Stockton Parish Church

Stockton Parish Church
From the High Street, with the 1923 war memorial
54°34′00″N1°18′44″W / 54.56656°N 1.31224°W / 54.56656; -1.31224
Location	High Street, Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, TS18 1SP
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Charismatic Evangelical
Website	www.stocktonparishchurch.org.uk
History
Status	Active
Founded	1235 (1235)
Dedication	St Thomas of Canterbury
Architecture
Functional status	Parish church
Heritage designation	Grade I
Architect(s)	Christopher Wren (reputedly)
Groundbreaking	1710
Completed	1712
Administration
Diocese	Diocese of Durham
Archdeaconry	Archdeaconry of Auckland
Deanery	Stockton
Parish	Stockton Parish Church
Clergy
Vicar(s)	Mark Miller

Stockton Parish Church is a Church of England parish church located on the High Street in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham. The church is a Grade I listed building. ^[1]

History

Chapel-of-ease

The first church on the site was a chapel-of-ease in the parish of St Mary's Church, Norton, dedicated to St Thomas of Canterbury and constructed around 1237 for the benefit of the growing settlement of Stockton, and located to the South of the current church. ^{[2] [3]} Agreement was made during the reign of Bishop Richard Poore between the parishioners of Stockton, Preston-on-Tees and Hartburn and the vicar of Norton to provide a chaplain and allow baptisms and burials at the chapel. ^[3]

Construction

In 1663, Revd Thomas Rudd was given responsibility for the chapel, which in 1705 was declared to be "ruinous and too little", given the growth in the settlement of Stockton. ^[3] The foundation stone for the new church was laid on 5 June 1710, and it opened on 20 March 1712, and was consecrated by Lord Crew on August 21. ^{[2] [3]}

On completion of the parish church, an act of parliament was passed (12 Anne, 1713), entitled "An act for making the chapelry of Stockton in the county of Durham, a distinct parish", and the new church became Stockton Parish Church. ^{[3] [4]}

The church before replacement of the chancel in 1906

Renovations and additions

A clock and chimes was added in 1736, an organ in 1759, and North gallery in 1748. ^[3]

The church was restored in 1893, then in 1906 it was reseated, and a chancel added by R J Johnson. This is executed in a "Wrenaissance" style, and is taller than the nave. ^[1]

A war memorial, designed by H V Lancaster in Portland stone, was constructed in front of the church in 1923. ^[5] In 1925, a side chapel and choir vestry were added by W D Caröe. ^[1]

From Church St., showing the 1906 chancel, taller than the nave

Recent history

From 1995 until 2002, the church was used for graduations from Durham University's Queen's Campus. ^[6]

In the early 21st century, the church had suffered a decline in numbers and required substantial repairs, and was threatened with closure. ^[7] Numbers grew after the appointment of Revd Alan Farish as vicar in 2007, and funds were obtained from English Heritage and other sources to restore the building. ^{[7] [2]} It has a Charismatic Evangelical churchmanship. ^[2]

References

1. Historic England. "Stockton Parish Church (Grade I) (1139977)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 16 January 2023.
2. "The SPC Story". Stockton Parish Church. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
3. Surtees, Robert (1823). "Parish of Stockton". The History and Antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham. Vol. 3, Stockton and Darlington Wards. pp. 168–196. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
4. The Statutes at Large. Vol. 13. 1762. p. 11.
5. Historic England. "Stockton on Tees High Street (east side) War Memorial (Grade II*) (1139979)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 16 January 2023.
6. John Hayward (2003). Breaking the Mould: The Surprising Story of Stockton (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 May 2006. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
7. Blackburn, Mike (16 March 2009). "Restoring Stockton Parish Church to former glory". Teesside Live. Retrieved 16 January 2023.