Guisborough History Notes: Parish Church 2

Burials

OB’s Feb. 21, 1936 (Obadiah Brelstaff)
Wm Buckworth 2/6/31
TFH Berwick 25/6/31 (GS Head)

Chaloner Pew
A plan at the N Riding Archive Office at Northallerton (Chaloner Papers Ref. ZFM) intention to erect a new pew, c. 1906, during Temple Moore restoration – his design. Initialled RC = Richard Chaloner and GHC = George Henry Cobham, Rector. Not erected. Had Colonel Chaloner decided he had spent sufficient on restoration? Or difficulties concerning the vault underneath? Gave a copy of this to Shirley Knight (now Mrs Hamilton), 1984.

Chaloner Pew, Guisborough Parish Church, demolished Monday 6 June 1966
A Lady Chapel in its place. Before the chapel was made the Chaloner Vault (beneath the family pew) was inspected, recorded and sealed up on Mon 25 Sept. 1966.

Chaloner Vault.
From ‘Priority’ S Nicholas Church Parish Magazine May 1980.

Some people who are new to the Parish may not know that he Lady Chapel, which is at the east end of the south aisle, was once the site of the Chaloner family pew , and that below this chapel is the family vault.
It was in September 1967 when Mr Pegman was the Rector. He knew how interested I was in the history of our Parish Church, and he telephoned me one morning to tell me that some workmen, who were engaged in laying new paving slabs, had accidentally broken into the vault. He informed me that Lord Gisborough no longer intended the vault to be used and that it was to be sealed up for ever. Mr Pegman asked me if I would like to enter the vault in order to record the interments before the sealing was done.
To enter the vault meant climbing through a narrow opening and dropping 4 ft. to the vault floor. The workmen had fixed a light onto a long cable for me, this was some comfort as the torch did not give out much light, even so it was still very dark, musty and rather eerie. Inside were fourteen coffins, twelve adults and two children: of these seven were on the vault floor, four on the first shelf, and three on the second shelf. All the coffins, except for one tiny oak coffin, were sagging badly on the top. Only five had legible inscriptions and these were done on metal plaques of varying designs. Some of the coffins had been very elaborate having been encased in leather, and decorated in gilt with copper studs, but most of the leather had perished to reveal a lead lining. The small oak coffin was the best preserved and on this was the following inscription – ‘Infant son of Thomas and Amelia Chaloner – stillborn – March 17th 1868 London’. One can only imagine the heartbreak of the parents bringing their only child from London to Guisborough for burial in the family vault – after the deaths of Thomas and Amelia the estate passed to Thomas Chaloner’s Grand-nephew, and so eventually to the present Lord Gisborough.
We know from records that the vault was built in 1860, for Sir Edward Chaloner and a Will of that date directed that he should be ‘buried in the vault built by me for that purpose’, however I could not tell which coffin was his. The earliest decipherable interment was on the coffin of Honora Chaloner who died in 1755, aged 92 years; she was the daughter of Sir David Foulis from Ingleby Greenhow.
Before the vault was finally sealed we lowered into it an airtight container in which we placed a record of our findings and a 1967 half penny.
I would like to think that Sir Edward would have approved of what we had done, and that he together with the bones of his ancestors will continue to lie undisturbed below our present Lady Chapel in Guisborough Parish Church.
PS. Two days after visiting the Chaloner vault, Mr Pegman rang me again to tell me that this time the workmen had discovered a skull and several long bones whilst working at the East end of the Nave.. These skeletal remains had obviously been much disturbed and belonged to more than one person, amongst them were fragments of 14C. carved stone. The skull I determined was possibly that of a female of about 40 years of age. I understand that the Rector went to considerable trouble to have these bones re-interred.
It is through such work as this that we can, perhaps, discover more about our past, for we know that at the time of the Domesday Book, 1086, Guisborough had a Church and a Priest, and that ancient church may well have occupied our present site.
S. Knight.

