Church of St Helen and St Giles facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Helen and St Giles |
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St Helen and St Giles
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| Denomination | Church of England (Anglican) |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Havering |
| Archdeaconry | Chelsea |
| Diocese | Chelmsford |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Helen and St Giles is a very old church and a famous landmark in Rainham. It is the oldest building in the whole London Borough of Havering. This church was built by the Normans, a group of people who came from France and conquered England a long time ago.
The church still has many of its original parts, like its special round-headed arches. These arches show how buildings were made hundreds of years ago.
About St Helen and St Giles Church
A Look at Its History
The church was started by a man named Richard de Lucy. He was the son-in-law of Henry II of England, who was the King of England at that time. Richard de Lucy was also involved in a sad historical event concerning Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, in 1170.
Building the church took about ten years, from 1160 to 1170. Imagine how much work that was without modern machines! Later, between 1893 and 1906, the church was carefully fixed up. This was called a Victorian restoration. Money for these repairs came from donations, including some from the Freemasons. Even after these repairs, the church is still thought to look very much like it did when it was first built.
The Rectory Manor Story
The land around the church, known as Rectory Manor or Parsonage Farm, was once part of a bigger area called Rainham Manor. In 1178, King Henry II gave this land to Lesnes Abbey, which was a type of monastery. The Abbey owned it for many years.
However, during a time called the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the land changed hands. It was given to Cardinal Wolsey. After Cardinal Wolsey lost his power, the Rectory Manor went to Sir Robert Southwell. Over time, it was owned by different people and groups.
In 1714, two parts of the land, Rectory Manor and Jordans Manor, were joined together again by William Blackborrne. Later, this combined land was sold to the Crosse family. They owned it until the 1900s, when the land was divided up for new buildings.
