St George's Church, Isle of Man facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St George's Church
St George's Church, Douglas, Isle of Man
St George's Church Location in Isle of Man
54°08′58″N 4°29′01″W / 54.149384°N 4.483710°W / 54.149384; -4.483710
Location	Upper Church Street, Douglas, Isle of Man.
Country	Isle of Man
Denomination	Church of England
Tradition	Conservative evangelical
History
Status	Parish church
Founded	1761
Dedication	Saint George
Consecrated	29 September 1781
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Style	Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking	1761
Completed	1781
Construction cost	Approximately £1,500
Specifications
Capacity	1,300
Administration
Parish	St George and All Saints
Diocese	Diocese of Sodor and Man

St George's Church is an Anglican church located in Douglas, Isle of Man. It is part of the Diocese of Sodor and Man, which is a church area on the Isle of Man. This church used to be one of two main places of worship, along with All Saints Church, Douglas.

History of St George's Church

In the early 1700s, Douglas was a small town with about 800 people. The first St Matthew's Church was the main church then. But Douglas started to grow a lot! This was because of the island's "Running Trade," which was a kind of smuggling. This trade brought more money and people to the town.

By the mid-1700s, Douglas had over 3,000 people. St Matthew's Church was too small for everyone. So, people decided they needed a new, bigger church.

Building the Church

Starting the Work

They found land on a hill outside of town, with a great view of Douglas Harbour. This land was in the Parish of Braddan. Wealthy people in the town, some of whom had earned money from the "Running Trade," helped pay for the church. They raised money by asking people to donate. By 1761, they had collected £712. This would be like having about £140,000 today! But after four years, the money ran out, and building stopped.

Finishing and Opening the Church

Nothing happened with the church for a long time, until 1776. More money was raised, and work started again. An extra £800 was collected, which would be like £120,000 today. This allowed the church to be finished. The church was officially opened and set apart for religious use on 29 September 1781.

To pay off the remaining building costs, people had to pay to get a special seat, called a pew. A first-class pew cost 25 guineas, and a second-class pew cost 15 guineas. A guinea was an old British gold coin.

The finished church was very large and could hold 1,300 people! Many generous people donated beautiful items for the church. For example, John Murray, 4th Duke of Atholl gave a silver set for Holy Communion. Later, Henry Noble paid for a lovely stained glass window.

Many important people from the local area were buried in the churchyard. These included Sir William Hillary and Nelly Brennan. There is also an open grassy area in the churchyard with a single cross. This spot was used for the mass burial of people who sadly died during the cholera outbreaks in 1832 and 1833.

The Church Organ

St George's Church was the first church on the Isle of Man to have an organ! It was built in 1741 by Harris & Byfield. In 1778, one of the church's leaders bought it from the Dublin Assembly Hall for £100. This would be like spending about £15,000 today.

This is a very special organ because George Frideric Handel used it to conduct the very first performance of his famous music piece, the Messiah. That happened in Dublin in 1742.

One of the first people to play this organ was Charles Barrow. He was the grandfather of the famous writer Charles Dickens! The organ was repaired and updated in 1950 by Jardine's of Manchester. This repair cost £3,985, which would be like £150,000 today.

Notable People Buried Here

• Sir William Hillary: He was a kind person who started the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. This group helps save people at sea.
• Nelly Brennan: She was a brave woman known for her help during the cholera outbreaks.

Gallery

• 

  This is the mass grave for people who died during the cholera outbreaks in 1832 and 1833.

• 

  Information about the activities at St George's Church.

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  The grave of Sir William Hillary, who founded the RNLI.

See also

• Diocese of Sodor and Man
• Bishop of Sodor and Man