Church of S. Nicholas.
VCH Vol II, p 362: chancel 56’6” x 25’, nave 90’ x 25’. Chancel, nave arcades and tower: older parts late 15C or early 16C “of no great architectural interest”. Graves (1808) “a plain but neat edifice of a modern construction, but with some late repairs”. A drastic reconstruction c. 1796. Vestry and organ chamber 1889. Complete restoration 1904/8. Chancel-angle buttresses of 1796 period: 3 bays externally. Nave 6 bays with N and S arcades of flat fan-centred arches of two chamfered orders without hood moulds, springing from slender octagonal piers with moulded capitals and bases. N aisle 14’ wide. S 12’6” wide. Tower stands engaged to the extent of bout 9’. External arch “a not unimpressive western portal”. Font 1872. Chaloner pew: 16’6” x 15’6” and 2’3” above floor of church. Altar of S Mary 1426 (p 364).

Rector GH Cobham notes in service regarding bombardment of Hartlepool, Whitby and Scarborough: 16 Dec 1914. “Started a few minutes to eight o’clock during Matins. Firing distinctly heard.”
1915: a ref. to windows being covered on a/c of zeppelins.

? 11 Feb 1912: “Col. Chaloner returned to Church” – Had there been a rift? Yes, vide Daisy Armstrong

1909: a highlight – 1200 men present at a special service. Other entries show meagre attendances of communicants.

1933: Gisborough Papers at NRCC Record Office. Lord Gisborough stated to “own” chancel of Guis. Par. Church.

“Saltburn & Guisborough Times” 25 July 1903. Re will of Thomas Chaloner. Richard GW Chaloner’s application for leave to expend not more than £20,000 on restoration of Gisboro Hall. Chancery Divn for approval of Trustees. (Sanctioned) An additional wing built. “RGWC succeeded 18 years ago.”

Rev Mr William Hide inducted into Rectory of Kildale 11 June 1737. Ord p 429.
Curate of Gisborough 1727-1767. 40 yrs. Check Registers. See Abp Herring’s Visitation Returns.

Reredos. Gift of Mrs Merryweather (wife of Dr M): crewel work by Miss Newell. Carved oak frame by Mr Pallister (local craftsman). Good. Designed by Mr Temple Moore. (Par Mag Dec 1912).
Was to have been removed 1969 and placed in N aisle, west end. Mutilated by vandal in Oct 1970.

Rectory. In Rectory Lane. Purchased by UDC 1963. Demolished 1966. UDC works depot built on site. Stone gatepost with initials TC and 185(3)? on 2 sides and P on other. Thomas Chaloner. 185?
Date of erection? “P” - ?
1818 Glebe House (Westgate, S side) declared unfit for use.
1834 – no house.
1859 – new Rectory. 1868 Burnt down. Completely gutted just upon completion of certain alterations. See Whitby Gazette a/c: Atkinson : “since has been restored and is now a really suitable and well arranged clerical residence.” A clerical opinion!

Restn 1796 VCH Vol II, p 362: “when aisle walls appear to have been taken down and rebuilt and a new wide roof of low pitch erected over entire body of church. Some work was apparently done about the chancel at this time as the tops of the angle buttresses seem to be of that period and the arches of the nave arcade were mutilated in accordance with the then prevailing idea of restn.

Church. Graves History (1808) p 419: Abp Sharpe’s MSS. Yearly stipend or salary of £46.13.4d paid to curate by Abp’s farmer or tenant – plus some late augmentations produces about £100 pa.

1767.


                                     £  s  d
Pd by Abp @ Lady Day and Michaelmas 46 13  4
Surplice fees, communibus annes      5 10  0
Mr Lumley’s augn                    20  0  0
Total                               72  3  4

COBHAM, Rector
Geo. Henry Cobham, MA. Born 1866. Educ. At Norwich – to be an engineer. (He had one of the first motor cars in Guisborough). Retired to study for Church. Cambridge, Christ Ch. Coll. BA 1894. MA 1898. Priest 1898. Curacy 2 yrs. Chaplain to Seamen’s Mission 1900-1906. Married 1895. 7 children. Guis 1906-1919.

Exterior, St Nicholas Church as it was in the 1860s