St George's Church, Altrincham
Encyclopedia
St George's Church, Altrincham is in the town of Altrincham
, Greater Manchester
, England . The church is a Grade II listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church
in the diocese of Chester
, the archdeaconry of Macclesfield and the deanery of Bowdon.
to St Mary's Church, Bowdon
in 1799. The tower and spire date from 1874 and the chancel from 1886. In 1896–97 the Lancaster
architects Paley and Austin rebuilt the nave.
The History of the Parish Church of St George's, Altrincham
has its roots within the Wesleyan Movement. John Wesley
, the founder of Methodism
, made his first visit to the town in 1738. He was then a young man of 35. He returned several times, his last visit being on Easter Monday
, 1790, only one year before his death.His purpose on that occasion was to preach at the first Wesleyan chapel in the town in Chapel Walk - later to become Regent Road.
A man named Oswald Leicester (later to become Snr. Not to be confused with Oswald Leicester Jnr.) was a successful grocer in the time when Grocers were becoming rich off exotic foods from Colonies
His Third son was born in 1761 and baptised on the 17th of September 1761. He was named Oswald Leicester Jnr. or as St George's Altrincham would have called "The Founding Father of St George's Altrincham".
who had founded the first Sunday School in 1780. It is very likely that both Leicesters were influenced by Wesley's
teachings.
There is no evidence, however, that the Sunday School was supported by the Wesleyans. It must be regarded as an independent act of zeal and faith by the Leicesters. In doing so Oswald Leicester laid the for the rest of his life. It was to lead to the building of the Parish Church of Altrincham.
spire and clay tile roofs. Its plan consists of a west tower and porch, a nave
with a clerestory
, north and south six-bay
aisle
s which continue alongside the tower, and a polygonal chancel
with a vestry
and chapel. The tower is in three stages with corbel
led eaves. The east window has three lights above which is a rose window
. The other windows have semicircular heads.
who died in 1831. Also in the church are two painted churchwarden
s' staves dated 1838. The stained glass windows in the chancel dating from 1895 were designed by Mary Lowndes, the first woman glazier
in the Arts and Crafts movement
and a leading figure in the suffragette
movement. The two-manual
organ is in the west gallery. It was built in 1977 by Wood Wordsworth & Co. of Leeds
, using the case, some pipework and other items from Bridge End Chapel, Brighouse
.
Altrincham
Altrincham is a market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on flat ground south of the River Mersey about southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Sale and east of Warrington...
, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England . The church is a Grade II listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in the diocese of Chester
Diocese of Chester
The Diocese of Chester is a Church of England diocese in the Province of York based in Chester, covering the county of Cheshire in its pre-1974 boundaries...
, the archdeaconry of Macclesfield and the deanery of Bowdon.
History
The original church was built as a chapel of easeChapel of ease
A chapel of ease is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently....
to St Mary's Church, Bowdon
Church of St Mary the Virgin, Bowdon
The Church of St Mary the Virgin, Bowdon is in the village of Bowdon near Altrincham, Greater Manchester, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building...
in 1799. The tower and spire date from 1874 and the chancel from 1886. In 1896–97 the Lancaster
Lancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the River Lune and has a population of 45,952. Lancaster is a constituent settlement of the wider City of Lancaster, local government district which has a population of 133,914 and encompasses several outlying towns, including...
architects Paley and Austin rebuilt the nave.
The History of the Parish Church of St George's, Altrincham
Altrincham
Altrincham is a market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on flat ground south of the River Mersey about southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Sale and east of Warrington...
has its roots within the Wesleyan Movement. John Wesley
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
, the founder of Methodism
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
, made his first visit to the town in 1738. He was then a young man of 35. He returned several times, his last visit being on Easter Monday
Easter Monday
Easter Monday is the day after Easter Sunday and is celebrated as a holiday in some largely Christian cultures, especially Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox cultures...
, 1790, only one year before his death.His purpose on that occasion was to preach at the first Wesleyan chapel in the town in Chapel Walk - later to become Regent Road.
A man named Oswald Leicester (later to become Snr. Not to be confused with Oswald Leicester Jnr.) was a successful grocer in the time when Grocers were becoming rich off exotic foods from Colonies
His Third son was born in 1761 and baptised on the 17th of September 1761. He was named Oswald Leicester Jnr. or as St George's Altrincham would have called "The Founding Father of St George's Altrincham".
The First Sunday School
In 1783 the young Oswald Leicester, then only 22, formed a Sunday School in Altrincham; renting the upper room of a cottage in Ashley Road, Altrincham, then known as Thorley Moor Lane. There, on Sundays, children climbed the stone outer flight to learn to read and write, to hear Bible stories. He had closely followed the example of Robert RaikesRobert Raikes
Robert Raikes was an English philanthropist and Anglican layman, noted for his promotion of Sunday schools...
who had founded the first Sunday School in 1780. It is very likely that both Leicesters were influenced by Wesley's
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
teachings.
There is no evidence, however, that the Sunday School was supported by the Wesleyans. It must be regarded as an independent act of zeal and faith by the Leicesters. In doing so Oswald Leicester laid the for the rest of his life. It was to lead to the building of the Parish Church of Altrincham.
Exterior
The church is constructed in red brick with terracotta dressings. It has a slateSlate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
spire and clay tile roofs. Its plan consists of a west tower and porch, a nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
with a clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
, north and south six-bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
aisle
Aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
s which continue alongside the tower, and a polygonal chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
with a vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
and chapel. The tower is in three stages with corbel
Corbel
In architecture a corbel is a piece of stone jutting out of a wall to carry any superincumbent weight. A piece of timber projecting in the same way was called a "tassel" or a "bragger". The technique of corbelling, where rows of corbels deeply keyed inside a wall support a projecting wall or...
led eaves. The east window has three lights above which is a rose window
Rose window
A Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in churches of the Gothic architectural style and being divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery...
. The other windows have semicircular heads.
Interior
In the chancel is a memorial to Rev. O. Leicester, the church's first curate-in-chargeCurate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
who died in 1831. Also in the church are two painted churchwarden
Churchwarden
A churchwarden is a lay official in a parish church or congregation of the Anglican Communion, usually working as a part-time volunteer. Holders of these positions are ex officio members of the parish board, usually called a vestry, parish council, parochial church council, or in the case of a...
s' staves dated 1838. The stained glass windows in the chancel dating from 1895 were designed by Mary Lowndes, the first woman glazier
Glazier
A Glazier is a construction professional who selects, cuts, installs, replaces, and removes residential, commercial, and artistic glass. Glaziers also install aluminum storefront frames and entrances, glass handrails and balustrades, shower enclosures, curtain wall framing and glass and mirror...
in the Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
and a leading figure in the suffragette
Suffragette
"Suffragette" is a term coined by the Daily Mail newspaper as a derogatory label for members of the late 19th and early 20th century movement for women's suffrage in the United Kingdom, in particular members of the Women's Social and Political Union...
movement. The two-manual
Manual (music)
A manual is a keyboard designed to be played with the hands on a pipe organ, harpsichord, clavichord, electronic organ, or synthesizer. The term "manual" is used with regard to any hand keyboard on these instruments to distinguish it from the pedalboard, which is a keyboard that the organist plays...
organ is in the west gallery. It was built in 1977 by Wood Wordsworth & Co. of Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, using the case, some pipework and other items from Bridge End Chapel, Brighouse
Brighouse
Brighouse is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, in West Yorkshire, England. It is situated on the River Calder, east of Halifax in the Pennines. It is served by Junction 25 of the M62 motorway and Brighouse railway station on the Caldervale Line and Huddersfield Line. In the...
.
Incumbents
| Years Active | Name |
|---|---|
| 1799–1831 | Revd Oswald Leicester |
| 1831–1834 | Revd George Ranking |
| 1834–1843 | Revd Wilmot Cave Browne Cave |
| 1843–1856 | Revd Dr Francis Orton DCL |
| 1856–1859 | Revd John B.Honnywill |
| 1859–1868 | Revd George London |
| Vicars of the Parish Church since | 1868 |
| 1868–1893 | Revd George London |
| 1893–1902 | Revd William Maurice Bonner Lutener |
| 1902–1914 | Revd Ernest Robert Tarbuck, BA |
| 1914–1925 | Revd Ernest Scales Oliver |
| 1925–1944 | Revd William Henry Farnes Palin LTh Honorary Canon of Chester Cathedral |
| 1944–1963 | Revd Oscar Littler, LTh, Hon CF |
| 1963–1976 | Revd Michael Henshall, BA, Honorary Canon of Chester Cathedral |
| 1976–1990 | Revd Roger Kearten Faulkner, Honorary Canon of Chester Cathedral |
| 1990–2006 | Revd Brian Roy McConnell Dip The Honorary Canon of Chester Cathedral Rural. Dean of Bowdon Deanery. Residentiary Canon warden at Carlisle Cathedral (Present Position) |
| 2006–Present Day | Revd Edmund Betts |