St James' Church, Stretham

St James' Church, Stretham, is an active Anglican church in the village of Stretham, Cambridgeshire, England. Founded in the 12th century, it was heavily restored by the architect J. P. St Aubyn in 1876. English Heritage, a body responsible for preserving historical sites in the United Kingdom, assessed the church a Grade II* listed building. The turret clock on the east face of the tower was also made in 1876, by JB Joyce & Co of Whitchurch, Shropshire, and still keeps good time. The church has a ring of six bells hung for change ringing. Regular ringing resumed at the church in June 2011 after several years' silence. St James' is one of eight churches in the Ely Team Ministry.

St James'
St James' Church, Stretham
North-west view from High Street. Single clock face can be seen on east face of tower
Map of Cambridgeshire England showing location of St James' Church at Stretham
Map of Cambridgeshire England showing location of St James' Church at Stretham
St James'
Location in Cambridgesire
52.35°N 0.22°E / 52.35; 0.22
OS grid referenceTL 513 747
LocationStretham, Cambridgeshire
CountryEngland
DenominationChurch of England
ChurchmanshipEvangelical
WebsiteSt James' Church, Stretham
History
Foundedc. 12th century
DedicationSaint James
EventsExtensive rebuilding 1868[1]
Severe restoration 1876[2]
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Heritage designationGrade II*
Designated5 February 1952
Architect(s)J P St Aubyn[1]
Architectural typeChurch
StyleGothic
Specifications
Capacity312[nb 1]
Length28 metres (92 ft)
Width13 metres (43 ft)
Nave width5.5 metres (18 ft)
Number of spires1
MaterialsMainly rag and Barnack stone;[3] crested ridge tiled roof[1]
Administration
ProvinceProvince of Canterbury
DioceseDiocese of Ely
ParishStretham
Clergy
Bishop(s)Bishop of Ely
Vicar(s)Rev. Natalie Andrews
Laity
Churchwarden(s)Robert Leeke
Tim Hill

History
Plan view showing arrangement of windows and columns[nb 2]

St James' Church stands in the centre of the small village of Stretham, which has a population of 1,685.[nb 3] The village lies 6 kilometres (4 mi) south-south-west of Ely in Cambridgeshire, England, about 119 kilometres (74 mi) by road from London. The earliest written record of this still active church is in the Liber Eliensis, a 12th-century history of the Isle of Ely. In 1137,[7] during Bishop Nigel's (c. 1100–1169) time, Anglo-Saxon conspirators were said to have met in Stretham church.[8] Fragments of the east chancel are known to be from about the 12th century, corroborating the record of the church's existence in that period.[2]

Lancelot Ridley (d. 1576),[9] appointed one of the first Six Preachers of Canterbury Cathedral in 1541[10] and a rector of Stretham from 1560, was buried in the parish.[11] Mark Ridley (1560–1624), one of Lancelot's sons, became the physician to the Tsar of Russia.[12]

In 1751, Francis Blomefield, in his Collectanea Cantabrigiensia, recorded St James' as having a square tower, with four bells and a clock. The north aisle was leaded and there was a chantry chapel at the east end with a screen. He concludes this to be the Chancel of the Resurrection. At this time, the south aisle, nave and chancel were also recorded as leaded.[13]

The church was restored very heavily in 1876[2] by the architect J. P. St Aubyn[1][5] at a cost of £4,400[14] (equivalent to £440,336[nb 4] in 2023). The north and south transepts were added at this time as well as the whole south aisle of the nave, the chancel, a clerestory and a new porch.[2]

St James' Church, Stretham, is an historic building protected by Acts of Parliament.[nb 5] Originally, the church was listed Grade A in a publicly available register on 5 February 1952 until a resurvey and regrading by the English Heritage[nb 6] on 19 August 1988. Since then, it is listed as a Grade II* building,[17] which makes the church particularly important to the country's heritage and warrants every effort to preserve it.[18] [nb 7] The church records[nb 8] are kept in the County Records Office, Cambridge.[nb 9] Since 1990, St James' Church has had an ecumenical agreement with the Stretham Methodists.[nb 10]

St James' is part of the Ely Team Ministry, a group of eight churches: St Mary's, Ely; St Peter's, Ely; St Leonard's, Little Downham; St Michael and All Angels, Chettisham; St George's, Little Thetford; St James, Stretham; Holy Cross, Stuntney; St Peter's, Prickwillow.[20] The Prickwillow church was closed for worship in 2008; it is part of the parish of St Mary's, Ely.[21]

Architecture
Part of the turret clock mechanism showing clockmaker as JB Joyce & Co of Whitchurch, Shropshire and date of manufacture of 1876

