Grimsby Minster

Last updated

Grimsby Minster
The Minster and Parish Church
of St James, Grimsby
St. James' Church, Grimsby.jpg
Grimsby Minster
53°33′50″N0°05′22″W / 53.563792°N 0.089360°W / 53.563792; -0.089360
Location Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire
CountryEngland
Denomination Church of England
Churchmanship Central
Website grimsbyminster.com
History
Former name(s)Grimsby Parish Church; St James' Church; The Church of St Mary and St James
Status Parish Church
Dedication James, son of Zebedee
Past bishop(s) Rt Rev David Tustin, Rt Rev David Rossdale
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Heritage designation Grade I listed building
Administration
Province Canterbury
Diocese Lincoln
Archdeaconry Stow & Lindsey
Deanery Grimsby
Parish Grimsby
Clergy
Vicar(s) Revd Fr Christopher Hewitt [1]

Grimsby Minster is a minster and parish church located in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, England. Dedicated to St James, the church belongs to the Church of England and is within the Diocese of Lincoln.

Contents

Background

In 1114, an existing religious building was transferred to Robert Bloet, the Bishop of Lincoln. The following years he supervised many renovations and developments to the building, resulting in St James, a church containing a nave with six bays. The central tower was added in 1365. In 1586 St James became the parish church of Grimsby, after John Whitgift united the parishes of St James and St Mary's. The parish church of the latter had been located on Victoria Street.

In 1856 Canon Ainslie began a complete restoration of St James, which included lengthening the chancel and the rebuilding of the South transept. Later works included the installation of new windows with stone tracery, and the installation of new oak roofs. The next key event in the history of the church, was the opening of the James College in 1883. The predecessor of today's St James' School, it was founded by Canon Young. It was the only choir school in the UK to be attached to a parish church until the restructuring of the choir in September 2013 by Anthony Pinel, opening membership of the choir to boys and girls from any local school. [2]

The news that the church was to be granted minster status was announced in the Grimsby Telegraph on 15 April 2010. [3] The Minster-making ceremony took place on Sunday, 16 May 2010 and was led by the Lord Bishop of Lincoln, and the Bishop of Grimsby. The Mayor of North East Lincolnshire, Councillor John Colebrook, accepted the official declaration of Minster status on behalf of the Borough.

Parish structure

The Parish of Grimsby,St Mary and St James and St Hugh includes one other church:

This was built as a 'daughter church' of St James. The two churches form one parish with one Parochial church council. Until 31 August 2022, the Parish contained two other 'daughter churches', St Martin's and St Mark's. On 1 September 2022 these two churches were created into the new parish of Grimsby, St Mark's and St Martin's.

Organ

Memorial erected to the memory of the 810 members of the 10th (Service) Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment ("Grimsby Chums") who were killed in action or died on service in WWI Lincolnshire Regiment Memorial - geograph.org.uk - 1071727.jpg
Memorial erected to the memory of the 810 members of the 10th (Service) Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment ("Grimsby Chums") who were killed in action or died on service in WWI

The church has two pipe organs. The West End Organ is by J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd and dates from 1951, built to replace an earlier instrument destroyed by enemy action during World War II. Parts of the pre-war instrument were incorporated within the new organ, notably soundboards and some pedal pipes. A specification and pictures of the organ can be seen on the National Pipe Organ Register. The Walker organ was rebuilt by J. W. Walker in 1976, with significant tonal modifications being made at this time.

Given the significant distance between the West End of the Church and the Choir, a second organ was installed on the North Side of the Choir in the 1970s, by Johnson. This two manual and pedal instrument is used for choral services to accompany the Choir. The specification and photographs of this instrument, too, can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.

Organists

Former organists include

Assistant organists

Choir

Grimsby Minster was known for being the only parish church in England to have its own choir school, St James' School. The school was founded in 1880 as St James' Choir School by Canon James Peter Young to educate choirboys and it is now a co-educational school of the Alpha Group.

Since September 2013, instituted by organist Anthony Pinel, choristers have been drawn from across the county of North East Lincolnshire and, in his successor's time, beyond and membership of the choir is open to girls as well as boys.

A major recruitment drive is currently under way in order to restore the minster choir to its former glory, still as a truly inclusive group open to all who would benefit from the musical education offered. The current Director of Music, Mark Wilde, is working with delivery partners 'Choral Humber' and 'North East Lincs Music Hub' to engage with potential young singers in primary schools and academies across North East Lincolnshire.

