St Olave's Church, York facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Olave's Church, York |
|
|---|---|
The interior of St Olave's church, facing east
|
|
| 53°57′44.3″N 1°5′20.6″W / 53.962306°N 1.089056°W | |
| OS grid reference | SE 5986 5219 |
| Location | York |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Liberal Anglo-Catholic |
| Website | www.stolaveschurch.org.uk |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Olaf |
| Consecrated | c. 1050 |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St Olave with St Giles, York |
| Deanery | York |
| Archdeaconry | York |
| Diocese | Diocese of York |
| Province | Province of York |
.jpg)
St Olave's Church, York (pronounced Olive) is a historic church in York, England. It is a Grade I listed building, which means it is very important and protected. The church belongs to the Church of England. You can find it on Marygate, right next to the old ruins of St Mary's Abbey.
Contents
History of St Olave's Church
St Olave's Church is located inside the walls of what used to be St Mary's Abbey. This abbey was destroyed long ago during a time called the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The church is named after St Olaf, who is the patron saint of Norway.
Early Beginnings
The church has a very old history. Records from 1055, found in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, mention that a powerful leader named Earl Siward died in York. He was buried in a church he had built and dedicated to God and St. Olave. This church was in an area called Galmanho, which is where St Olave's Church stands today. Earl Siward is thought to have lived nearby. This makes St Olave's Church one of the earliest places anywhere to be dedicated to St Olaf.
Building Changes Over Time
The church was largely rebuilt in the 1400s. Later, in the 1720s, it had major repairs. New windows were added to the north side. This wall had once been part of the abbey and even part of the city's defenses.
More work was done between 1848 and 1849. The church reopened in February 1849. Then, in 1887, another big renovation started. The old plaster ceiling was taken down. The church's pillars, arches, and walls were cleaned. A new part of the church, called the chancel, was added by architect George Fowler Jones. This part was made even bigger in 1906. Even with all these changes, the church still mostly looks like it did in the 1400s.
Life at St Olave's Today
St Olave's Church is known for its strong musical traditions. It has a large choir and a recently fixed organ. There are also six bells that are used for change ringing, which is a special way of ringing bells in a pattern.
The Academy of St Olave's orchestra also performs three concerts at the church each year. They also play music for a special church service on Remembrance Sunday. On Sundays, there is a sung service at 10:30 AM.
Important People at St Olave's
Many different people have led the church over the centuries. They were first called Chaplains, then Curates, and from 1663 onwards, Vicars.
- 1389 Thomas
- 1390 John Kilburn
- 1300 William de Malton
- 1432 Thomas Proktoure
- 1433 Thomas Wright
- 1437 Robert
- 1438 William Kirkeby
- 1445 William Hardy
- 1445 John Litster
- 1458 Thomas Dobson
- 1463 Thomas Eston
- 1471 John Rudby
- 1489 Gilbert Baxter
- 1496 Robert Lelegrave
- 1499 William Philipson
- 1522 John Sissotson
- 1530 Richard Wilkinson
- 1550 Wilfrid Archer
- 1571 Robert Sayer
- 1573 Thomas Bowes
- 1608 Michael Vascoe
- 1610 Henry Brinckwell
- 1619 Henry Moore
- 1620 John Philliskirk
- 1634 John Belwood
- 1663 Thomas Tonge
- 1673 Walter Blakestone
- 1679 John Wild
- 1695 Thomas Moseley
- 1733 William Dodsworth
- 1754 William Ellis
- 1771 William Dade
- 1790 Ralph Worsley
- 1848 William Strong
- 1855 Frederick Bartlett
- 1877 William Hey
- 1883 William Croser Hey
- 1892 William Dodsworth
- 1905 Charles Bell
- 1915 Alfred Glover
- 1928 Walter Hollis
- 1932 Francis Windley
- 1946 Eric Denyer
- 1962 William Griffith
- 1970 Clifford Barker
- 1976 James Alan Heslop
- 1988 Anthony Hodge
Memorials and Burials
Inside the church, you can find memorials to people who were important to the area.
- George Hutchinson (died 1775)
- Michael Loftus (died 1762)
- William Etty (died 1849)
The famous Earl Siward, who helped build the first church, is also buried here.
The Church Organ
The church's pipe organ was built by a company called J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd in 1907. You can find detailed information about this organ on the National Pipe Organ Register.