Exterior

The building is mainly 14th century although the east wall of the chancel contains remnants of 12th-century material,[2] including two clamped buttresses.[nb 11][2] The ashlar-faced tower is 14th century with angled buttresses north and south.[3] The west window has three lights with flowing tracery.[23] The clock on the east face of the tower, dated 1876, is by JB Joyce & Co of Whitchurch, Shropshire, the oldest firm of tower clockmakers in the world;[24] it is wound weekly by the churchwardens.[25]

The east wall of the chancery has one window with five lights (stained glass panels) with tracery above in a Gothic style.[2] The church floodlighting is supported by funds from the National Lottery church floodlighting trust[nb 12]

Interior
Inside St James'
Chancel east five-light window
Nave, east towards chancel; aisles either side enclosed by arcades of four bays supporting the clerestory's and the wooden rafters of the roof. The north (left) octagonal columns are 14th century; the south round columns were added during the 1876 restoration

There is a lowered sill on the southeast window of the chancel for a three-seat (sedilia); a cabinet (aumbry) is along the east of the north wall with an arched tomb recess to the west of it with an inscribed tomb lid which commemorates Nicholas de Kyngestone, late 13th-century rector.[2] A 1440 oak screen to the chancel is very finely carved.[14] Lying in the chancel is a black marble slab that dates back to 1667; it is a memorial, commemorating Anne Brunsell, sister of Sir Christopher Wren and wife of the rector of the time.[3] The pipe rack organ, built in 1886 by J W Walker and sons of London, is in a chamber built onto the south wall of the chancery. Paddy Benson of Norman & Beard, carried out a reconstruction and enlargement of the organ in 1907 at a cost of £350 (equivalent to £39,391[nb 4] in 2023); it was converted to electric blowing sometime after 1937.[26]

Bells

Until 1952, the church had a ring of five bells hung for change ringing;[27] and at this time, a sixth bell was added and one bell was recast, replacing a 1727 bell by Henry Penn of Peterborough.[nb 13] The oldest bell as of 2010, is the 840-millimetre (33 in) 360-kilogram (790 lb) number four bell of 1796 by Joseph Eayre; the newest are of 1951 by John Taylor & Co of Loughborough. This set of six bells are rung from a first-floor ringing chamber above the recently constructed servery and toilets.[28]

According to Canon K W H Felstead's records, now maintained by the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers, there have been 78 peals rung at St James' Church, Stretham, since 1952.[29][30]

Rectors
Rectors of Stretham and Little Thetford, Cambridgeshire, 1222—
From To Name Comment
1222Arnulf
1276Wymbisse, Thomas de
1302Dogelly, Richardus de
1338Hatherston William de; Bagthorpe, Nicholas deSub Deacon
1351Seyr, Robert; Thomas Darrant
1366Stratton, Robert dePrebendary of Masam at York Minster and Prebendary of Biggleswade, Lincoln Cathedral
1383Osgodby, William deBy exchange with Thomas de Dalby[31]
1383Lindesay, John
1407Burgess, William
1415Braunston, John; Spalding, William
1458Redman, RichardDistinct from Richard Redman, who became Bishop of Ely[32][33]
1488Ryplingham, John[34]
1488Ryplingham, Richard[35]
15231554Ryseley, Richardus[nb 14]
15541559Young, Johannes[nb 15]
15591570Ridley, Lancelotti[nb 16]Father of Mark Ridley (physician)
15701592Parker, John[36][nb 17]Archdeacon of Ely
15921598Jones, Edwardus[nb 18]
15981621Lawrence, Willimus[nb 19]This gives dates 1598–1621, but tentatively[37]
1621Brownrigg, RalpAfterwards Bishop of Exeter
16231638Felton, Nicholaus[38]Deprived by the Earl of Manchester and Parliamentary Visitor
1643Clarke Matthew; Car, RobertRector in the time of Richard Cromwell (son of Oliver)
16621678Brunsell, Henricus[nb 20]He[39] married Anne, a sister of Christopher Wren.[40]
16781690Oldham, Richard[nb 21]
16901691Kemp, Robert[nb 22]
16961727Perkins, Ralph[nb 23]
17271771Thomas, Charles[nb 24]
17711784Brown, James[nb 25]
17841802Swaine, John[41]
18021812Morgan, Caesar
18121818Law, HenryAs a JP he[42] was a figure of the Ely and Littleport riots 1816.[43][44]
18181827Sparke, John HenryCanon of Ely; he was eldest son of Bowyer Sparke.[45]
18271869Baber, Henry Hervey[nb 26]Keeper of printed books at British Museum
18691884Pigot, HughManchester Guardian obituary[46]
18851906Cockshott, John WilliamHon. Canon of Ely. Times notice of appointment[47]
19061945Stitt, S StuartTimes notice of appointment following resignation of J W Cockshott;[48] Times notice of death 31 July 1945[49]
19451952Cowgill, John ELambeth Palace records[50]
19521955Loughborough, George WTimes notice of promotion[51]
19551965Foulds, DennisTimes notice of appointment[52]
19661974Hornby John HTimes notice of appointment[53]
19741993Askey, John Stuart[54]
19941998Kilner, Fredrick JamesFrom 1994 incumbents are known as Team Vicars
19992005Sansom, John[55]
20052009Scott, Pauline Claire Michalak[56]
2009—Harper, Margaret[57]