Bells

The Minster has 10 bells hung for normal full-circle ringing. They weigh a total of 4.3 tonnes, the tenor (the largest bell) weighing 18.25cwt and having a diameter of 4 feet. They are tuned to the key of E flat. They date from 1830 when three of them were cast by William Dobson, and several bellfounders have cast the rest since then, including John Taylor & Co and John Warner & Sons, the newest bells (the two lightest) being cast in 1962 by Mears and Stainbank. Frank Kennington (born 26 December 1933) was taught to ring at the Minster in 1945 by his father and became Tower Captain in 1955. He gave up the post in 2012 after 57 years because the stairs leading to the ringing room were getting too much for him.

Grounds

The former churchyard is now called 'St James Square' and was the subject of a £1.8 million redevelopment in 2021. [7] The square features three permanent artworks:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beverley Minster</span> Church in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England

Beverley Minster, otherwise known as the Parish Church of Saint John and Saint Martin, in Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire, is a parish church in the Church of England. It is one of the largest parish churches in the UK, larger than one-third of all English cathedrals and regarded as a Gothic masterpiece by many.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Truro Cathedral</span> Church in Cornwall, United Kingdom

The Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a Church of England cathedral in the city of Truro, Cornwall. It was built between 1880 and 1910 to a Gothic Revival design by John Loughborough Pearson on the site of the parish church of St Mary. It is one of only three cathedrals in the United Kingdom featuring three spires.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ripon Cathedral</span> Cathedral in Ripon, North Yorkshire, England

The Cathedral Church of St Peter and St Wilfrid, commonly known as Ripon Cathedral, and until 1836 known as Ripon Minster, is a cathedral in Ripon, North Yorkshire, England. Founded as a monastery by monks of the Irish tradition in the 660s, it was refounded as a Benedictine monastery by St Wilfrid in 672. The church became collegiate in the tenth century, and acted as a mother church within the large Diocese of York for the remainder of the Middle Ages. The present church is the fourth, and was built between the 13th and 16th centuries. In 1836 the church became the cathedral for the Diocese of Ripon. In 2014 the Diocese was incorporated into the new Diocese of Leeds, and the church became one of three co-equal cathedrals of the Bishop of Leeds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hexham Abbey</span> Church in Northumberland, England

Hexham Abbey is a Grade I listed church dedicated to St Andrew, in the town of Hexham, Northumberland, in the North East of England. Originally built in AD 674, the Abbey was built up during the 12th century into its current form, with additions around the turn of the 20th century. Since the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1537, the Abbey has been the parish church of Hexham. In 2014 the Abbey regained ownership of its former monastic buildings, which had been used as Hexham magistrates' court, and subsequently developed them into a permanent exhibition and visitor centre, telling the story of the Abbey's history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manchester Cathedral</span> Church in Manchester, England

Manchester Cathedral, formally the Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Mary, St Denys and St George, in Manchester, England, is the mother church of the Anglican Diocese of Manchester, seat of the Bishop of Manchester and the city's parish church. It is on Victoria Street in Manchester city centre and is a grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bradford Cathedral</span> Church in West Yorkshire, England

Bradford Cathedral, or the Cathedral Church of St Peter, is an Anglican cathedral in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, one of three co-equal cathedrals in the Diocese of Leeds alongside Ripon and Wakefield. Its site has been used for Christian worship since the 7th century, when missionaries based in Dewsbury evangelised the area. For many centuries it was the parish church of St Peter and achieved cathedral status in 1919. The cathedral is a Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southwell Minster</span> Church in Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom

Southwell Minster, formally the Cathedral and Parish Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is a Church of England cathedral in Southwell, England. The cathedral is the seat of the bishop of Southwell and Nottingham and the mother church of the diocese of Southwell and Nottingham; it is governed by a dean and chapter. It is a grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chelmsford Cathedral</span> Church in Essex, England

Chelmsford Cathedral in the city of Chelmsford, Essex, England, is dedicated to St Mary the Virgin, St Peter and St Cedd. It became a cathedral when the Anglican Diocese of Chelmsford was created in 1914 and is the seat of the Bishop of Chelmsford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doncaster Minster</span> Minster Church in Doncaster, England

