St. Bartholomew's Parish Church Barrow a History & Guide
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St. Bartholomew’s Parish Church Barrow A History & Guide St Bartholomew was one of the twelve Apostles and is sometimes recorded in the New Testament as St Nathaniel. His saint’s day is 24 August. Early History of the Parish and Church The name Barrow is said by taxable wealth classes Barrow as Cheshire historians to derive from “waste” – an area of negligible the old English word ‘bearu’ agricultural value – although this meaning a wood or grove, might simply have reflected a although the name is common wooded and uncultivated and is occasionally linked to a hill landscape at that time. or mound. The spelling has It is likely that the first church in changed frequently over the Barrow was a chantry, endowed centuries. for the reading of prayers and The first recorded mention of masses for the souls of its Barrow (“Barue”) is in a charter of benefactors, and operated as a Edgar, King of Mercia, in the year chapel under the supervision of 958, at which time it was a village Tarvin church, which is itself first on the outskirts of Delamere mentioned in 1226. In 1291, the Forest, then known as the Forest taxation of Pope Nicholas IV gave of Mara. Cheshire suffered badly the income of the church at after the Norman Conquest of Barrow as £6 13s 4d and the tax 1066, as William the Conqueror as 13s 4d. launched what became known as The first recorded incumbent of the ‘Harrying of the North’: a Barrow was presented to the scorched earth campaign aimed living in 1313 and so is the first at consolidating his position name on our Rectors’ Board at against Saxon and Danish lords in the west end of the nave. Osbert the north of England. Nearly half Gifford, acolyte, was instituted on the houses in Chester were May 15th. It is interesting to destroyed after a long siege and it wonder whether he was a great was common practice to salt grandson of the Osbert Gifford agricultural land to deny its who was an illegitimate son of productive use. The 1086 King John I (1166-1216), since the Domesday survey of England’s name appears to have been 1 passed down in succeeding marriage of Maud de Swynnerton generations. to Sir John Savage in 1409. The Savage family male line failed in Osbert’s patron as Lord of the 1714 and, after passing through Manor was Hugh le Despenser, female relatives, the manor and Earl of Winchester, who with his patronage passed through son Hugh were favoured advisers marriage to the Cholmondeley of Edward II and were the most family in 1784, where it remained powerful and also the most until 1919, when a large part of despised nobles in England. Both the Cholmondeley estate in were executed (1326 and 1327) Barrow was parcelled up and when Edward was deposed by his sold. Since then the patronage wife Isabella. The Manor of has been held by the Okell family Barrow was among lands forfeit of Barrow and is now largely to the crown and was allotted by ceremonial. Edward III to Sir Roger de Swynnerton. It is interesting to note that a number of the rectors listed on Around 1349 Barrow became a the Rectors’ Board were ‘free chapel’ and in 1364 was members of these great families described as the ‘chapel of the that held the patronage. It was manor’. In 1531 it was described common for younger sons or as ‘the parish church, free chapel other male relatives to receive or chantry of Barrow’ and it the living of a parish, although in became an independent church many cases a lowly curate would with parish and parsonage during have carried out the more the reign of Elizabeth I (1558- onerous parish duties. 1603). NOTE: More details on families The manor passed to the Savage connected with our church are at family of Clifton (near present the end of this booklet. day Runcorn) through the 2 The Church Structure The church is listed by English among other appointments was Heritage as Grade II*. This is the Rector of Barrow from 1639 to category for ‘particularly 1643, when he was removed important buildings of more than from his appointment due to his special interest’. support for the royalist cause in the Civil War. On the restoration There are no visible signs of the of the monarchy in 1660 he was earliest Norman-style church reappointed and was also made buildings. The oldest parts of the Dean of Chester Cathedral. In present structure are the north 1671 he was consecrated Lord wall and the octagonal columns Bishop of Sodor and Man but of the north