St Chad's Church, Kirkby
Encyclopedia
St. Chad's Church, Kirkby is in the town of Kirkby
, Knowsley
, Merseyside
, . The current Grade II listed building was built from 1869-1871 by William Molyneux, 4th Earl of Sefton
. It was designed by the
Paley and Austin firm of architects. It is dedicated to St Chad, who it is believed visited Kirkby during the latter half of the seventh century.
in 1086 where the area was cited as 'Cherchebi', meaning church by settlement.
In 1766 and at a cost of £1043 which was raised by parson Thomas Wilkinson, a new chapel was built on the ancient church site. This was a plain red brick building, which was further enlarged in 1812 when it was capable of holding 600 people.
The foundation stone for the current church was laid on 31 March 1869 by the 4th Earl of Sefton
, near to the still standing older chapel. The construction of the new church was requested by Charles Molyneux, 3rd Earl of Sefton
, of his son, before he died. While the construction should have taken just a few months there was a strike amongst the masons and the building was not completed until 1871.
A final service was held in the old chapel on the morning of Wednesday, 4 October 1871. On the same day the new church was consecrated by the Lord Bishop of Chester
. The old chapel was finally demolished in 1872 although part of its altar still remains in the grounds. The stones from the old chapel were kept and used to build the wall that surrounds the new church.
A war memorial was built in the churchyard to the memory of all the people of the area who lost their lives in the two World Wars. Many of these belonged to Lord Derby's Regiment. At the base of the cross is an inscription of the year AD 870.
construction mostly taken from the nearby Ruffwood quarry, now known as Quarry Green. One of the more noticeable features of the interior are the pillars, which along the North aisle are octagonal and along the South aisle are round. This came about as a compromise solution to a dispute amongst the congregation as to the design at the time of the building of the church.
is the most treasured possession of the church. It is of either late Saxon
or early Norman
construction and is made of sandstone. The existence of the font proves that St. Chad's has been a baptismal church since at least the 12th century.
The font has been extremely well preserved and is in almost perfect condition, despite having been abandoned to the churchyard for many years. This most likely occurred at the time of the construction of the 1766 chapel. During this time it was used as a cistern.
The font was eventually rescued in 1850 by the then Vicar and restored to the chapel and finally the present church building upon its construction in 1871. The design of the font consists of a double coil of serpents on which rests the upper part of the font which is circular and has ten different sized compartments, each one containing a figure.
One scene shows Adam and Eve with the tree of knowledge of good and evil and a serpent. In the next compartment is a winged figure with a sword raised in its right hand. The next figure is of Christ driving a spear into the head of a serpent. The other seven compartments have single figures believed to represent the seven orders of the clergy in the Saxon church. Around the bottom of the font is a carving of a rope, which has no beginning and no end.
Kirkby
Kirkby is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley in the metropolitan county of Merseyside in England. The town was developed from the 1950s through 1970s as a means to house the overspill of Liverpool. It is situated roughly north of Huyton, the administrative HQ of the borough and about...
, Knowsley
Knowsley
-Places:in England*Knowsley, Merseyside, a village.**Knowsley Safari Park*Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley, a local government district of Merseyside.*Knowsley Safari Park, a zoological tourist attraction....
, Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
, . The current Grade II listed building was built from 1869-1871 by William Molyneux, 4th Earl of Sefton
William Molyneux, 4th Earl of Sefton
William Philip Molyneux, 4th Earl of Sefton, KG was a British peer.Born Viscount Molyneux, he was the eldest son of Charles Molyneux, 3rd Earl of Sefton and his wife, Mary. He was educated at Eton College, Berks. In 1854, Molyneux became an ensign in the Grenadier Guards and inherited his father's...
. It was designed by the
Paley and Austin firm of architects. It is dedicated to St Chad, who it is believed visited Kirkby during the latter half of the seventh century.
History
The first chapel on this site is believed to have been erected in 870 when the settlement was established by Norsemen. This chapel was recorded in the Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
in 1086 where the area was cited as 'Cherchebi', meaning church by settlement.
In 1766 and at a cost of £1043 which was raised by parson Thomas Wilkinson, a new chapel was built on the ancient church site. This was a plain red brick building, which was further enlarged in 1812 when it was capable of holding 600 people.
The foundation stone for the current church was laid on 31 March 1869 by the 4th Earl of Sefton
William Molyneux, 4th Earl of Sefton
William Philip Molyneux, 4th Earl of Sefton, KG was a British peer.Born Viscount Molyneux, he was the eldest son of Charles Molyneux, 3rd Earl of Sefton and his wife, Mary. He was educated at Eton College, Berks. In 1854, Molyneux became an ensign in the Grenadier Guards and inherited his father's...
, near to the still standing older chapel. The construction of the new church was requested by Charles Molyneux, 3rd Earl of Sefton
Charles Molyneux, 3rd Earl of Sefton
Charles William Molyneux, 3rd Earl of Sefton , styled Lord Molyneux , was a British Whig politician.-Background:...
, of his son, before he died. While the construction should have taken just a few months there was a strike amongst the masons and the building was not completed until 1871.
A final service was held in the old chapel on the morning of Wednesday, 4 October 1871. On the same day the new church was consecrated by the Lord Bishop of Chester
Bishop of Chester
The Bishop of Chester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chester in the Province of York.The diocese expands across most of the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, including the Wirral Peninsula and has its see in the City of Chester where the seat is located at the Cathedral...
. The old chapel was finally demolished in 1872 although part of its altar still remains in the grounds. The stones from the old chapel were kept and used to build the wall that surrounds the new church.
A war memorial was built in the churchyard to the memory of all the people of the area who lost their lives in the two World Wars. Many of these belonged to Lord Derby's Regiment. At the base of the cross is an inscription of the year AD 870.
Church Life
Church of England services are held every Sunday at 11:00am and on Tuesday at 9:30am. In addition to this there are a variety of social and community activities supported by the parish.Structure
The church is of sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
construction mostly taken from the nearby Ruffwood quarry, now known as Quarry Green. One of the more noticeable features of the interior are the pillars, which along the North aisle are octagonal and along the South aisle are round. This came about as a compromise solution to a dispute amongst the congregation as to the design at the time of the building of the church.
The font
The baptismal fontBaptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
is the most treasured possession of the church. It is of either late Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
or early Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
construction and is made of sandstone. The existence of the font proves that St. Chad's has been a baptismal church since at least the 12th century.
The font has been extremely well preserved and is in almost perfect condition, despite having been abandoned to the churchyard for many years. This most likely occurred at the time of the construction of the 1766 chapel. During this time it was used as a cistern.
The font was eventually rescued in 1850 by the then Vicar and restored to the chapel and finally the present church building upon its construction in 1871. The design of the font consists of a double coil of serpents on which rests the upper part of the font which is circular and has ten different sized compartments, each one containing a figure.
One scene shows Adam and Eve with the tree of knowledge of good and evil and a serpent. In the next compartment is a winged figure with a sword raised in its right hand. The next figure is of Christ driving a spear into the head of a serpent. The other seven compartments have single figures believed to represent the seven orders of the clergy in the Saxon church. Around the bottom of the font is a carving of a rope, which has no beginning and no end.