Church of St Philip and St James, Tow Law

Church of St Philip and St James
OS grid reference	NZ 12328 38941
Address	Church Lane
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
History
Status	Church
Dedication	Saints Philip and James
Consecrated	24 July 1869
Architecture
Heritage designation	Grade II listed building
Designated	5 June 1987
Architect(s)	Charles Hodgson Fowler
Style	Gothic Revival
Completed	1869
Specifications
Materials	Sandstone
Administration
Diocese	Durham
Parish	Tow Law
Clergy
Priest in charge	Revd Jon Whalley

The Church of St Philip and St James is a church in Tow Law, County Durham, England. The church was designed by architect Charles Hodgson Fowler (1840-1910) and completed in 1869. Built of sandstone, the decorated church features a south-west tower. It became a Grade II listed building on 5 June 1987. ^[1]

The church is administered as one of The Four Parishes - including St Mary & St Stephen Wolsingham, St Bartholomew Thornley Village and St.Cuthbert Satley. ^[2]

Notable people

The vicar of Tow Law from 1862 to 1888 was the Revd Michael Henry Simpson. Simpson's youngest daughter, Alice Pickering (1860–1939), was a tennis player who played twice in the Wimbledon Championship Final. ^[3]

Another of Michael Henry Simpson's daughters, Florence Eva Simpson (1865–1923), known as Elva Lorence, became a published writer and composer, as well as a painter. ^[4]

A third sister, Katherine Ashton Simpson (1858–1951), known as Kate A. Pearce Simpson, was a writer of books and musicals and poetry. ^[5] She was also an artist, whose work was hung in the Royal Scottish Academy, at the Berwick Exhibition in Newcastle-on-Tyne. ^[6] Her painting of her sister, Florence Eva Simpson, is part of the collection of Touchstones Rochdale gallery, run by Rochdale Arts & Heritage Service. ^[7]

References

1. Historic England. "Church of St Philip and St James (1232516)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 15 September 2024.
2. "the Four Parishes". Wolsingham Church. Wolsingham Church. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
3. Ryan, Mark. "Alice Simpson Pickering - An Early Lawn Tennis Player". Tennis Forum. Tennis Forum. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
4. "Florence Eva Simpson (Elva Lorence)". ArtUK. ArtUK. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
5. "Katherine Ashton Simpson". Art UK. ArtUK. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
6. "A CHRISTMAS GIFT BOOK: MRS. PEARCE-ELLIS'S BOOK OF VERSE". The Gloucester Citizen. 29 November 1932. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
7. "Florence Eva Simpson (Elva Lorence)". ArtUK. ArtUK. Retrieved 11 September 2024.

54°44′43″N1°48′36″W / 54.7453°N 1.8101°W / 54.7453; -1.8101