Records before 1523[58] have not been confirmed; they have been checked (other than minor spelling differences) with the painted board in the south-west corner of the nave

References
Footnotes
  1. Pews=206, free-standing chairs=106; seats for 15 within chancel not counted
  2. Summarised from Pugh[4] and Lambeth Palace Library[5]
  3. 2001 census[6]
  4. Using RPI as describe in Choosing the Best Indicator to Measure Relative Worth
  5. First such Act:Ancient Monuments Protection Act 1882 (45 Vic. c. 73)[15]
  6. Act setting up English Heritage: National Heritage Act 1983 (ELIZABETH II c. 47. 1.)[16]
  7. There are 374,081 listed buildings in England as of 26 September 2010[19]
  8. Baptism 1558–2023, banns 1759–1963, marriages 1558–1952, and burial 1558–1956 (Church of England only)
  9. Notice inside porch
  10. Copy of agreement displayed on the notice board inside the porch
  11. The clamped (or clasped) buttresses can be seen on the east wall outside of the building pictured. "A buttress is a vertical member projecting from a wall to stabilize it or to resist the lateral thrust of an arch, roof or vault. Clasping buttress: one which encases the angle."[22]
  12. Plaque inside porch
  13. Bells, one to six respectively are E, D, C, B, A and G. Tenor is 1,085-pound (492 kg) in G (761Hz)[28]
  14. also Rysseley, Richardus
  15. also Younge, John
  16. also Rydley Lancelet
  17. also Parker, Johannes
  18. also Jones, Edwin
  19. also Lawrence, William
  20. also Brunsell, Henry and Brumsell, Henry
  21. also Oldham, Richardus
  22. also Kemp, Robertus and Kempe, Robert
  23. also Perkins, Radulphus
  24. also Thomas, Carolus
  25. also Browne, James
  26. also Baber, Henry Harvey
Notes
  1. Historic England. "Church of St James, High Street (west side) Stretham, East Cambridgeshire, Cambridgeshire (1127032)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
  2. Atkinson et al. 1953, p. 155 col. 2.
  3. Pevsner 1970, p. 462.
  4. Atkinson et al. 1953, p. 156.
  5. "Stretham, St James' (1874–76)". Church plans online. Lambeth Palace Library. Archived from the original on 18 February 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2010.
  6. "Area: Stretham CP (parish)". 2001 Census. Office for National Statistics. 2001. Retrieved 25 September 2010.
  7. Fairweather 2005, p. 362 note 203.
  8. Fairweather 2005, p. 364.
  9. Shaw, William Arthur (1896). "Ridley, Lancelot" . In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 48. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
  10. Gairdner, James (1908). Lollardy and the Reformation in England: An Historical Survey: Book III The fall of the monasteries. BiblioBazaar. p. 359. ISBN 9781103041756.
  11. Shaw (2004) ODNB Lancelot Ridley (subscription required)
  12. Stone (2004) ODNB Mark Ridley (subscription required)
  13. Blomefield 1751, pp. 21–25.
  14. Kelly 1929.
  15. "Managing and owning the landscape:Preserving historic sites and buildings". Crown. Office of Public Sector Information. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  16. "National Heritage Act 1983" (PDF). HMSO. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  17. "Church of St James High Street Stretham, Ely, Cambs". East Cambridgeshire District Council. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
  18. "English Heritage: Principles of selection" (PDF). London: HMSO. March 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 December 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  19. "Listed Buildings". English Heritage. 2012. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  20. "St Mary's Church, Ely:Team churches". St Mary's. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
  21. "The Messenger" (PDF). Prickwillow Village Magazine. 2007. pp. 21–22. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
  22. Pevsner, Nikolaus (2010). "Looking at Buildings: Glossary: Clasping Buttress". Pevsner Architectural Guides. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
  23. Atkinson et al. 1953, p. 156 col. 1.
  24. "Time to spare in Whitchurch". BBC. 13 January 2006. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
  25. "St James' Church, Stretham:History". Retrieved 18 August 2010.
  26. "Cambridgeshire, Stretham St. James [N10223]". The British Institute of Organ Studies. 2005. Archived from the original on 15 July 2012. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
  27. Atkinson et al. 1953, p. 155 col. 1.
  28. Higson, Andrew (2008). "Stretham, Cambs S James Gt". Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers (online ed.). Central Council for Church Bell Ringers. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
