St Thomas of Canterbury Church, Chester facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St. Thomas of Canterbury Church, Chester
Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
OS grid reference	SJ 402 672
Location	Parkgate Road, Chester, Cheshire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Churchmanship	Anglo-Catholic
Membership	153
Weekly attendance	72
Website	St Thomas, Chester
History
Status	Parish church
Dedication	Thomas Becket
Consecrated	1872
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II
Designated	10 January 1972
Architect(s)	George Gilbert Scott John Oldrid Scott
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival
Completed	1881
Specifications
Capacity	240
Materials	Sandstone, Westmorland Slate, English Oak
Administration
Parish	St. Oswald and St. Thomas of Canterbury
Deanery	Chester
Archdeaconry	Chester
Diocese	Chester
Province	York

The Church of St. Thomas of Canterbury is a busy Anglican parish church in the City of Chester. It's located in an area known as "The Garden Quarter," which is close to the University. The church building was finished in 1872. However, the parish it serves, called St. Oswald, is much older, going all the way back to about 980 AD.

The church is recognized as a Grade II listed building. This means it's an important historical building that needs to be protected. The church is part of the diocese of Chester, which is a larger church area. The leaders of Chester Cathedral also support the parish.

History of the Church

An old Order of Service from 1869

In 1868, more people were living in the parish, so they decided to build a new, smaller church. They found land on Parkgate Road. The first stone was laid on April 6, 1869. The new church, named after St. Thomas of Canterbury, was officially opened on April 4, 1872. People were allowed to get married there starting in 1877.

By 1880, the church became the main parish church for St. Oswald's. This meant that the old services held in Chester Cathedral moved to St. Thomas's. The last service in the Cathedral's south transept was on Christmas Day, 1881.

In December 1882, some parts of the parish were moved to a different church, Holy Ascension, Upton. This changed the parish boundaries.

The church was named St. Thomas because there was an older chapel dedicated to St. Thomas Becket nearby. This old chapel was built around 1200. It was later used as a private house and then possibly a barn. Today, a pub called The George & Dragon stands on that spot.

The church was built between 1869 and 1872 by a famous architect, Sir George Gilbert Scott. It had a main area (nave), a special area for the altar (chancel), and side aisles. When it became the main parish church in 1881, it was made bigger by J. O. Scott, Sir George's son. They planned to add more sections, a tower, and a spire, but some parts were never finished. They also added new seating, a pulpit, and stained glass windows. In 1909, a beautiful carved screen (reredos) was added behind the main altar.

Ground plan for the church's expansion, designed by John Scott

When St. Thomas's opened as the parish church in 1881, many people attended. In 1895, a smaller "mission church" called the Good Shepherd was opened in another part of the parish. This church helped serve the growing community. It also housed an infant school. However, services there stopped in 1919, and the building closed in the mid-1960s. The school also closed in 1921 because it needed repairs.

From 1909 to 1948, Vicar H. E. Burder introduced a style of worship called Anglo-Catholic, which included daily services and sung celebrations. This tradition continues today. In 1967, St. Oswald's parish joined with another parish, Little St. John, to form a united parish. However, Little St. John's church stopped being used for services in 1969.

In 1972, the name "St. Oswald's Parish" was lost when all the churches in Chester joined together into one "Chester Team Parish." But on March 1, 2005, the Team Parish was split into two new parishes. The church's parish is now called Saint Oswald and Saint Thomas of Canterbury, bringing back the old patron saint's name.

The old vicarage (where the vicar lived) was built in 1880. Today, it's part of the University of Chester.

The Church Today

The church still follows the Anglo-Catholic traditions it was built upon. This means it has a special way of worship that includes beautiful ceremonies and music.

The church council has a mission statement that guides their work:

• Welcome everyone.
• Share God's love.
• Teach, baptize, and help people grow in faith.
• Help people in need with loving service.
• Celebrate through beautiful words, sacraments, and music.

The church also has strong connections with the local school that shares its name. Services are held regularly, including a special service called High Mass on Sundays. There's also an annual Eucharistic Festival, usually in July. The church celebrates its patron saint's day on December 29.

