St. Mary's Church, Wirksworth, is a parish church 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 Wirksworth

Wirksworth

Wirksworth is a small market town in Derbyshire, England, with a population of over 9,000.The population of the Wirksworth area including Cromford, Bolehill and Middleton-by-Wirksworth is about 12,000. Wirksworth is listed in the Domesday Book in 1086. Within it is the source of the River...

, Derbyshire

Derbyshire

Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...

.

Description

It is a Grade I listed building dating mostly from the thirteenth century. It 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 1870 by Sir Gilbert Scott

Gilbert Scott

Gilbert Scott may refer to several of a family of British architects:* Sir George Gilbert Scott , who was principally known for his architectural designs for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and St Pancras Station...

. The church is notable for its Saxon carvings, and a large Saxon coffin lid which was discovered in the churchyard in the early part of the nineteenth century.

It is one of the few remaining churches in Britain which still performs the ancient custom of Clipping the church

Clipping the church

Clipping the church is an ancient custom that is traditionally held on Easter Monday or Shrove Tuesday in the United Kingdom. The word "clipping" is Anglo-Saxon in origin, and is derived from the word "clyp-pan", meaning "embrace" or "clasp". Clipping the church involves either the church...

.

The church is notable for a Saxon coffin lid, which was discovered in 1820. It is now mounted on the north wall of the nave. It appears to date from the second half of the seventh century.
The church is also noted for containing an Anglo-Saxon carving of a lead miner, T'owd Man, the oldest representation of a miner any where in the world. It was moved here in 1863 from Bonsall church for safe-keeping and has never been returned. The parishioners of Bonsall have had a replica carved for their church.

Memorials

In the north aisle are the tombs of the Gell family. Sir Anthony Gell (d. 1583), has his statue on his tomb. Alongside is the simpler tomb of his father, Sir Ralph Gell.

The chancel contains the tomb of Anthony Lowe, a Gentleman of the Bedchamber

Gentleman of the Bedchamber

A Gentleman of the Bedchamber was the holder of an important office in the royal household of the Kingdom of England from the 11th century, later used also in the Kingdom of Great Britain.-Description and functions:...

 who served Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI and Mary I and died in 1555.

Abraham Bennet

Abraham Bennet

Abraham Bennet FRS was an English clergyman and physicist, the inventor of the gold-leaf electroscope and developer of an improved magnetometer...

 the inventor of the gold-leaf electroscope and developer of an improved magnetometer

Magnetometer

A magnetometer is a measuring instrument used to measure the strength or direction of a magnetic field either produced in the laboratory or existing in nature...

.

The churchyard contains the tomb of Matthew Peat of Alderwasley

Alderwasley

Alderwasley is a village and civil parish in the Amber Valley district of Derbyshire, England. Alderwasley Hall is the home to one of the sites of Alderwasley Hall School which is a special school for children and young people with Aspergers and/or Speech and Language Difficulties...

, who died Dec. 11, 1751, at an alleged age of 109 years and 10 months.

Vicars

This list is taken from the list displayed by the South Porch door inside the church.

• 1270 Nicholas de Oxton
• 1272 Richard de Middleton
• 1275 William Godman
• 1287 Appointment made but name not recorded
• 1295 Appointment made but name not recorded
• 1299 Robert de Bradborn
• 1313 Milo de Leicester
• 1326 John de Hale
• 1349 Robert de Darbi
• ???? Robert de Irton
• 1362 Robert Spondai
• ???? Thomas Chastelton
• 1397 John Sotheren
• 1410 Bartholomew Lyburgh
• ???? John Masson
• 1422 John Rolf
• 1432 Thomas Eyton

• 1487 Richard Smyth
• 1504 James Baresforthe
• 1520 Anthony Draycot
  Anthony Draycot
  Anthony Draycot was an English Roman Catholic churchman and lawyer. During the reign of Queen Mary he held a diocesan position as chancellor; his role in condemning numerous Protestants to death is detailed in Foxe's Book of Martyrs.-Life:He was from Staffordshire, and became Principal of White...
  
  t
• 1560 John Hyron
• 1577 Michael Harrison DD
• 1600 Tobias Stoyte
• 1615 William Parker
• 1619 Richard Caryer
• 1633 Robert Topham
• 1650 Martin Topham
• 1660 Peter Wilkinson
• 1667 Thomas Browne (Archdeacon)
• 1689 William Browne
• 1705 Richard Willis
• 1714 John Inett
• 1718 Thomas Inett
• 1746 Thomas Harris

• 1778 Richard Tillard
• 1787 Richard Kaye
• 1790 John Chaloner
• 1815 George de Smith Kelley
• 1824 Henry Gordon
• 1831 William Edward Nassau Molesworth
• 1831 John Harward
• 1851 Thomas Tunstall Smith
• 1893 William Harry Arkwright
• 1902 Hubert Arnold Gem
• 1913 Thomas Beedham Charlesworth
• 1917 Herbert Ham
  Herbert Ham
  Herbert Ham, MA was an eminent Anglican Priest and musician in the 20th century. He was born in 1869, educated at Worcester College, Oxford and ordained in 1898...
  
  
• 1925 Arthur Lionel Edwards
• 1935 Stephen Langrish Caiger
• 1951 Geoffrey Busby
• 1984 Robert S. Caney (Rector)

Organ

In 1826 a 2 manual organ was installed by Thomas Elliot. It cost £400 (£ as of ), raised by subscriptions, and was placed in the tower of the church, but it was removed in 1853 to a more convenient location in the nave.

The church had a 3-manual 26 speaking stop tubular pneumatic action pipe organ installed in the north transept in 1899 by Brindley & Foster

Brindley & Foster

Brindley & Foster was a pipe organ builder based in Sheffield who flourished between 1854 and 1939.-Background:The business was established by Charles Brindley in 1854. He was joined by Albert Healey Foster in 1871 and the company acquired the name Brindley & Foster.Charles Brindley was born in...

. It was rebuilt in 1955 by Kingsgate Davidson with electric action.

This organ has been replaced by an electronic organ.

Organists

• Thomas Reeves ???? - 1860
• Edward Birch
• Nicholas Mason Day 1878 - 1898
• Harold Udall Ogdon
• Christopher Dixon