St Luke's Church, Goostrey facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids St Luke's Church, Goostrey
St Luke's Church, Goostrey, from the south
53°13′36″N 2°19′55″W / 53.2268°N 2.3320°W / 53.2268; -2.3320
OS grid reference	SJ 779 700
Location	Goostrey, Cheshire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	St Luke's Goostrey
History
Status	Parish church
Dedication	St Luke
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II*
Designated	14 February 1967
Architectural type	Church
Style	Neoclassical
Completed	1796
Construction cost	£1,700 (equivalent to £130,000 in 2021)
Administration
Parish	Goostrey
Deanery	Congleton
Archdeaconry	Macclesfield
Diocese	Chester
Province	York

St Luke's Church is in the village of Goostrey, Cheshire, England. It is a very special old building, officially known as a Grade II* listed building. This means it's an important historical site. St Luke's is an active Anglican parish church for the Church of England. It is part of the Chester Diocese and works closely with St Peter's Church in Swettenham.

The Story of St Luke's Church
See also

The Story of St Luke's Church

The village of Goostrey is mentioned in the Domesday Book, a famous survey from 1086. A church or chapel was already here by 1244. By 1617, there was a chapel made of wood on this spot. It had a main area (nave) and a special part for the altar (chancel).

In 1667, another section was added. This wooden chapel was taken down in 1792. The church you see today was then built between 1792 and 1796.

Goostrey Parish: A Look Back in Time

The church area of Goostrey includes the village itself and also Twemlow. Twemlow is named after ancient burial mounds found in Cheshire. These mounds show that people lived here over 4,000 years ago!

The first time Goostrey is written about is in the Domesday Book (1086). Most of the land belonged to important people like William fitz Nigel and Hugh de Mara. They gave much of this land to help start new abbeys, like the abbey of Saint Werburgh in Chester.

Old documents sometimes tell interesting stories about the past. For example, in 1286, someone broke into the church at Goostrey and stole everything. Another sad note from 1385 tells how five brothers from Blackden were all killed and buried together in the churchyard.

Inside St Luke's Church

St Luke's Church was built before 1220. However, for a long time, people from Goostrey had to travel to Sandbach for burials. This journey was often difficult because of floods. It was a great relief when, around 1350, burials were finally allowed at St Luke's.

The old church was made of wood, much like Marton Church is today. The only part left from the Middle Ages is the 15th-century font, which is a large basin used for baptisms.

The Church Bells

Three of the church bells are very old. The oldest was made in 1606. Another was remade in 1705, costing £5 at the time. The third was made a little later.

Today, the church has a set of six bells. Two of these were made in 1869 by Mears & Stainbank. The other three were made by James Barwell in 1913. The church's organ was built in 1876 by Wadsworth.

Special Church Items

Some of the communion plates, used during church services, are from the 1700s. In 1719, Miss Dorothy Jodrell gave a silver paten (a small plate for the bread). It was made in London in 1715.

A chalice (cup) and flagon (jug) were made in 1759. A modern paten was made in London in 1902. There is also a modern chalice from 1931, given in memory of Sarah Elizabeth Knowles.

Church Records: Glimpses of Life Long Ago

The church's old records, called parish registers, are very well kept and go all the way back to 1561. They contain some interesting notes. For example, in 1661, after Marie Worthington died, someone wrote "scould" next to her name.

Another note from 1662 mentions that a Mr Whishall "married five wives." Later, in 1674, it says that Margaret Hall was James Dean's "third wife all within the year."

The records also show donations sent to help people in other towns, like Ripon in Yorkshire. One donation went to Hugh Evans because his house and belongings burned down.

The registers also show that in 1648, everyone agreed to have Mr Henry Newcome as their minister. It seems that even in the 1700s, local people had some say in who became their clergyman. Mr Newcome was very strict and even stopped two people from taking communion because they drank too much.

Churchwarden's Accounts

The Churchwarden's Accounts, which started in 1638, show how the church managed its money. For example, in 1661, it cost thirteen shillings to fix the font. In 1658, a clock was bought for two pounds, three shillings, and nine pence.

Some things seem very cheap, like painting the royal arms for two pounds, three shillings, and eight pence. Other things were expensive, like a new Communion Service book in 1662, which cost twelve shillings. At that time, a worker's weekly pay was much less than that.

In 1711, the church was repaired for forty-six pounds. In 1750, 5,000 bricks cost two pounds and five shillings.

Building and Changes Over Time

In 1792, people decided to build a new church because the old wooden one was very cold. The new church cost £1,700 and was designed by a local bricklayer. The old church had been repaired and changed many times, so a new building was needed. They did keep the old yew tree, though!

In 1876, the church was restored and updated inside. It's likely that the pulpit (where sermons are given), lectern (where readings are done), and special wood panels in the sanctuary were added then. A new organ was also installed. In 1947, the organ pipes were moved to the gallery.

In 1961, a new altar was given, along with other furniture for the chancel. This area was rearranged to create more space for the choir.

The beautiful stained glass windows were put in around 1876. The east window remembers Egerton Leigh. The southwest window remembers Mary Susan Armitstead, who was the young wife of William George, the vicar of Goostrey from 1860 to 1907.

Churchyard Features

The churchyard has two other special listed buildings. One is a sundial from 1798, with a new pointer added in 1999. The other is a table tomb near the east end of the church. There is also a war memorial near the churchyard gate.

The churchyard is also the burial place of a Canadian soldier who died in World War I.

Goostrey Schools

Right across from the church is Goostrey Primary School. The first mention of a school here is from 1640, when it was repaired. It was next to the churchyard, in a house also used as a court house. This building was taken down in 1703.

The students might have then moved to the old school house, which is one of the oldest buildings in the village. In 1856, the main part of the current school buildings was built. This was when the old tradition of the schoolmaster also being the church clerk ended. The last schoolmaster, Jonathan Harding, is buried near the church. He worked for 52 years!

In 1977, a new building for younger children was built across the main road. This marked the end of the very close connection between the church and the school.

Notable People of Goostrey

John Hulse, who was a church leader in Goostrey from 1735 to 1754, left money to Cambridge University. This money helped create a special teaching position that is still known by his name today.

Some families are remembered in the church through special memorials. The Kinsey family, for example, gained land here around 1380. The Armitstead family provided four vicars (church leaders) for Goostrey.

The Baskervyle family lived at nearby Withington Hall from 1266 until 1954. The Booth family, who lived at Twemlow Hall, were also very important in the North West.

Today, most of the land in Goostrey is owned by the families who farm it. However, Manchester University owns land in the northeast of Goostrey. This is where their famous radio telescope, Jodrell Bank, is located. It overlooks ancient burial mounds.