Church of St Peter ad Vincula, Thornaby-on-Tees facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St Peter, Thornaby |
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| Church of St Peter ad Vincula, Thornaby | |
| Old Church of St Peter St Peter's Church, Thornaby |
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Thornaby, Old St Peters
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| 54°32′28″N 1°18′18″W / 54.541°N 1.305°W | |
| OS grid reference | NZ460164 |
| Location | Thornaby-on-Tees, North Yorkshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Peter (in chains) |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Style | Norman |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 40 feet (12 m) |
| Width | 17 feet 6 inches (5.33 m) |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St. Mark and St. Peter ad Vincula South Thornaby |
| Benefice | South Thornaby |
| Deanery | Middlesbrough |
| Archdeaconry | Cleveland |
| Diocese | York |
The Church of St Peter ad Vincula, Thornaby is an old Anglican church in Thornaby, North Yorkshire, England. This building is very old, dating back to the 12th century. It was built where an even older church once stood. The church is famous for possibly being the place where Grace Pace, the mother of the famous explorer Captain Cook, was baptised.
Long ago, this church was known as St Mary's. It was renamed St Peter ad Vincula after some big repairs in the early 1900s. People sometimes call it the Old Church of St Peter. This is because a newer church was built in a different part of Thornaby as the town grew.
Contents
History of the Old Church
The Domesday Book, a very old record from 1086, mentions that Thornaby already had a church. However, the church building you see today was built in the 12th century. It was first dedicated to St Mary Magdalene. Later, in 1908, after a major renovation, it was rededicated. Its new name became St Peter ad Vincula, which means "St Peter in Chains." This name comes from a famous church in Rome.
In 1495, when the church was still called St Mary Magdalene, it was connected to the priory in Guisborough. The money from the church and some nearby land helped pay for five lamps. These lamps lit up the church and the green area around it. The lamps were placed there to light a special shrine to St Mary. This shrine was built by Robert de Thormodbi. He promised to build it if he survived a serious injury he got during a Crusade battle in Acre in the 1200s.
The church stands on high ground, just east of the River Tees. It was once the heart of the old village of Thornaby. The village was built around the church, which is thought to be the oldest building in the area. As industries grew along the River Tees, a new settlement formed further north. This new area was first called South Stockton. It later became Thornaby-on-Tees. Because the old Church of St Peter could only fit about 80 people, a new church was needed for the growing population. The old St Peter's was often called a "chapel" or a "chapel of ease." This meant it was part of a larger church area.
Captain Cook's Mother
There's a local story that Grace Pace, the mother of Captain Cook, was baptised in this church. We know she was born and lived in the village of Thornaby. However, some people think that around 1702, when she was baptised, the church might not have been the main church for baptisms. But the church still has its original Norman font. This suggests that baptisms definitely happened there at some point.
The church was originally part of the Stainton parish. In 1844, it became the main church for its own parish, Thornaby-on-Tees. But this didn't last long. By 1858, St Paul's church in Thornaby became the main church for the parish instead. The churchyard, which is about 6-acre (2.4 ha) big, officially opened for burials in 1869. The earliest burial recorded there was in 1746. It closed for new burials in 1870. However, people whose close family members were already buried there could still be buried in the churchyard. Some burials are listed for St Peter's up until 1905.
In the 1970s, the old lych gate (a covered gateway to a churchyard) was removed. The area around the church was also changed. Most of the old gravestones were moved to the edges of the churchyard.
Church Design and Features
The church was first built in the Norman Romanesque style. It has one main room, which is 40 feet (12 m) long and 17 feet 6 inches (5.33 m) wide. The outer walls are different thicknesses. Some parts of the walls show signs of being built even before the Norman period. Some stones in the south wall were reused from older buildings. At least two of these stones have old dials carved into them, showing twenty-four hours.
The two supports on the east wall were added in the 1400s when the church was repaired. A small bell tower, called a bellcote, is at the west end of the church. It also dates from around the same time. Inside, the design of the columns and the roof has special crossed leaf patterns. This is quite rare in North Yorkshire. Only one other church in the area, St Wilfrid in South Stainley, has similar designs. Some of the supporting columns inside are from the 12th century.
It is known that there used to be a chancel (a special area near the altar) at the eastern end of the church. But this was removed at some point, and the archway leading to it was walled up. The current roof is made of pantiles, which are modern. The original roof was put on around 1908. A more modern roof was installed around 1950. A brand new roof, made of Welsh slate, was put on in 2020 and 2021. On one of the church walls, there is a plaque. It is dedicated to No. 608 Squadron RAF, a Royal Air Force squadron that started at RAF Thornaby in 1930.
Church Community
The current minister of the church is Deacon Tom Desics. He started his role in March 2020. The church and its parish used to be in the Deanery of Cleveland. Now, it is part of the Deanery of Middlesbrough. It is also in the Archdeaconry of Cleveland and the Diocese of York.
