Church of St Michael the Archangel, Aldershot facts for kids
The Church of St Michael the Archangel is an old and important church in Aldershot, Hampshire. It has been around since the 12th century, but there might have been an even older church here before. This church is a special historic building, called a Grade II listed building. You can find it right next to Manor Park.
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A Look Back: History of St Michael's Church
The land where St Michael's Church stands today was once owned by Alfred the Great. When he died, he gave the land to the monks of Winchester Cathedral. The church itself was likely built around the year 1120.
The first time St Michael's Church is mentioned in old records is in 1121. It talks about wax for candles. In 1171, it's mentioned again for a yearly payment. This payment was made by Aldershot parish to the Priory of St Swithun. It helped pay for three lights to burn all the time in front of the main altar there.
In 1399, the local priest, John Bertone, was attacked while leading a service in the church. By 1400, the church was falling apart. Bishop William of Wykeham used money from another church to pay for repairs. But this didn't seem to help much. About 80 years later, the church was still in bad shape. In 1481, John Awbrey used his manor in Aldershot as a guarantee for a loan of £126. He got this money from the London Charterhouse to fix the church. John Awbrey and his wife are buried in the old part of the church, which is now called the Lady Chapel. Sir John White, who was Lord Mayor of London in 1563/64, is also buried there.
The church started keeping records of baptisms, marriages, and burials in 1571. These records are still used today. During the English Civil War, a church leader named Thomas Hollinshead was removed from his job in 1641. In 1645, during the same war, Royalist soldiers attacked Aldershot village and set it on fire. But St Michael's Church was lucky and was not burned.
There's a local story about Nell Gwynn, a famous actress. The legend says that in 1678, after the king returned to power, she was traveling from Portsmouth to London. She stopped in Aldershot and gave birth to a stillborn child of King Charles II. A local woman called 'Old Mother Squall' helped her. The story says the child was buried under a tree in the churchyard. It was even claimed that the King gave the church £200 every year for this help. However, no records of this payment have ever been found.
A famous lawyer named Charles Viner (1678–1756) and his wife are buried in the churchyard. They also have a special memorial inside the church. The church clock was put in place in 1799. In 1801, people were worried about 'body snatchers' who would dig up graves. Because of this, special brick-arched graves were built in the churchyard to protect the burials. The Rev John West became the first 'Perpetual Curate' (a type of church leader) of the parish in 1818. He later became a missionary and helped start the church in Canada.
In 1855, during the Crimean War, the Army came to Aldershot. This caused the town to grow a lot, and St Michael's Church also expanded. Another church, Holy Trinity Church, was built closer to the Army Camp. From 1859 to 1912, St Michael's Church was developed and made bigger. This included adding an aisle, rebuilding the main part of the church (the nave), and getting a new organ.
In 1864, Edgar Sheldrake, who became a famous cricket player, was baptised here. Also, Alfred Toye, a brave soldier who won the Victoria Cross, married Flora Robertson here in 1918. The wedding of local actor and comedian Arthur English to dancer Teresa Mann took place at the church in 1977. His funeral service was also held there in 1995.
Exploring the Churchyard
The old churchyard is on land given by John-atte-Halle in 1409. You enter it through a special gate called a lychgate, which was given by Mr. and Mrs. Walter Finch in 1954. In 1527, the Chaplain, Thomas Hore, met with church leaders to talk about fencing the churchyard. They wanted to stop disrespectful activities like May dancing and rude talk.
Near the lychgate is a very old yew tree. A guide from 1859 said that "In its prime the yew was the admiration of the whole neighbourhood and people travelled miles to see it." Local stories say that Nell Gwynn's stillborn child with King Charles II was buried under this tree.
Even though at least 2,000 people have been buried in the churchyard since records began in 1571, it doesn't seem too full of memorials. Many 19th-century graves (from 1801 to 1856) were covered with handmade bricks. This probably helped protect them from 'Resurrectionists' or 'body-snatchers'. These people would secretly dig up bodies during that time.
The north side of the churchyard was not built on. Later, the church building was extended into this area. However, in 1884, some land here was given for the Newcome family's burial ground. Also, when the British Army arrived in the area in the early 1850s, they didn't have their own burial ground yet. So, four soldiers were buried here. An old stone near the church porch was noted in 1841. It might have been part of a churchyard cross, but it's not there today.
Inside the Church: Structure and Features
The church tower's foundations rest on large sarsen stones on London clay soil. During the time of Queen Elizabeth I, the top part of the tower was rebuilt. It became part of a chain of beacons used to warn against a possible Spanish invasion. The tower is built from local iron stone with mortar and flints, and it has narrow red bricks. The tower clock was made by James Styles in 1810. Its face was repaired in 1966.
The church has a chancel (the area around the altar), a nave (the main part where people sit) with five sections, a north aisle, and a modern south porch. When the British Army arrived in the area in the early 1850s, the church became too small for all the new residents. So, the building was made bigger in 1859. The nave was restored, and the north aisle was added in 1868. This means that only the tower, the chancel, and the Lady Chapel (which was extended in 1380) are the oldest parts of the original church.
The main door to the original church is now the one that leads to the tower. The area called the 'Lady Chapel' was actually the original church building. The arches to its left were once the outer wall. In 1912, a new nave, chancel, and North arcade were added. These were designed by a famous architect, Sir Thomas Jackson.
The chancel has memorials dedicated to the local White and Tichborne families. The memorial for Lady Ellen Tichborne, wife of Sir Richard Tichborne, was originally in the old chancel (now the Lady Chapel). It was moved to its current spot when the church was made bigger in the 19th century. Her sister, Lady Mary Tichborne (who died in 1620), has a memorial that is still in its original place in the old chancel.
There is a very nice memorial brass for Sir John White. It was probably made just before he died, as his death date is not on it. Sir John White was the Lord of the Manor of Aldershot. In his will from 1573, he asked for a brass plate with his family's symbols to be placed on the wall near his burial spot. He was buried at the northeast corner of the old chancel, beneath his special helmet and crest used for funerals. There are also stained glass windows that remember members of the Newcome family.
The Church Bells
The church has eight bells that were remade and rehung by John Taylor of Loughborough in early 1960. The first bell in the tower was put there in the late 14th century. Two more bells were added in 1611 and 1624. These two bells were probably given by Sir Walter Tichborne. His son James, born in 1611, was a godchild of King James I, who came to Aldershot for the christening at St Michael's Church. Sir Walter's wife Mary died in 1621, and the second bell might have been a memorial to her.
When the church was made larger in 1911, the oldest bell was recast, and three other bells were added. This made a total of six bells. After World War I, two smaller bells were given by soldiers from Aldershot Camp. They were given in memory of their friends who had died in the war. These are known as the 'Soldier's Bells'.
Images for kids
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The church from the road
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The altar in St Michael's
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The font in St Michael's
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The Lady Chapel
