Grimsby Minster facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Grimsby Minster |
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| The Minster and Parish Church of St James, Grimsby |
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| 53°33′50″N 0°05′22″W / 53.563792°N 0.089360°W | |
| Location | Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Central |
| Website | grimsbyminster.com |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | Grimsby Parish Church; St James' Church; The Church of St Mary and St James |
| Status | Parish Church |
| Dedication | James, son of Zebedee |
| Past bishop(s) | Rt Rev David Tustin, Rt Rev David Rossdale |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed building |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Grimsby |
| Deanery | Grimsby |
| Archdeaconry | Stow & Lindsey |
| Diocese | Lincoln |
| Province | Canterbury |
Grimsby Minster is an important church in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, England. It is also known as the Parish Church of St James. The church is dedicated to Saint James and is part of the Church of England. It belongs to the Diocese of Lincoln.
Contents
History of Grimsby Minster
The story of Grimsby Minster began a very long time ago. In 1114, an old religious building was given to Robert Bloet, who was the Bishop of Lincoln. Over the next few years, he made many changes and improvements to the building. This led to the creation of St James, a church with a large main area called a nave.
A tall central tower was added to the church in 1365. Later, in 1586, St James became the main parish church for Grimsby. This happened after John Whitgift combined the churches of St James and St Mary's. The old St Mary's church used to be on Victoria Street.
Big Changes and a New School
In 1856, a major project began to completely restore St James. This big makeover included making the chancel (the area around the altar) longer. They also rebuilt the South transept, which is like a wing of the church. Later, new windows with stone designs were put in. New oak roofs were also added, making the church look even better.
An important event happened in 1883 with the opening of James College. This school was the start of what is now St James' School. It was founded by Canon Young. For many years, it was the only choir school in the UK connected to a parish church. This changed in 2013 when the choir was reorganized. Now, both boys and girls from any local school can join the choir.
Becoming a Minster
The exciting news that the church would become a minster was announced in the Grimsby Telegraph newspaper on April 15, 2010. A special ceremony to make it a Minster took place on Sunday, May 16, 2010. The ceremony was led by important church leaders from Lincoln and Grimsby. The Mayor of North East Lincolnshire officially accepted the declaration of Minster status for the town.
Church Family
Grimsby Minster is part of a larger group of churches called the Parish of Grimsby, St Mary and St James and St Hugh. This group includes one other church:
- St Hugh's Church, Grimsby
St Hugh's Church was built as a 'daughter church' of St James. This means it was created to serve the growing community. Both churches work together as one parish. They share a single Parochial church council, which helps manage the churches.
Until August 31, 2022, the Parish also included two other churches, St Martin's and St Mark's. On September 1, 2022, these two churches formed their own new parish.
Organs at the Minster
Grimsby Minster is home to two amazing pipe organs. A pipe organ is a very large musical instrument that makes sound by pushing air through many pipes.
The first organ, called the West End Organ, was built in 1951 by J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd. It replaced an older organ that was sadly destroyed during World War II. Some parts of the old organ were used in the new one. This organ was updated again in 1976. You can find more details and pictures of this organ online on the National Pipe Organ Register.
Because the West End of the church is quite far from where the choir sings, a second organ was installed. This smaller organ was placed on the North Side of the Choir in the 1970s. It is used to help the choir sing during services. You can also see details and photos of this organ on the National Pipe Organ Register. Many talented organists have played these instruments over the years.
Choir
Grimsby Minster used to be famous for having its own choir school, St James' School. This school was started in 1880 by Canon James Peter Young. Its main purpose was to educate the boys who sang in the church choir. Today, St James' School is a school for both boys and girls.
Since September 2013, the choir has changed. Now, singers are chosen from all over North East Lincolnshire and even further away. Both girls and boys can join the choir, which makes it even more diverse and exciting.
Bells
The Minster has 10 bells that are used for traditional full-circle ringing. These bells are very heavy, weighing a total of 4.3 tonnes. The largest bell, called the tenor, weighs about 18.25 hundredweight (which is over 900 kg!) and is 4 feet wide. The bells are tuned to the key of E flat.
The bells were first made in 1830, with three of them cast by William Dobson. Other bellmakers like John Taylor & Co and John Warner & Sons have made the rest over time. The newest bells, which are the two lightest, were made in 1962 by Mears and Stainbank.
A special person named Frank Kennington learned to ring the bells at the Minster in 1945 from his father. He became the Tower Captain in 1955 and held that important role for 57 years! He stopped in 2012 because the stairs to the ringing room became too difficult for him.
St James Square
The area around the church used to be a churchyard. Now, it is a public space called 'St James Square'. In 2021, the square had a big makeover that cost £1.8 million.
The square features three permanent artworks that you can see:
- The 'Fishermen's Memorial' is a bronze statue created by Trevor Harries. It shows a trawlerman (a fisherman) pulling in a fishing net. This statue was first placed in the square in 2005.
- 'Human Murmuration' by Annabel McCourt is a piece of art mounted on a wall on the East side of the square. It shows silhouettes (dark outlines) of local people who volunteered to have their photos taken for the artwork.
- 'Come Follow Me' by Adrian Riley is a very long text artwork, 35 meters long, etched into the stone paving of the square. It features poetry written by local writers.
Images for kids
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This memorial remembers the 810 members of the 10th (Service) Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment (also known as the "Grimsby Chums"). They were soldiers from Grimsby who died during World War I.
See also
In Spanish: Grimsby Minster para niños
