Church of St Patrick, Patrick Brompton

The Church of St Patrick, is the parish church for the village and parish of Patrick Brompton in North Yorkshire, England. The church is one of six in the Benefice of Lower Wensleydale and its oldest parts of the building date back to the 11th century. It is 6 miles (9.7 km) south east of Richmond and 4 miles (6 km) north of Bedale situated on the A684 road.[2]

St Patrick's Church
Church of St Patrick, Patrick Brompton
Church of St Patrick, Patrick Brompton
St Patrick's Church Location within North Yorkshire
54.3114°N 1.6646°W / 54.3114; -1.6646
OS grid reference	SE219907
Location	Patrick Brompton, North Yorkshire
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Weekly attendance	25 (2017)
Website	Official website
History
Status	Active
Dedication	St Patrick[1]
Architecture
Style	Early English
Specifications
Bells	3
Administration
Parish	Patrick Brompton (460432)
Benefice	Lower Wensleydale
Deanery	Wensley
Archdeaconry	Richmond and Craven
Diocese	Leeds
Clergy
Vicar(s)	Reverend Chris Lawton
Listed Building – Grade I
Designated	13 February 1967
Reference no.	1157773

It is only one of two churches in Yorkshire to be dedicated to St Patrick.

History

Reference to a church at Patric Brumpton was first made in the 12th century,[3] though it is believed that a place of worship had existed on the site for some time before that.[4] The present church structure is largely from the 12th, 13th and 14th centuries, though there have been some modifications, alterations and additions over the years.[5] The church, which is now a grade I listed structure, underwent a restoration in 1864.[6][7] It is only one of two Anglican churches in Yorkshire which are dedicated to St Patrick,[1] (the other being St Patrick's Church, Patrington).[8] However, the dedication is first referred to in 1230, and may be in honour of Ghile Patraic (sometimes styled as Gilepatric and Gille Patraic), who was a landowner at the time of the conquest.[9] One source states that a carved niche in the chancel used to hold a statue of St Patrick.[10]

The church consists of two aisles either side of the nave, an east facing chancel, with a vestry to the north, and a porch to the south near the tower, which is at the west.[6] Most of the internal fabric of the building is 12th century, whilst the walls are 14th century, though both the porch and the tower are modern additions.[4] Most of the architecture is Early English, part from the chancel which is in the Decorated style.[11] The church is largely built of sandstone with Westmorland slates on the roof.[12] It is said that its design and use of stone was due to it being in the patronage of St Mary's Abbey in York, as its appearance was quite lavish for a remote parish church.[13] The tower was erected in the 19th century to replace an older tower dating back to 1577.[14] This tower also replaced an even earlier steeple that was blown down during a storm.[15] Dates regarding the destruction of the tower are varied with some stating 1577 and others 1672.[16] The Victorian renovation of the tower gave it a pyramid style roof which was seen as a bad decision architecturally in comparison to the church; one geographical diarist described it as "a deformity".[17]

The tower houses three bells, dated 1400, 1686 and 1703.[18] The bell from 1686 contains an inscription Pervvla per magnam prebabat cima rviam i place, which loosely translates as a very little crack, occasioned great ruin and is thought to refer to the destruction of the steeple during the storm of 1577.[19]

The north-east end of the church building still shows marks where archers sharpened their arrows between 1100 and 1500. Many decrees by kings stated that the men of the parish should practise their archery skills on holy days should they be needed in times of war.[20]

Churchyard

The churchyard contains several gravestones which are listed structures.[21][22][23][24][25] There is also a memorial to the dead of the parish from the First World War and two Commonwealth war graves.[26][27] Outside the porch door is an octagonal column with a sundial placed upon it which is inscribed with Geoge Smythes, Bedal[sic]. The sundial mentions Newfoundland and Maryland and is thought to commemorate those from the parish who went to be settlers in the New World.[28]

Parish details

The church is in the Benefice of Lower Wenseydale and is one of six in that benefice, the other five are St Andrews Finghall, St Gregory's Crakehall, St Michael Spennithorne, St Oswald's Hauxwell and St Mary's church in Hornby.[29] The Parish of Patrick Brompton (parish code 460432) includes the villages of Hunton and Newton-le-Willows.[29]

Attendance at the church was an average of 25 people per week in 2017. This was down from 35 per week on average in 2008.[30]

Clergy

Vicars incumbent at St Mary's are recorded as far back as 1300. Listings are taken from H.B. McCall's Richmondshire Churches and church records.[31][32][33]