aisle, which date retained the Deanery of Chester from a complete rebuilding of the and the Rectory of Barrow. He church in the 15th century and are died in 1682 and is buried in in the Gothic Perpendicular style. Chester Cathedral. Dr Bridgman The chancel was rebuilt in 1671 in was a Fellow of Brasenose the Jacobean style. The ends of College, Oxford and several of the the roof hammer beams display Rectors who followed were from painted shields depicting the that college. Brasenose was arms of the Isle of Man with, per founded in 1509 and had close pale, those of the Bridgman connections with Cheshire family, surmounted by a bishop’s through the Savage and mitre. These are the arms of Dr Cholmondeley families. Henry Bridgman, who was The church was reported to be in responsible for the rebuilding, ruinous state in 1744. The nave which is commemorated by an and north aisle were rebuilt and inscription on the outer south the tower was erected. The wall above a now filled-in chancel was repaired and re- doorway to the chancel. Dr roofed in 1807 when Hugh Bridgman was 3rd son of John Cholmondeley (later Dean of Bridgman, Bishop of Chester, and 3 Chester) was Rector. An Barrowmore Estate. The inscription commemorating this stonemason was David Hoose of rebuilding may be seen on the Frodsham (the uncle of Arthur north wall of the chancel and the Lancely who lived at Rose Farm arms of the Cholmondeley family and was a church warden in are on the shield below the 1943). The works included re- inscription. roofing of the nave, north aisle and chancel; restoration of the A major programme of works was south wall of the nave and the first approved in 1870 and porch; relaying of the chancel undertaken in 1882-84. Much of floor; construction of the vestry what you see in the church today and organ chamber; removal of dates from that time and is the gallery; installation of new described as being in the Late pews and pulpit; and a fine new Perpendicular style. The architect east window. An inscription was John Douglas who was commemorating these works is responsible for a large number of on the south wall of the chancel. projects in the north-west, including many of the half- The extension in the north west timbered black and white corner of the church was buildings of the Rows in Chester, completed, together with the the Eastgate Clock and a number new church hall, as a Millennium of houses on the Grosvenor project and there is a plaque Estate. Stone was taken from the commemorating its dedication by local quarry which was near the the Bishop of Chester in 2001. The Church Tower: This is 58 feet high and with sandstone urns at each was erected in 1744. It contains a corner but these became single bell cast in 1767, which unstable and were removed in strikes the hour. The top of the 1929 - their remains may be seen tower was originally decorated at the foot of the tower. In 1950 4 the church was advised that the Suzanne Hodgson of Barrowmore bell should no longer be swung, in 2008 with a carved frieze due to possible weakness in the designed by Judith Smith, a tower and it is now rung by Reader of our church, and is striking with the clapper. In 1990 dedicated to David Okell. the tower suffered some damage Windows: The east window dates in a minor earth tremor and from 1884 and is attributed to repairs to cracking near the top the workshop of Charles Eamer may be seen on the north, west Kempe (he put peacock feathers and south sides. in his angels’ wings). The four The clock is by John Moore of principal lights show St Werburga Clerkenwell and was presented in (patron saint of Chester) and St 1876 by Major John Clark in Bartholomew, flanking a memory of his mother and father. depiction of the Adoration of the His father the Reverend John Shepherds with the Annunciation Clark was Rector from 1816 to of Mary beneath. The depictions 1862. There is a memorial tablet in the roundels at the foot of the on the north wall under the outer panes are David and tower. The grave of Revd Clark is Goliath on the left and Gideon outside the north-east corner of and the Fleece on the right. The the church and is somewhat out window is dedicated to Eliza, wife of sympathy with its of Hugh Lyle Smyth. surroundings, both in style and The three lights on the south wall scale. of the chancel date from 1913 Font: This is beneath the tower and depict The Good Shepherd and has a lead liner dated 1713, flanked by the Virgin Mary and St stamped with the initials of John John the Evangelist.