Church of St James, Didsbury facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St James, Didsbury, Manchester |
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St James, Didsbury
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| 53°24′36″N 2°13′54″W / 53.4100°N 2.2318°W | |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Open Evangelical |
| History | |
| Dedication | St James |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St James & Emmanuel, Didsbury |
| Deanery | Withington deanery |
| Archdeaconry | Manchester archdeaconry |
| Diocese | Diocese of Manchester |
St James, Didsbury, located on Stenner Lane, is a very old Church of England church. It is in the Manchester area of Didsbury. This church is so important that it has a special heritage listing called Grade II*. It is part of the parish of St James and Emmanuel, Didsbury.
Contents
Church History
Early Beginnings (1200s-1500s)
The story of St James Church began a long time ago. In 1235, a person named Albertus de Gresley gave land to Nicholas de Longford. Nicholas was the Lord of the Manor of Withington. He wanted to build his own small chapel in Didsbury.
The first time this chapel was mentioned was in old court records from Lancashire. It said that 'William, Chaplain of Didsbury, came not on the first day and was fined'. This shows the chapel was already active.
In 1352, the Bishop of Lichfield gave special permission. This allowed a churchyard to be created. It was used to bury people who died from the terrible disease called the Black Death.
In 1541, a new church area, called the Diocese of Chester, was formed. St James Church then became part of this new diocese. Before this, it was part of the Diocese of Lichfield. The church's parish was very large. It stretched from the River Mersey to Moss Side. It also went from Chorlton-cum-Hardy to Heaton Norris and Reddish.
Keeping Records (1561 Onwards)
In 1561, Queen Elizabeth I gave an order. All churches had to start keeping records of births, deaths, and marriages. The very first register from St James Church is still kept safe today. You can find it in the City of Manchester archives.
This old book includes a special entry. It records the baptism of Saint Ambrose Barlow. He was baptised on November 30, 1585.
Church Building and Design
Ancient Origins and Changes
St James is an old Anglican church. It started in the medieval times, which means the Middle Ages. Over the years, it has been changed and added to. Big changes happened in the 1600s and in the mid-1800s. Because of its history and special design, the church was named a Grade II* listed building in 1952. This means it's a very important historic building.
The first chapel here was probably a small prayer room from the 1200s. The church was rebuilt in the early 1600s. This included building the "dumpy" tower. A stone above the tower's north door remembers the people who helped pay for it. These were Sir Edward Moseley and Anne Mosley, and the date 1620. The pointy tops and decorative parts on the tower were added in 1801. The Mosley family were important local people who helped the church a lot.
In 1850, the chapel officially became the main parish church of Didsbury. The main part of the church, called the nave, was built in 1855. The area around the altar, called the chancel, was added in 1871. The east part of the south side aisle was built in 1895. The church is made of red sandstone and has slate roofs.
Inside the Church
A famous expert on buildings, Nikolaus Pevsner, once said the inside of the church was "odd." He noted that it had parts from the early 1600s. But later additions and changes made it look different. Old galleries from the 1700s have been taken out. A lot of rebuilding happened in the 1850s and 1890s.
All the colourful stained glass windows you see today are from the 1800s. The church also has impressive monuments for people who have passed away. Many of these are for the Mosley family. There is a "good early 17th-century wall monument" in a Renaissance style. It has three sections with columns and kneeling figures. This monument remembers Ralph Mosley, who died in 1616.
Another monument shows Sir Nicholas Mosley. He was the builder of Hough End Hall. He is shown kneeling, wearing the special clothes of the Lord Mayor of London from 1599. Ann, Lady Bland, who was a Mosley heiress, is also shown. She was the person who started St Ann's Church, Manchester.
In 2012, the inside of the church was repaired and updated. This was part of the celebrations for the church's 775th anniversary.
Bell Tower
The six bells in the St James’ bell tower are very old. They were made in Gloucester in 1727. These bells are rung before church services on Sundays. They are also rung for weddings and other special events.
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in Greater Manchester
- Listed buildings in Manchester-M20