  29. Cradock, Andrew (2010). "Felstead Database – Peal List for Tower: Stretham, St James the Great, Cambridgeshire, England". Central Council for Church Bell Ringers. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
  30. "St James the Great, Stretham, Cambridgeshire". Ely Diocesan Association of Church Bell Ringers. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
  31. Farrer, William, ed. (1907), The Victoria County History: A history of the county of Lancaster: The parish of Leigh: Introduction, church and charities, vol. III, J. Brownbill, pp. 413–421
  32. Venn, J and J A (1922–1958), Alumni Cantabrigienses (online ed.), 10 volumes
  33. Gribbin, Joseph A (2001), The Premonstratensian order in late medieval England, vol. 16, Boydell Press, p. 175, ISBN 9780851157993
  34. Venn, J and J A (1922–1958), Alumni Cantabrigienses (online ed.), 10 volumes
  35. Venn, J and J A (1922–1958), Alumni Cantabrigienses (online ed.), 10 volumes
  36. Wright, Stephen (2004), "Parker, John (1532/3–1592)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.), Oxford University Press, retrieved 22 August 2010 (subscription required)
  37. Venn, J and J A (1922–1958), Alumni Cantabrigienses (online ed.), 10 volumes
  38. Fincham, Kenneth (2004). "Felton, Nicholas (1556–1626)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/9274. Retrieved 31 August 2010. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.) (subscription required)
  39. Venn, J and J A (1922–1958), Alumni Cantabrigienses (online ed.), 10 volumes
  40. Burke, John (1936), A genealogical and heraldic history of the commoners of Great Britain and Ireland enjoying territorial possessions or high official rank: but uninvested with heritable honours, vol. II, p. 166
  41. Venn, J and J A (1922–1958), Alumni Cantabrigienses (online ed.), 10 volumes
  42. Venn, J and J A (1922–1958), Alumni Cantabrigienses (online ed.), 10 volumes
  43. Law, Henry (1816), Cambridge University Library, Department of Manuscripts and University Archives, Henry Law: vindication of his conduct in Ely and Littleport Riots, MS Add.4492
  44. "Riots at Littleport and Ely". The Times. London. 30 May 1816. p. 3. Retrieved 31 August 2010.(subscription required)
  45. "Sparke, John Henry (1815–1831) (CCEd Person ID 19614)". The Clergy of the Church of England Database 1540–1835. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
  46. "Ecclesiastical intelligence". The Manchester Guardian. 27 September 1994. p. 8. ProQuest 479317275.(subscription required)
  47. "Ecclesiastical Appointments". The Times. London. 15 January 1885. p. 10. Retrieved 23 August 2010.(subscription required)
  48. "Ecclesiastical Intelligence". The Times. London. 17 August 1906. p. 4. Retrieved 23 August 2010.(subscription required)
  49. "Deaths". The Times. London. 8 August 1945. p. 1. Retrieved 25 August 2010.(subscription required)
  50. Deputy Archivist , Lambeth Palace Library, London SE1 7JU; 8 – September 2010
  51. "Ecclesiastical news". The Times. London. 5 May 1955. p. 12. Retrieved 23 August 2010.(subscription required)
  52. "Ecclesiastical news". The Times. London. 25 November 1965. p. 14. Retrieved 23 August 2010.(subscription required)
  53. "Church news". The Times. London. 30 May 1966. p. 10. Retrieved 23 August 2010.(subscription required)
  54. Askey, John Stuart (2010), Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.), Church House Publishing, (Crockford's person ID 16180), retrieved 21 August 2010(subscription required)
  55. Sansom, John (2010), Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.), Church House Publishing, (Crockford's person ID 22318), retrieved 21 August 2010(subscription required)
  56. Scott, Pauline Claire Michalak (2010), Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.), Church House Publishing, (Crockford's person ID 38079), retrieved 21 August 2010(subscription required)
  57. Harper, Margaret (2010), Crockford's Clerical Directory (online ed.), Church House Publishing, (Crockford's person ID 37491), retrieved 21 August 2010(subscription required)
  58. Village website
Bibliography

Further reading
  • John Henry Parker (1852), "106. St James", in Archaeological Institute of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (ed.), The ecclesiastical and architectural topography of England. Bedfordshire (Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire, Oxfordshire, Suffolk), Oxford and London: John Henry Parker
  • Percy William Pegge (1851), "Stretham Parish", History, gazetteer and directory of Cambridgeshire, Peterborough: Robert Gardner, p. 505
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