St Michael the Archangel's Church, Chagford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Michael the Archangel Church, Chagford |
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| The Parish Church of Saint Michael the Archangel Chagford | |
St Michael the Archangel's Church, Chagford
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 St Michael the Archangel Church, Chagford
Location in Devon
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| 50°40′22″N 3°50′20″W / 50.67278°N 3.83889°W | |
| OS grid reference | SX 70146 87508 |
| Location | Chagford |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Previous denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Churchmanship | Broad/high Church |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint Michael the Archangel |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed |
| Designated | 22 February 1967 |
| Specifications | |
| Spire height | 80 feet (24 m) |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Chagford |
| Deanery | Okehampton |
| Archdeaconry | Totnes |
| Diocese | Exeter |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Michael the Archangel's Church in Chagford, Devon, is a historic parish church. It belongs to the Church of England Diocese of Exeter. This church is so important that it is listed as a Grade I listed building. This means it is considered a building of exceptional interest.
History of the Church
This church is very old, dating back to medieval times. It seems to have been completely rebuilt in the 1400s.
In 1870, some parts of the church called 'galleries' were taken out. To make sure there was still enough space, the north side aisle was made longer. The organ was moved to the east end of the north aisle and made bigger with new parts. A beautiful stained glass window was put in the tower. It was made by Ballantine of Edinburgh and was a gift to remember Mrs. John Northmore, who was the rector's sister. Gas lighting was also added to the church at this time.
The church tower was repaired between 1914 and 1915. This work cost £800 and was overseen by architect W. D. Caröe. During this time, all the church bells were also melted down and remade.
The Church Organ
The first mention of an organ in this church was in 1527. The Vicar bought an organ from Exeter Cathedral's Lady Chapel for £5. 6s. 3d. In 1594, it was reported that this organ had 82 pipes.
In 1854, a new organ was put in by H.P. Dicker of Plymouth. This organ was made bigger in 1870 when it was moved to the north aisle.
A completely new organ was installed in 1891 by Hele and Company of Plymouth. It was first used on Sunday, June 7, 1891.
This organ has been repaired by the same company twice, in 1901 and 1956. Today, the organ has three keyboards and 23 'speaking stops', which are like different sets of pipes that make various sounds. You can find more details about this organ in the National Pipe Organ Register.
Past Organists
- Thomas Leaman (1857 - 1865)
- Theodore Köberlein (1865 - 1866)
- Edward Moxhay Vinnicombe (1867 - 1869)
- George Hurrell (around 1874 - 1893)
- Edward Ellis Vinnicombe (1893 - 1901)
- E.A. Russell (around 1902)
- Percy Collings (1906 - 1923)
- H.A. Whitfield (1923 - 1929)
- S.C. Williams (1930 - around 1950s)
The Church Bells
In 1553, a list of church items showed that there were five bells in the church. There was also one bell in the chapel of Southteyn. On August 12, 1765, the Bishop of Exeter gave permission to melt down the five bells and recast them into six new ones. This work was done in 1766 by Thomas Bilbie of Cullompton. In 1877, two more bells were added, making a total of eight bells.
The tower now has a set of 8 bells. They were made by John Taylor & Company of Loughborough in 1914. This was when the tower itself was being repaired. The bells were put into the tower and officially dedicated on February 3, 1915.