Groups and Activities

St. Thomas's has many groups that help support the church and bring people together. You can join one or more of these groups if you like:

• Sunday School (for younger children)
• Youth Group
• Young Adults Group
• Choir (for singing)
• Mothers Union
• Association of Christian Fellowship
• Social Group
• Our Lady of Walsingham Cell (a special prayer group)
• Servers Guild (helps with church services)

Church Design and Materials

A view of St. Thomas's Church

The church is built from red sandstone from Runcorn and has a roof made of Westmorland slate. It's designed in the Gothic Revival style by Gilbert Scott. Some parts of the church, like the tower and spire, were never fully finished. The tower has a space for bells but no bell chamber or spire. Also, some of the decorative stone work around the windows and columns is incomplete. It's thought that the walls and ceiling were meant to be plastered, but this was also left undone.

The church has a main area (nave) with five sections, a north aisle, and a tower at the end of the south aisle. The area around the altar (chancel) is raised with steps. There's also a special area called the Lady Chapel at the end of the north aisle, which is also raised.

Special Features of the Church

The church has two beautifully carved screens (reredoses) made by Deacon. One is in the Lady Chapel (added in 1913) and the other is in the main sanctuary (added in 1909).

The Lady Chapel reredos shows the Madonna and Child (Mary and Jesus). It has a Latin inscription that means "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God." The Lady Chapel Altar has three carved pictures: a pelican feeding its chicks, a Lamb holding a shepherd's staff, and an Eagle in flight. Around the bottom of the altar, it says, "I believe in the Communion of Saints." This reredos and a carved cover for the font were given as memorials to loved ones.

The reredos in the Sanctuary, installed in 1909, was designed by Charles Deacon. It shows the Instruments of the Passion, which are symbols related to Jesus's suffering. On top of it are four statues of archangels: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel. The wooden main altar has three painted pictures: the Annunciation (when Mary was told she would have Jesus), the Nativity (Jesus's birth), and the Visitation (Mary visiting Elizabeth).

The large window at the west end of the church was made by Kempe in 1885. The baptismal font (where baptisms happen) used to have a magnificent suspended cover, but it fell down in 1980. Also at the west end, there's a Sacristy (a room for clergy) and a choir vestry (a room for the choir).

In the south aisle, there's an altar dedicated to St. Oswald and St. Thomas. It has a special three-part painting (Triptych) of these saints, dedicated in 2005 to Irene Waller. There's also a wooden desk with a book listing the names of people who have passed away.

The tower clock was put in as a thank you gift in 1913 by John and Almeida Latham for the birth of their daughter, Beatrice Mary. The clock was made by J.B. Joyce and Co.

The Triptych of St. Oswald and St. Thomas of Canterbury

The church bell has an inscription that mentions St. Oswald. This bell has a long history, having been in different churches before coming to St. Thomas's.

Organ

The church has a modern three-manual digital organ that was installed in 1996. The first organ was built in Chester. It was later rebuilt and replaced several times. The current organ provides music for services.

J.T Dean, a former organist at St. Thomas's Church

Vicars of St. Oswald's Parish

Here is a list of the vicars who have served the parish of St. Oswald over many centuries:

Church School

A new school, called the National School, began to be built in Parkgate Road in 1871. This was around the same time the church was built. The school opened its doors on March 25, 1873, for young boys and girls.

During World War II, children from Liverpool who were moved away from the city shared the school building with local children. Over the years, the school changed. Since 1984, it has been a junior school.

The Chester Blue Coat Trustees help fund the school, especially with building costs. The school closed in July 2011. A new church school, Chester Blue Coat CE Primary School, opened in its place in September 2011.

Roll of Honour: World Wars

This table lists the names of those from the parish who served and died in the World Wars.

Church Records

Church records like christenings and marriages are kept in different places. Some are at the Cheshire Record Office, and newer ones are at the church itself. Copies are also available on microfilm for people researching family history.

• Original Registers
  • Cheshire Record Office (P 29)
    • Christenings 1872–1948
    • Marriages 1877–1969
  • Church
    • Christenings from 1949
    • Marriages from 1969
    • Burials — none

• Microfilm Copies
  • Cheshire Record Office - Christenings 1872–1945 ; Marriages 1877–1969
  • Manchester Archives & Local Studies and Family History Society of Cheshire - Christenings 1872–1945 ; Marriages 1877–1931

• Copies and Indexes
  • Marriages 1877–1958 — Cheshire BMD (CW:CE15)

See also

• List of new churches by George Gilbert Scott in Northern England
• Grade II listed buildings in Chester (north and west)