A Brief History
of St. Saviour's Church,Ringley
Village Sanctuary
1625 - A chapel is built and opened at Ringley, donated
by Nathan Wallworth, (steward to the Earl of Pembroke). Consecration
of the chapel 1635. John, Bishop of Chester decided upon the
name 'St. Saviour's Chapel'.
1826 - A second church was erected on the site, and was
consecrated on August 6th, 1827 (The Feast of our Lord's Transfiguration).
The Architect was Charles Barry, then 31 years old, who also
designed St. Matthew's, Deansgate, Manchester and All Saint's,
Stand. Both of these churches were built out of the £1,000,000
Thank Offering voted by Government for church building after
the victory at Waterloo. Sir Charles Barry later designed the
Houses of Parliament.
1854 - St. Saviour's pulled down, due to its inadequate
size. Of this second church only the isolated tower remains.
Note the stone in the West wall of the old tower which states:
'Nathan Wallworth Builded Me. AD 1625.'
The third church was built
to an enlarged plan, adjacent to the second church, and was consecrated
on Saturday, 10th June 1854, by Dr. James Prince Lee, Lord Bishop
of the Diocese. The collection was £52. The incumbent was
James Radcliffe Lyon M.A. The choir vestry was added in 1921.
The chapelry was made into
a parish by an Order in Council of October 20th, 1898. At that
time the dimensions of the parish were roughly four miles by
three.'
To provide places of worship
for the rapidly growing settlement of Outwood, a mission church
of St. Aidan's was opened and dedicated in May 1914. St. Mary's
an army hut was consecrated by the Bishop and opened on
Lady Day, 1924. This second mission church served the hamlet
of twenty-six houses built at 'Bottom o'th Fields' in Outwood.
A portrait of Nathan Wallworth,
founder of St. Saviour' Church is hung on the North wall.
Nathan did not marry and died
in 1640-1 (Charles 1.'s reign), some fifteen years after the
founding of the Chapel. This portrait presents him in his capacity
as steward of Baynard's Castle the seat of' the Pembroke's.
The Chained Bible dates back
to 1728 with 'Expository
notes on the New Testament,' by W. Burkett, M.A., Rector of Dedham,
Essex.
The Altar Table at East End
of North Aisle is the Original Altar of 1625. An inscription
on the wall reads: 'Here stands the Jacobean altar from the original
Chapel which was consecrated in 1634. After nearly 70 years disuse
it was restored, and the Chapel was furnished at the charges
of' the mothers of the parish in 1919.
The Rood Beam was erected in1925 as part of the
tercentenary celebrations.
The three stained glass Armorial
Windows in the north wall of the chancel are said to have been
formerly the East window of the original Chapel.
The Alabaster and Mosaic Reredos
in nine panels dates from 1883.
Three manual pneumatic Organ
by Wilkinsons of Kendal, with 21 speaking stops, six couplers
and seven composition pedals. Inscription: 'To the Glory of GOD
in commemoration of and thanksgiving for the reign of Victoria,
Queen of England and Empress of India, December 12th, 1903.'
Mural Monument in South Aisle.
'Sacred to the memory of Ellis Fletcher, Esq., who departed this
life after a severe affliction, borne with patient resignation,
on the 26th April 1834, in the 60th year of this age. (Also of
Margaret his widow, (1836), and John (1836) and Ellis (1854)
their sons.) There is a second monument to Matthew Fletcher who
helped to initiate the Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal scheme
for the movement of his coal. The memorials where originally
sited on the wall of the Sanctuary.
The Royal, Denby and Pembroke
Arms are located over the West and North doors. Wallworth's directions
as to the unpacking of these survive, and are quaint enough to
quote: 'First, observe that the syde wch is chalked to the upper
syde. Ripp open the boards upon that syde. Be careful in taking
off the crown wych is fastened with 3 nayles and a coard in the
end. The lower syde board is fastened with 5 or 6 nayles to the
lower part of the arms wh must be carefully ripped off wt a thin
chisell. The unicorne's horn lies wrapped in a paper at the backe
of the unicorn.' Care must be taken to set the arms just in the
middle, and the 2 lesser armes at the two ends in a equal proportion.
But the greatest care of all that no help be wantings wherby
in the lifting them up, for want of help anythings be broken,
bruised or disfigured......'
Compiled by C.C. Moxley &
D Elliott March 2000 |
