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Christ Church, Skipton

THE NINETEENTH CENTURY
The corner of Cross Street, where Christ Church now stands, was the site of an ancient cross, marking the edge of Skipton. It seemed the appropriate place to build a new church, when in the 1830's Holy Trinity was unable to provide enough accommodation for the growing population wishing to attend church. The Duke of Thanet gave the land for the building, and Christ Church College Oxford gave land, the income from which would endow the living. The Incorporated Society gave £350 on condition that 360 places should be free for ever in the new church. Further money was raised by subscription, the largest donation coming from Christopher Sidgwick who had first had the idea of a new church for the working people of the town.

THE LAYING OF THE FOUNDATION STONE
It was a beautifully fine day on June 21st 1837 when Prebendary Hammond Roberson laid the first foundation stone to be laid in Craven for 300 years. An addition to the service sheet kept in the Church Journal says that during the singing of the National Anthem, news came through that King William had died, and that Queen Victoria had ascended the throne, and that the last refrain was changed to 'God save our gracious Queen.'

THE CHURCH'S CONSECRATION
The church was consecrated two years later by the Bishop of Ripon on September 25th. 1839. From the beginning, the church was an object of interest, in that under the guidance of hristopher Sidgwick, who had been influenced by the Tractarians, an attempt was made to restore what was seen by them to be the 'old order'. The architect, Mr. R.D. Chantrell, had designed a church in the Gothic style. The chancel was raised from the nave by four steps, at the top of which, and facing East, was a fixed fald stool from which were said the offices of Morning and Evening Prayer. A pulpit and lectern occupied the right and left sides of the chancel arch, and there was a Prayer Desk facing the congregation at the foot of the steps. The font was placed under the tower, and was of a design which went with the rest of the church. The crypt under the church, along with the churchyard, was to be used for burials, though only one interment took place in the crypt.

THE CREATION OF THE PARISH
In 1840 the church was given an Ecclesiastical District by the Queen in Council, the boundaries of which have never been changed, and in 1860 the district became a separate Parish.

SOME CHANGES TAKE PLACE
Perhaps it was the embarrassment of late arrivers, entering from the East end of the church in the face of the congregation, which caused designs to be drawn up for a Western entrance under the tower. These were executed by a pupil of the original architect. As well as the West doorway the Western access was improved and the font canopy rehung.

THE BRASS LECTERN
The Sidgwick family presented the brass lectern to the church in 1884 in memory of the founder Christopher Sidgwick. In the same year all seating in the church became free when the doors were removed from the pews, with the exception of those at the back of the church used by the churchwardens.

THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
The next major alterations to the church were made in 1905. The two doors in the North and South walls of the chancel were blocked up and replaced by a small door in the South wall leading to the clergy vestry. The existing choir stalls were removed and replaced by those we see in the chancel today, along with the richly carved panelling. This is worth close study, as no two swags are the same, though the subjects may be. The High Altar was encased in oak to match the choir stalls, and the floor was laid in Sicilian marble in black and white. The wooden pulpit was replaced by one in multi-coloured marble and alabaster, standing on tall columns. It was a controversial addition at the time. The church was also completely redecorated, under the guidance of Messrs. Brommett and Thorman of Tadcaster. Mr. Thorman was the brother of the incumbent of Christ Church. The organ and its case at the West end of the church were part of this refurbishment.

THE CHANGES CONTINUE
Twenty years later more refurbishments were carried out, this time under the guidance of Sir Charles Nicholson. Space was made for a Lady Chapel in the area between the iron gates on the South side of the church the clergy vestry. The ceiling of the chancel and of the Lady Chapel were painted in the colours we see today. Electric light was installed at the same time. All this was made possible by two benefactions, one anonymous, the other in memory of Mr. Christopher Smith. To mark the centenary of the church a new East window was to have been installed, however the impending war meant that it had to be stored in the crypt until 1945. The hanging crucifix presented by the Girls' Friendly Society to mark both their Jubilee in 1937 and the centenary, was installed and added much to the beauty of the church. In 1951 a new altar and reredos designed by Messrs. Thompson of Kilburn were given in memory of James Masters, a churchwarden, and Arland Slater. When the altar was moved from the East wall in 1981 to suit new liturgical developments the old stone altar was found under the wooden one. This had to be dismantled, and only the stone mensa remains in the crypt. In the same year the Church Hall was added to the South side of the building, and the Lady Chapel dismantled. The last major alterations to Christ Church took place in 1986 when the marble pulpit was removed, and the screen, nave altar and platform, together with new altar rails and choir stalls, were installed. All this had made the church building more versatile, and kept up the tradition of innovation begun over 150 years ago. The area under the tower was also refurbished at this time.

STAINED GLASS WINDOWS
It seems that the windows of Christ Church were at first plain glass, but they have from time to time been replaced. In 1884 the six side windows in the chancel were replaced by coloured glass, and in 1846 an East window of mosaic glass was fitted, and this remained until the present centenary window was placed in the church in 1945. The three stained glass windows in the North wall are in memory of the Watson family. Two were placed there by the trustees of the Revd. A.E.Watson, one time curate of Christ Church and later chaplain to the English Church at Saint Petersberg. They are in thanksgiving for his five short years of marriage. The other window was placed there by his sister in memory of another family member. In the South wall is a window placed there in 1865, designed by Burlinson and Grylls, it was the first in a series depicting the twelve apostles, but the remainder were never added. In the passage between the church and the hall is the window originally in the Lady Chapel.

THE ORGAN
originally music in Christ Church was provided by a barrel organ loaned by Christopher Sidgwick. Apparently choir boys used to play tricks on the congregation by changing the order of the discs so that the wrong tune was played. At some point Mr. Sidgwick took his organ back, perhaps in 1872, when Hymns Ancient and Modern, which he did not like, replaced his favourite Metrical Psalms by Sterndale and Hopkins. A harmonium was purchased, but was not powerful enough, so in 1880 an organ built by Mr. Lambert of Skipton was purchased. This instrument remained in use until the present organ, built by Messrs. Harrison and Harrison of Durham, was purchased in 1905. This organ had the latest Electro-magnetic mechanism. Because of lack of space in the chancel, the organ was built in the area under the bower, connected by 8¼ miles of wiring to the console at the front of the church. The organ was blown by a water driven engine, which in 1908 was replaced by a gas driven engine, water power being too expensive. The gas engine did some damage to the organ, and was itself replaced by another water powered engine in 1919. In 1928 an electric motor was fitted. While the organ console has three manuals, only two were set, and the hope of setting the third was never fulfilled. There are 1528 pipes of which 1343 are of metal and 135 of wood. The organ was tuned to the French 'C'=517 vibrations at 60° F.

EDWIN CALVERT
Buried at the South-eastern corner of the.church is Edwin Calvert, known as the 'Commander on Chief'.
He was under 36 inches (100 cms) tall, and weighed 25½ pounds (12 Kgs) and was the 'smallest most. perfect man in the world'. He died 'lamented and deeply regretted by all who knew him', aged 17 on August 7th, 1859

Information from "A Short History of Christ Church Skipton"
Frances E.Peers M.A.

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