Doncaster Minster, formally the Minster and Parish Church of St George, is the Anglican minster church of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It is a grade I listed building and was designed by architect designer George Gilbert Scott. The church was built in 1854–1858 to replace an earlier building destroyed by fire. It is an active place of worship and has a Schulze organ, a ring of eight bells, and a celebrated clock by Dent. The church is one of two parish churches to have minster status in South Yorkshire. The other is the minster church of Rotherham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Peter's Church, Bournemouth</span> Church in Dorset, England

St Peter's Church is a Church of England parish church located in the centre of Bournemouth, Dorset, England. It is a Grade I listed building classed as a 'major parish church', and was completed in 1879 to a design by George Edmund Street as the founding mother church of Bournemouth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leeds Minster</span> Church in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England

Leeds Minster, or the Minster and Parish Church of Saint Peter-at-Leeds is the minster church of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It stands on the site of the oldest church in the city and is of architectural and liturgical significance. A church is recorded on the site as early as the 7th century, although the present structure is a Gothic Revival one, designed by Robert Dennis Chantrell and completed in 1841. It is dedicated to Saint Peter and was the Parish Church of Leeds before receiving the honorific title of "Minster" in 2012. It has been designated a Grade I listed building by Historic England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Yarmouth Minster</span> Church

The Minster Church of St Nicholas is the minster and parish church of the town of Great Yarmouth, in Norfolk, England. It was built during the Norman era and is England's third largest parish church, behind Beverley Minster in East Yorkshire and Christchurch Priory in Dorset. It was founded in 1101 by Herbert de Losinga, the first Bishop of Norwich, and consecrated in 1119. It is cruciform, with a central tower, which may preserve a part of the original structure. Gradual alterations effectively changed the form of the building. Its nave is 26 feet (7.9 m) wide, and the church's total length is 236 feet (72 m).

Andrew Cantrill FRSA is a British-born organist and choral director. He has held cathedral positions in New Zealand and the United States, and was organist of the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook, Suffolk until September 2018. He is a Fellow, prize-winner and former Trustee Council member of the Royal College of Organists, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He is a tutor for the RCO Academy Organ School, an examiner for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, an active recitalist, and a sought-after broadcaster, writer and presenter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd</span> British organ builders

J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd is a British firm of organ builders established in 1828 by Joseph William Walker in London. Walker organs were popular additions to churches during the Gothic Revival era of church building and restoration in Victorian Britain, and instruments built by Walker are found in many churches around the UK and in other countries. The firm continues to build organs today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Wulfram's Church, Grantham</span> Parish church in Lincolnshire, England

St Wulfram's Church, Grantham, is the Anglican parish church of Grantham in Lincolnshire, England. The church is a Grade I listed building and has the second tallest spire in Lincolnshire after Louth's parish church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary Magdalene Church, Newark-on-Trent</span> Church in Nottinghamshire, England

St Mary Magdalene Church, Newark-on-Trent is the parish church of Newark-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire, England. It is dedicated to Mary Magdalene and is the tallest structure in the town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Jepson Binns</span> British organ builder (c.1855–1928)

James Jepson Binns was a pipe organ builder based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St James School, Grimsby</span> Private day and boarding school in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, England

St James School is a coeducational private day and boarding school located in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, England. It comprises a Senior School and Sixth Form. The school is associated with the Church of England Grimsby Minster, dedicated to St James.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Andrew's Church, Brighton</span> Church in Melbourne, Australia

St Andrew's Brighton is the oldest continuous Anglican church in Victoria, Australia. St Andrew's is the Anglican parish church of the beachside suburb of Brighton, Melbourne.

References

  1. "New Vicar for New Parish". Grimsby Minster. 20 September 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  2. "Extract from Lincolnshire Life Magazine" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 May 2019. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
  3. "St James' Church to be granted minster status" Archived 18 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine , Grimsby Telegraph , 15 April 2010. Retrieved 2 September 2014
  4. White's History, Gazetteer & Directory of Lincolnshire, 1872, p.208
  5. Kelly's Directory of Lincolnshire, 1896, p.234
  6. Who's Who in Music . Shaw Publishing Co. Ltd. London. First Post-War Edition 1949–50
  7. "Historic heart of Grimsby re-opened to public after £1.8m makeover". Grimsby Live. 28 May 2021 via www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk.