St Mary's Old Church, St Mary's facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Old Church, St Mary's |
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St Mary's Old Church, Old Town, St Mary's
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| 49°54′39″N 06°18′13″W / 49.91083°N 6.30361°W | |
| OS grid reference | SV911101 |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Broad Church |
| Website | https://www.ioschurches.co.uk/ |
| History | |
| Dedication | Blessed Virgin Mary |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St Mary's, Isles of Scilly |
| Deanery | Powder |
| Diocese | Truro |
| Province | Canterbury |
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St Mary's Old Church, St Mary's is a historic parish church found in Old Town. This village is located on the island of St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, which is part of the Isles of Scilly in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is a church that belongs to the Church of England.
Contents
History of the Church
The Anglican church of St Mary was first built in Old Town, Isles of Scilly, during the 12th century. This was around the year 1130. The church has been rebuilt and improved many times over the years.
- Between 1660 and 1667, major rebuilding work took place.
- A south aisle was added to the church.
- A special gallery was built at the west end for soldiers from the nearby Garrison.
- More improvements were made in 1743 when the east end of the church was rebuilt.
By the 1800s, the church was in poor condition. Augustus Smith, who was in charge of the islands at the time, ordered it to be restored. This brought the church back to its good state.
The Churchyard and Its Stories
The churchyard at Old Town church is the main cemetery for the island of St Mary's. Many people from old Scilly families have been buried here over hundreds of years. It also holds the graves of sailors from many ships that were lost near the Isles of Scilly.
- Among those buried here are Sir John Narborough and his brother James. They were the sons of Rear Admiral Sir John Narborough. Both brothers died when their ship, HMS Association, sank in 1707.
- Ann Cargill (1760–1784), a famous opera singer from the 1700s, is also buried here. She was known for her beauty. Ann died when her ship sank off the Western Rocks. She was first buried on Rosevear, but later moved to Old Town Church.
Famous People Buried Here
Harold Wilson, also known as Lord Wilson of Rievaulx, is buried in the churchyard. He was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1964 to 1970 and again from 1974 to 1976.
- Wilson started taking holidays in the Scillies in the 1950s.
- He built a holiday home called Lowenva for his family.
- He spent much of his retirement living on the island.
- In 2018, the ashes of his wife, Mary, were placed in his grave.
The churchyard has been made larger and redesigned several times. Today, it is divided into different areas. The oldest part is right around the church itself.
- This older section has a monument to Augustus Smith (1804–1872).
- It also contains mass graves for passengers who drowned when the ship SS Schiller sank in 1875.
- During the 1800s, terraces were cut into the hillside to create more space for burials.
The churchyard also contains the grave of Ray Gunter (1909–1977). He was a Member of Parliament (MP) and served as the Minister of Labour under Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Lieutenant Roy Graham (1924–2007) is buried in one of the newer sections. He led a special naval diving trip in 1967 that found the wreck of Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell's main ship, HMS Association.
The Church Family
St Mary's Old Church is part of a group of churches called the United Benefice of the Isles of Scilly parishes. This means several churches work together. The churches in this group are:
