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ST.
THOMAS à BECKET AND ST.
THOMAS THE APOSTLE
HEPTONSTALL
photo kindly sent in by Des Brady
In
the ancient hilltop weaving village of Heptonstall, overlooking
Hebden Bridge, stand two churches, both in the same churchyard,
one in ruins and the other one still very much in use. There
are only a handful of Churches in England that can boast of
having two churches built in the same grounds, and one of
them is Westminster Abbey. It would seem that Heptonstall
is in good company and indeed, has the advantage of a far
pleasanter outlook than that of Westminster Abbey.
The
Church of St John the Baptist in Halifax was built around
1095. It was meant to provide for the whole Parish, which
was the largest in England at 150 square miles. It must
be 12 miles or more from Todmorden to Halifax
and some parts of the Parish would be further away. It
was the only place to have your child baptised, to marry
and be buried, to say nothing of regular worship. Hardly
surprising that children went unbaptised and marriages
happened in the market place, ( the "brush" marriage).
The original Chapel at Heptonstall was the first built
to alleviate this problem, as a chapel of ease to the
Parish Church of Halifax. It served the five townships
of Heptonstall, Erringden, Langfield, Stansfield and Wadsworth.
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The
chapel was erected between 1256 and 1260 and was
dedicated to Thomas a Becket who was murdered in
1170, became a saint in 1173, and was a popular
symbol of resistance to state authority. It had
a chancel, a south nave, which is still standing,
and a tower. Much re-furbishment occurred in the
14th and 15th centuries and eventually there were
two naves, two aisles and two chantry chapels as
well as a tower. It would have been a built quite
low, so as to avoid the worst elements that the
Pennine weather can produce. |
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In
1440 William del Bryge of Heptonstall left 10 marks for
bells to be made.
Still
to be seen is the tower, which was heightened by adding a
new bell stage in the 15th century, built upon the 13th century
base, and an original stair turret.
Just
before the Reformation in the mid 16th century a huge development
took place and the floor area was almost doubled and a three-decked
pulpit was positioned to serve the two naves.
During
the Civil War, Heptonstall was a Parliamentarian village and
when the Royalists
set up their guns ready for attack, the church was covered
in sheepskins to protect it from cannonballs.
The
17th and 18th centuries continued to see the population of
the area grow and with it the congregation also grew in numbers.
To accommodate the people, new galleries were built and in
1617 North and South Lofts were erected.
The
church didn't rate very high in John Wesley's opinion, for
he had preached here on several occasions and he is noted
as saying in 1786, "it is the ugliest Church I know". He mustn't have noticed the beautiful view, which alone could
make up for any man made ugliness, if indeed it was as ugly
as he said. It now seems a very romantic and impressive place
but maybe that is due to the nature of the ruin, the gravestones,
and the preserved village setting. I have the feeling that
it was by this time tolerated by the locals rather than loved
and there was little concern for it's state of disrepair.
After all the whole area was a hotbed of non conformity.
The
19th century began and the church could seat 815 on the ground
floor and 300 in the galleries. It must have been a sight
to see it packed with parishioners, the vicar in full voice
and then the huge congregation joining together in one voice
to sing praises to the Lord. |
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By
now the fabric of the old building had begun to deteriorate
and in 1847 a great storm destroyed the West face of
the tower and plans were made to replace the whole structure.
This plan was scrapped in favour of building a new church,
and the old church continued to be used until 1854 when
the new one was finally finished. |
Before
the storm
(click
picture to enlarge) |
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The
ruined church above the village of Heptonstall in the
1800's
(click
picture to enlarge) |
One
startling discovery was made after the storm, when the
fossilised remains of a cat was found in the rafters.
It was thought to be thousands of years old and caused
such a commotion and to do that it was taken to the
Cross Inn and displayed in a glass case. It stayed there
for many years but disappeared in 1958 in mysterious
circumstances. |
In
1868 further demolition to the old church took place,
this time man was responsible, not the elements. As
the historian John Travis was walking around on one
of his journeys, he noted that the slates had been
removed and men were busy taking down the oak roof.
It was then taken to a foundry in Hebden Bridge, where
it was sold off for firewood. It
is a question of morality as to the correctness of
selling something that has been dedicated to God.
As is usual, money wins over morals.
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The
new church was built by subscription at a cost of £6.600,
in the Victorian Gothic style. The building was made
from local stone, which was taken from the nearby quarry
at Hell Hole. The foundation stone was laid on the 15th
May 1850 and the church was completed by 1854. The Rt.
Rev. Dr. Longley, the Bishop of Ripon, consecrated it
on 26th October 1854 and it was dedicated to St. Thomas
the Apostle. |
The
font from the old church was removed to the new one
and is still in use. A remarkable and unusual eleven-sided
one, lined with lead and given a new cover, which is
appropriate in design and in keeping with the décor
of the new church. |
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The
arms over the door of the church are the royal coat-of-arms
of King George III (1760-1820) and were also taken from the
old church.
