineer, Republican candidate for Senate from Ohio in 2006...
1956 - 1960 (returned to Australia) - Michael NicholasMichael NicholasMichael Bernard Nicholas FRCO is a British organist, conductor and composer, who was organist and master of choristers at Norwich Cathedral from 1971 to 1994 before becoming Chief Executive of the Royal College of Organists.-Life:...
1960 - 1964 - Michael John Smith 1965 - 1966 (later organist of Llandaff CathedralLlandaff CathedralLlandaff Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Llandaff, head of the Church in Wales Diocese of Llandaff. It is situated in the district of Llandaff in the city of Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The current building was constructed in the 12th century over the site of an earlier church...
) - Peter Burness 1966 - 1996
- Frederic Goodwin 1996 - 2009
- Keith Morgan 2009 - 2011
- Lisa Taylor 2011
Visiting and tourism
St James is nominated a "Cascade Church" within the Lincolnshire Church Tourism Network, an ecumenical scheme which promotes visits to and understanding of Lincolnshire's many churches. Like other Cascade churches it is stewarded on weekdays and there are guides available until 16:00. The western end of the church now has a tea shop, book shop and toilets, as well as information leading to other churches in the East LindseyEast Lindsey
East Lindsey is a local government district in Lincolnshire, England. The council is based in Manby near Louth, and other major settlements in the district include Alford, Spilsby, Mablethorpe, Skegness, Horncastle and Chapel St Leonards....
area.