Year	Incumbent		Year	Incumbent		Year	Incumbent
1300	Thomas		1490	John Wrangwych		1792	John Baines
1324	Hugh de Bargh[note 1]		1525	William Farrer		1802	Thomas Hattersley
1352	John de Heslerton		1575	George Askwith		1803	Edward Hardy
1358	Thomas Nevil‡		1592	John Leadbeater		1811	Hugh Rigg
1359	William de Strode		1600	Peter Baines		1866	John Thompson
1369	John de Waltham‡		1606	Thomas Beane		1889	Christopher Norton Wright
1370	Adam le Thornton		1619	George Slater		1894	Reginald Edward Pownell
1389	William Lane		1625	Laurence Newton		1919	John Fotherley Dale Chapman
1390	John Belnerge		1654	William Sagg		1936	Henry Crick♦[note 2]
1390	John de Popilton		1673	John Place		1971	Benjamin William Crawford
1420	William Clynt‡		1696	Matthew Wood		1975	William Frederick Greetham
1423	Guy de Wesham		1721	Richard Thistlethwaite		1982	Raymond Joseph Pearson
1429	Alan Humbreston†		1724	George Scott†		1995	David James Christie[note 3]
1440	William Hambold		1741	Gregory Elsley		2010	Bryan Dixon
1441	Nicholas Mallom		1766	Thomas Harrison		2017	Chris Lawton[37]
1490	Robert Coppyng		1774	John Patrickson

• †Died in office
• ‡Resigned office
• ♦Interregnum between incumbent and previous when dates are incorrect, period appears too long or records are incomplete.

Notes

1. McCall states the surname to be de Burgh.[34]
2. Whitfield states that Crick went blind and ceased to be the vicar in 1945.[35]
3. Was also Assistant Dean of the Deanery of Wensley.[36]

References

1. Liber Ecclesiasticus. An authentic statement of the revenues of the Established Church compiled from the report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the Revenues and Patronage of the established Church in England and Wales. London: Hamilton, Adams & Co. 1835. p. 30. OCLC 1064949647.
2. "302" (Map). Northallerton & Thirsk. 1:25,000. Explorer. Ordnance Survey. 2019. ISBN 9780319245545.
3. McCall 1910, p. 105.
4. "Parishes: Patrick Brompton | British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
5. Glynne 2007, p. 316.
6. Historic England. "Church of St Patrick  (Grade I) (1157773)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
7. "Conservation Areas Appendix A (H-P)" (PDF). richmondshire.gov.uk. p. 17. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
8. "St Patrick's Church". THE VILLAGE OF PATRICK BROMPTON. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
9. Edmonds, Fiona (2009). "3: Personal names and the cult of Patrick in the eleventh century Strathclyde and Northumbria". In Boardman, Steve; Davies, John Reuben; Williamson, Eila (eds.). Saints' cults in the Celtic world. Woodbridge: Boydell. pp. 59–60. ISBN 978-1-84383-432-8.
10. McCall 1910, p. 112.
11. Westron, W J (1919). The North Riding of Yorkshire. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 111. OCLC 1017399612.
12. Whitfield 2010, p. 33.
13. Whitfield 2010, p. 37.
14. McCall 1910, p. 115.
15. "Parishes: Patrick Brompton | British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
16. Whitfield 2010, p. 34.
17. "Bromeswell - Bromsgrove | British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
18. "St Patrick's Church". patrickbrompton.com. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
19. McCall 1910, p. 115–116.
20. Whitfield 2010, pp. 54–55.
21. Historic England. "Chest Tomb Approximately One Metre South of Church of St Patrick  (Grade II) (1131456)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
22. Historic England. "Group of 3 Carter Chest Tombs Approximately 3 Metres South of Priest's Door of Church of St Patrick  (Grade II) (1157814)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
23. Historic England. "Collinson Chest Tomb Approximately 8 Metres South East of South East Corner of Church of St Patrick  (Grade II) (1318288)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
24. Historic England. "Hewgill Chest Tomb Approximately 11 Metres South of South East Corner of Church of St Patrick  (Grade II) (1157834)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
25. Historic England. "Milner Tombstone Approximately 3 Metres South of South East Corner of Nave of Church of St Patrick  (Grade II) (1166395)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
26. "Patrick Brompton". iwm.org.uk. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
27. "Patrick Brompton (St Patrick) Churchyard". www.cwgc.org. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
28. Whitfield 2010, p. 54.
29. "St. Mary's, Hornby". lowerwensleydale.church. 27 October 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
30. "Patrick Brompton with Hunton" (PDF). Leeds.anglican.org. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
31. McCall 1910, pp. 118–122.
32. "Genuki: Patrick Brompton parish:, Yorkshire (North Riding)". www.genuki.org.uk. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
33. Whitfield 2010, pp. 41–47.
34. McCall 1910, p. 110.
35. Whitfield 2010, p. 47.
36. "Church news". The Times. 13 January 2006. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
37. "Appointments". The Church Times. 12 May 2017. Retrieved 17 May 2020.

Sources

• Glynne, Stephen (2007). Butler, Laurence (ed.). The Yorkshire Church Notes of Sir Stephen Glynne 1825–1874. Yorkshire/Suffolk: Yorkshire Archaeological Society/Boydell Press. ISBN 978-1-903564-80-6.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• McCall, H. B. (1910). Richmondshire Churches. London: Elliot Stock. OCLC 6723172.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Whitfield, Janet, ed. (2010). Patrick Brompton and its people. Hornby, Bedale: Blaisdon Publishing. ISBN 978-1902838-46-5.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

External links