The Matlock photographer William Nathan Statham[1] used
this picture of Matlock's St. Giles' Church, taken in 1870,
for the Christmas card he and his wife sent out in 1903. Whilst
the tower and the churchyard are unchanged the rest of the
building looks somewhat different today.
Shortly after the photograph was taken the church closed[2],
the last service being held on New Year's Day, 1871. Funds
to pay for the major building work that was planned had been
raised by public subscription and Benjamin Wilson was appointed
as the architect. He advertised for builders to work on the
renovation and rebuilding project shortly before the closure[3].
The church was to re-open later the same year and the first
service in the rebuilt church was held on 25th October[2].
There had been several attempts to alter or rebuild the
parish church in the past. In 1783 Richard Arkwright had
taken down the north aisle and rebuilt it, for example[4]
. Arkwright seems to have undertaken his alterations without
the necessary permissions.
In 1760 Peter Nightingale (junior) and others rebuilt the
wall of the south aisle. Glover[5],
Cox[6] and Bryan
all described the "little square factory-like windows
of the south gallery" which can be seen in the photograph.
They clearly disapproved of the pre-1870 design and layout.
The south wall was "embattled on the top" and the
porch door, too, did not escape criticism. It was "spacious
but ill-designed, projecting several yards outside the south-west
door, and on its east side adjoining the main flight of steps[4]"
to the south gallery, which could only be reached by these
steps. |
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References (coloured links are to more information elsewhere
on this website):
[1] W. N. Statham first
advertised in Kelly's 1891 Directory. He was living
on Church Street in the
1891 census and in
1901 was on Dale Road. He advertised in the 1908 programme
of the Operatic Society
[2] "The Derby Mercury",
Wednesday, November 1, 1871. Reopening of St. Giles' Church,
Matlock Town.
[3] "The Derby Mercury",
Wednesday, November 30, 1870. There were at least three advertisements
during November and December 1870 for builders to contact
the Architect about rebuilding the nave of the Parish Church.
[4] Bryan, Benjamin (1903) "History
of Matlock - Matlock, Manor and Parish" London
by Bemrose & Sons, Limited.
[5] Glover, Stephen (1830) "The
Peak Guide; containing the topographical, statistical,
and general history of Buxton, Chatsworth, Edensor, Castlteon
[sic], Bakewell, Haddon, Matlock, and Cromford" ...
Edited by T. Noble, pub. Derby
[6] Cox, J Charles (1877) "Notes
on the Churches of Derbyshire Vol II" Chesterfield:
Palmer and Edmunds, London: Bemrose and Sons, 10 Paternoster
Buildings; and Derby
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