Also
preserved from the old church are an oak table, an oak chair
dated 1690, and a long settle.
Looking
at the clock in the tower, you will be seeing the one that
was once in the now ruined church from 1809 until 1854, at
which date it began a new lease of life as timekeeper in the
new church, without having to move very far. It was made nearby
Sowerby Bridge.
The
church, being built where it was, open to all the elements, made
it inevitable that sooner or later nature would play a part
in the story and on the 5th April 1875 it was struck by
lightening, which caused the south west pinnacle to come
crashing down onto graves below. The roof was badly damaged
along with the tombstones. Money was raised by public subscription
to pay for the repairs which cost £200.
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The
pinnacle now rests by the side of the church and is
inscribed:
This
pinnacle was struck down by lightening from the south
west corner of this tower on
April
5th A.D. 1875 |
The
interior of the church was constructed in the early 1960's
from money made available by the legacy of Mr. Abraham Gibson
who had died in 1956. The original Victorian interior was
badly affected by dry rot, so Mr. Gibson's contribution
was much welcomed. It
is a very non-traditional interior, being an adaptation
of a traditional medieval style converted into a 20th century
plan. |
A
surprising find at the tower end of the church is
a copy of Leonardo da Vinci's "Last Supper". The original
of it is still to be seen in Milan and it is an amazing
story of how this copy came to be hanging in a church,
in a village high in the Pennines, so many miles away
from Italy. |
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Gringaschi
painted the copy for the Italian government in 1905. They
wanted one as the original was beginning to fade and lose
some of its beautiful colour, and the wall on which it was
painted was shelling. They wanted people to be able to see
both the copy and the original and so be able to view the
full beauty of Leonardo's fresco, as it had first appeared,
so they hung them side-by-side. In
1906, a wealthy Hebden Bridge man by the name of John Sutcliffe
bought it for a large sum of money. This was only after
special permission had been given by the Italian government
for the sale to take place. It
was bequeathed to the church by one of the late Mr. Sutcliffe's
relations.
Calling
people to church by the ringing of bells has echoed over
the hills and valleys from Heptonstall church for over 500
years. Additions to the earlier bells of 1440 were six dated
1742 and 1748, and were transferred to the new church. They
were recast in 1911 with the addition of two new bells to
make a full peal of eight. They weigh in total over four
tons. The
framework, in which they are housed, is regarded as one
of the finest in the country.
The
old church is still there, in ruins, and a memorial to times
past. Times that we know little about, except from old manuscripts
and the like. Would that we could tap into it's walls and
perhaps hear again the congregations from long ago, singing
and praying, being married, buried and baptised.
Data
from the registers of St. Thomas' Chapels can be purchased
as follows:
Microfiche
of the original registers
baptisms
1599 - 1904
marriages
1594 - 1837
burials
1594 - 1898
banns
1754 - 1959
from
the West Yorkshire Archives at
www.archives.wyjs.org.uk
Transcriptions
of the registers in various volumes by Douglas Wilson to
be found at the Tourist Information Office in Todmorden
Burial
Ground
The
graveyard, which surrounds the two churches, is large and
is said to hold over 10,000 bodies. One indication of how
crowded it is is seen by the re-use of gravestones. There
are inscriptions on both sides of some of the stones with
one set of inscriptions face downwards. Only Halifax and
Heptonstall could be used for burials until the 17th century.
The earliest dated stone is 1501, but burials have taken
place here since the 1200's, and many of the memorials are
in Latin.
David
Hartley of Cragg Vale Coiners notoriety is buried here.
He was hanged on 8th April 1770. The
fascinating story of the Coiners can be read in "Clip a
Bright Guinea" by John Marsh. |
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David
Hartley 1770
WH1789
Here
was interred the Body of Grace Hartley
of Lodge in
Erringden
who
departed this life Sept. 2nd 1802
in
the 61 year of her age.
Also
of David Hartley her grandson
who
departed this life Feby 23rd 1845
aged 25 years.
Also
of David Hartley his father who died Feby 27th 1847
aged 81 years
Also
Prudence Hartley
who
died June 1st. 1883 in her 86th year |
In
1911, Gamiel Sutcliffe donated land for a new graveyard
and as a result, the old one closed in 1915.
Below
is a selection of graves and memorial inscriptions from
the burial ground |
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In loving memory of Abraham ROBERTSHAW,
Bacup Road Todmorden
Who died Sept 1st 1903 aged 54 years
Also of 4 infants
Also of Grace his wife
Who died Novr 18th 1906 aged 59 years
Also of James their son
Who died October 2nd 1919 aged 51 years.
