All Saints' Church, Stamford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids All Saints' Church, Stamford |
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All Saints' Church, Stamford
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| 52°39′08″N 00°28′52″W / 52.65222°N 0.48111°W | |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Broad Church |
| History | |
| Dedication | All Saints |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Stamford All Saints with St John the Baptist |
| Deanery | Stamford |
| Archdeaconry | Boston |
| Diocese | Diocese of Lincoln |
| Province | Province of Canterbury |
All Saints' Church, Stamford is a historic parish church in the Church of England. You can find it in Stamford, Lincolnshire, a town in England. This church is a very important building, listed as a Grade I listed building. This means it's considered a building of special architectural or historical interest. The church stands on the north side of Red Lion Square. This square used to be part of the main A1 road route until a new bypass opened in 1960.
History of All Saints' Church
A church in Stamford was first mentioned in the Domesday Book. This was a huge survey of England ordered by William the Conqueror way back in 1085. The church you see today isn't the original one from that time. There are only a few small pieces of stone from the 12th century left. Most of the church you see now was built in the 13th century.
One special feature from the 13th century is the exterior blind arcading. This means there are decorative arches on the outside walls that don't actually open. It's quite unusual to see this on a local church.
Later, in the 15th century, a wealthy family called the Browne family added a lot to the church. John Browne, who was a successful merchant (someone who traded wool) in Calais, helped pay for much of the building work in the 15th century. His son, William, who was also a mayor in Calais, paid for and built the tall steeple. The Browne family members are the only people buried inside the church itself. The work done in the late 15th century is known for its "inventiveness." This means it used creative architectural details, like fancy battlements (the top parts of the walls that look like castle tops).
A famous person named William Stukeley was the vicar (a type of priest) at this church from 1730 to 1747.
The church's parish (its local area) also includes St John the Baptist's Church. However, St John's Church stopped being used for regular services in 2003.
The Church Organ
The church has a large musical instrument called an organ. The original organ was built in 1890 by a company called William Hill & Sons. Later, in 1916, it was rebuilt by another company, James Jepson Binns, to make it even better.
Organists of All Saints' Church
Many talented musicians have played the organ at All Saints' Church over the years. Here is a list of some of the organists:
- Frederick Ries Barratt 1837 – 1840
- Mr Shearman until 1847
- Miss Burton from 1847
- Frank Ketcher until 1883 (later became organist of St Deiniol's Church, Hawarden)
- George Fletcher 1883 – 1885
- Haydon Hare 1885 – 1895 (later became organist of St Nicholas' Church, Great Yarmouth)
- Bertie Hare 1895 – 1907
- Mr. Murrell from 1907 (used to be organist at Ramsey)
- T. Robins 1929 – 1940 (later became organist at Chagford, Devon)
- Wilfred A. Stevens 1929 – 1940 (used to be assistant organist at Peterborough Cathedral, later organist of St John's Peterborough)
- Albert T.C. Hill 1940 – 1962 (used to be organist at Bourne Abbey)
- Harold Harvey 1962 – around 1987
- Jeffrey Beeden 1997 – 2008
- Jeremy Jepson 2008 – 2011 (previously at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle)
- Anthony Wilson 2011 – 2012
- Michael Kee 2012 – 2013
- Fergus Black 2014 – 2020
- Jeremy Jepson 2020 – 2023
- Benedict Todd 2024 – (used to be Organist and Assistant Director of Music at Great St Mary's, the University Church, Cambridge)
