St Peter Mancroft facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Peter Mancroft, Norwich |
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 St Peter Mancroft, Norwich
Location in Norfolk
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| 52°37′40″N 1°17′33″E / 52.62778°N 1.29250°E | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Central |
| Website | www.stpetermancroft.org.uk |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint Peter |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Norwich, St Peter Mancroft |
| Diocese | Norwich |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Peter Mancroft is a very old and important church in the city of Norwich, England. It belongs to the Church of England. This church is one of the biggest in Norwich, second only to the two cathedrals.
The first church here was built a long time ago, between 1066 and 1075. It was started by a powerful person named Ralph de Gael. The church you see today was built much later, between 1430 and 1455. It stands on a small hill right next to the busy market place. St Peter Mancroft is also part of a special group called the Greater Churches Group. This group includes large, historic parish churches across England.
Contents
About the Church Building
The church building you can visit today was started in 1430. It was finished and officially opened in 1455. The church is about 180 feet long. It is built with smooth, cut stone blocks, which makes it look very grand. There is a tall tower at the west end of the church.
St Peter Mancroft is a Grade I listed building. This means it is considered a very important historical building in England. It has special protection to make sure it is preserved for the future.
Inside the Church
The church has a very old foundation from 1075, which shows how long a church has stood on this spot. Inside, you can see a special stone font from 1463. This is where babies are baptised. There is also a beautiful tapestry from 1573, which came from Flanders. You can also find amazing stained-glass windows from the Middle Ages.
In the North part of the church, called the transept, there is a collection of old church silver. This includes special cups like the Gleane and Thistle cups. You can also see items linked to a famous doctor and writer named Thomas Browne. He wrote a well-known book called Religio Medici in 1642.
Hidden Jars
In 1850, something interesting was found under the wooden floor where the choir used to sit. Workers discovered two L-shaped ditches. Inside the walls of these ditches, there were many earthenware jars. These jars were placed about three feet apart, with their openings facing into the ditches. These are called acoustic jars. They were likely used to help the sound travel better in the church.
Leaders of the Church
The church has had many leaders over the centuries. These leaders are called vicars or rectors. Here are some of the people who have led St Peter Mancroft:
- Hugh Casselton (1572 - 1588)
- William Wells (1598 - 1620)
- John Brereton (1620 - 1632)
- Thomas Tenison (1670 - 1680)
- John Connould (1683 - 1708)
- John Jeffrery (1714 - 1723)
- Charles John Chapman (1805 - 1826)
- John Watson Bowman (1826 - 1848)
- Charles Turner (1848 - 1878)
- Sidney Pelham (1879 - 1881)
- Henry Neville (1881 - 1884)
- Frederick Baggalley (1884 - 1890)
- William Pelham-Burn (1890 - 1901)
- Frederick James Meyrick (1901 - 1929)
- Hugh McMullan (1929 - 1940)
- John Waddington (1945 - 1958)
- Kenneth Wilkinson Riddle (1959 - 1960)
- Frank Sydney Jarvis (1960 - 1965)
- William John Westwood (1965 - 1975)
- David Sharp (1975 - 1998)
- Peter W Nokes (1999 - 2015)
- Robert Avery (2015 - 2017)
- Ian Bentley (2017 - 2018)
- Edward Carter (2018 – present)
The Church Organ
St Peter Mancroft has a wonderful pipe organ. A brand new organ was built and installed in 1984 by a famous organ builder named Peter Collins. Organs are very complex musical instruments. They have many pipes that make different sounds when air is pushed through them.
Organists of the Church
The organist is the person who plays the organ during church services. St Peter Mancroft has had many talented organists over the years:
- William Pleasants (1708 - 1717)
- Humphrey Cotton (1717 - 1720)
- George Baker (1720 - ????)
- Samuel Cook (???? - 1780)
- Edward Beckwith (1780 - 1793)
- John Christmas Beckwith (1794 - 1808)
- John Charles Beckwith (1809 - 1819)
- Alfred Pettet (1819 - 1837)
- Samuel Critchfield, Junior (1837 - 1851)
- James Harcourt (1851 - 1877)
- Edward Bunnett (1877 - 1908)
- Richard John Maddern-Williams (1908 - 1922, and again 1926 - 1941)
- Frank Edward Newman (1922 - 1926)
- Charles Joseph Romaine Coleman (1942 - 1959)
- Kenneth Ryder (1963 - 2005)
- Matthew Pitts (2006 - 2009)
- Julian Haggett (2009–present)
Assistant Organists
The assistant organist helps the main organist. They often play for some services or help with practice.
- Charles Robert Palmer (1899 - 1901)
- W. Percy Jones (1910 - ca. 1921 - ????)
- Andrew Benians
- Roger Rayner
- Tim Patient (1990 - 2005)