Also of John CRABTREE of Bacup Road
Died Novr 15th 1945 aged 59 years
Also of Sarah wife of the above
Who died July 11th 1955 aged 69 years. |
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In memory of Elizabeth,
daughter of Thomas & Grace GREENWOOD of Todmorden
Who died June 5th 1860 aged 15 years
Also of Emma GREENWOOD their daughter
Who died Jan 27th 1872 aged 22 years
Also of Thomas GREENWOOD their father
Who died March 25th 1880 aged 64 years
Also of Grace, relict of the above Thomas GREENWOOD
Who died Nov 18th 1892 aged 75 years. |
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In
Loving Memory of Thomas SLATER of Heptonstall
who
died Decr 27th 1909 aged 65 years.
Also
Sarah Ann his wife who died Jan 31st 1925 aged 77
years.
Also of Ada SHARP niece of the above
who died Feby 14th 1951 aged 77 years. |
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B.A.
1772
J.A.1772
Thomas
ACKROYD 1822 aged 66
Also
of Sally Akroyd his wife who died Octr 11 th 1836
aged 81 years.
Also
of Sally Akroyd their daughter
who
died November 4th 1875 aged 80 years
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In
memory of Absalam STOTT of Burntacres Woodbottom
who
died Nov 2nd 1880 aged 65 years.
Also
of Amy Stott his mother who died Feby 3 rd 1826 aged
41 years.
Also
of John Stott her husband who died Jany 18 th 1840
aged 57 years. Also of John who died in infancy. |
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In
memory of Betty wife of Thomas BOLTON of this town
who
died Dec 19th 1856 aged 69 years.
Also
of the above named Thomas Bolton
who
died Novr 26 th 1865 in
the
77th year of his age. |
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In
Loving Memory of Mary Hannah wife of George MASTERS
Heptonstall
who died April 13th 1899 aged 22 years.
Also
of the above George Masters who died Jany 9 th 1959
aged 64 years. Also of Edith their daughter who died
June 18th 1958 aged 60 years.
Also
of Marzilla his wife who died Jany 19th 1961 aged
81 years. |
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Here
lieth the body of John UTTLEY who died Nov? ?? 1833
aged 90 years.
Also
of Jonas Uttley of Walsden who died Jan 7th 1890 aged
73 years
"Thy
Will Be Done"
Also
of Elizabeth, relict of the above Jonas UTTLEY
who
died Sept 1st. 1900 in her 82nd year.
"At Rest" |
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In
affectionate remembrance of James CRABTREE of Castle
Street Todmorden
who
died July 22 nd 1870 aged 29 years
Also
of Elizabeth relict of the above who died May 16 th
1914 aged 76 years
"At
Rest"
To
my loved one far away
Private
Sam BARKER 2nd . South Staffs Regt. Son-in-Law of
the above
born June
26 th 1883 Killed
in action November 30th 1917
He
nobly did his duty
Also
of Sarah Ellen Barker wife of the above who
died February 17th 1942 aged 74 |
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In
memory of Mary wife of John HAIGH of Nut Clough Wadsworth
Who
died July 19th 1865 aged 56 years
Also
of Susannah Haigh their daughter Who
died Feb 13th 1873 aged 37 years
Also
of the aforesaid John Haigh who died Nov. 17th 1880
aged 74 years
Also
of Mary wife of John Haigh jnr. of Heptonstall
who died Feb 17th 1904 aged 65 years
Also
of John Haigh jnr. of Heptonstall who died Feb 15th
1918 aged 78 years
R.I.P . |
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In
Loving Memory of Jane wife of John VARLEY of Cornholme
Who
died May 14th 1891 aged 48 years
Also
of Sarah Ann their daughter who died April 30th 1891
aged 18 years
Also
of the above John VARLEY who died July 14th 1911 in
his 70th year
Also
Alexander WILD son in law of the above died
March 25th 1945 aged 72
Also
of Betsy his wife died July 17th (unreadable) aged
22 years
Also
of Herbert WILD son of Alexander and Betsy
died
October 24th 1982 aged 71 years |
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In
Affectionate Remembrance of Samuel CHATBURN
Of
South Hollingworth Walsden
Born
March 13th 1853 Died
May 27th 1883 |
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Hartley
the infant son of H and M.E. HOLLINRAKE born Novr 7th 1904
died Novr 12th 1904.
Hartley
the dearly beloved husband of Mary Ellen HOLLINRAKE
born
Sept 28th 1869 died March 29th 1932.
Also
of the above Mary Ellen HOLLINRAKE born Jany 9th 1868 died
Sept 29th 1956.
James
HOLLINRAKE Lance Corpl. 7th Lincolnshire Regt. Aged 22 years.
Dearly loved son of Jonas and Margaret HOLLINRAKE Church
St., Heptonstall.
Died
of wounds Sept. 4th 1916. Buried at the British Cemetery
Warlincourt Halte, France.
Other
side of memorial
Also
the aforesaid Margaret HOLLINRAKE who fell on sleep December
13th 1926 in her 68th year.
Also
of Ada daughter of the above who died March 1st 1946 aged
57 years.
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