St. Michael and All Angels, Brimington
Note that the Church now has its own website.
The present building was opened for divine service on the 7th October, 1847. Some idea of size of the previous church can be gleaned from the fact that the pillars in the nave are built on the foundation walls of the former church. It was only three years before this that the Church had been given separate Parish status from the Parish of Chesterfield. Brimington was a village that was growing fast with a population in 1841 of 780 which more than doubled in the next twenty years and reached more than 4500 at the turn of the century. Part of the cost of the building was born by the Incorporating Society for Building and Enlarging Churches provided that 365 of the 572 seats remain free and unappropriated.
The oldest part of the present church is the stone tower which was originally built in 1796 by Joshua Jebb. This was strengthened and raised in height in 1846 and has three old bells, the church clock and a gallery, which should have a pew for the sole use of the Minister of Brimington for ever.
A Drawing of Brimington Chapel around 1785
A walk through the Church
The church is entered through the porch and main door. Looking left there is the font with a finely carved cover which dates from 1899.
On the west wall there is a brass plaque listing a charitable donation made by Lewis Shaw in memory of his two brothers.
At the base of the tower, a screen, which was erected in 1927 by the parishioners in memory of William Augustus Dutton one of the incumbents of Brimington.
The tower underwent some restoration in 1935 after a donation by Annie Fisher.
High up in the tower are Brimington Churches three bells, two of which are inscribed ‘BRIMINGTON CHAPEL 1720’ with initials H A. These were given to the church by Henry Audsley who was curate of the church from 1705 and who died 4th December, 1723.
The third larger bell which is used for the clock strike is believed to date from 1863.
Looking towards the east end of the Church we see above the chancel a carved figure of a ‘Glorified Christ’ which was placed here in memory of Rev David Ford in 1976.
The window on the North Wall which shows the Good Shepherd is dedicated to Walter T Burr. A Churchwarden for seventeen years and a writer in local journals.
The cross on the window base was given in memory of Harold Unwin who died of War Wounds on the 15th June 1918.
Looking left in the window base is the model of the church built by Ken Spriggs.
The cross-head mounted on a plaque was the processional cross from St. Mary’s Chapel Brimington Common which was rescued by Neville Barker and kindly donated by his wife.
Moving down the North Aisle we see a plaque in memory of a local person who fell in action during the first world war.
Further down this wall, a cross and picture. Both from the Church in Hollingwood. A sad reminder of its closure.
In the corner is the organ which was transferred here in 1980 from Norton Street U.R. Church. It has a plaque dedicating it and the public address system to Mr Ralph Frost who was a Churchwarden and Chorister for many years.
In the Sacristy, which is usually locked, are two wooden plaques mounted high on the wall which read:
Benefactors to the Parish of Brimington.
A portion of the Attenborough and Ashover Charities left by will of GODFREY FOLJAMBE of Walton Esquire. dated Feb 24th 15
To five poor old women having no pay of the parish in sums of 20s each every Christmas Day by will of Joshua Jebb Esquire. £5.00.
Bread, one half of which to the poor of Brimington by will of ELIZABETH or ISABEL BRAILSFORD from a rent charge from a farm at Lockerford. £0.10.00.
A share of the dividend arising from the bequest of the Revd FRANCIS GISBORNE Rector of Staveley for the purchasing of coarse Yorkshire Cloth and Flannel for the poor and payable annually the sum £7.5.0
The second plaque reads:
‘This Church was rebuilt and enlarged in the year 1847 by which means it has been made capable of accommodating 572 persons. A grant of £200 in aid of its erection was made by the Incorporated Society for Promoting the Enlargement Building and Repairing of Churches and Chapels on condition that the seats for 365 persons described on the annexed plan should be set apart and declared to be free and appropriated for ever. The provision of Church room previously to the rebuilding was for 302 persons including 95 free seats. J.K.Marsh Minister. John Lingard,John Greaves. Churchwardens.’
A small glass window in the Sacristy reads:
‘Churchwardens. JOHN GREAVES. WILLIAM MARSDEN.
AD. MDCCCXLlX’
On the pillar near the organ is a small carved figure representing Christ as a child. This replaced an earlier figure that was stolen and is in memory of Elsie Haywood.
BRIMINGTON CHURCH 1935 J.S.WALKER
Moving into the Chancel:
The stained glass window was dedicated on Easter Eve 1894 in memory of Frances Mills who died Jan 3rd 1893 depicts the Easter message of the Resurrection and Ascension.
the glory of those great souls who went before him.
"To give the figure a closer connection with the Great War I decided to use the helmet for Britannia (or the Navy), the sword and shield for the Army, and the wings (on the helmet) for the Royal Air Force. The laurel wreath and the figure in an attitude of mourning represent victory through suffering. The scales in the mouth of the lion on the shield mean victory combined with justice.
The adjacent stained glass window depicts the Saints John and Peter. It is in memory of John Thomas and Lillie Frost.
A marble plaque commemorates the installation of electric light installed in 1921
The stained glass window depicting St. Michael and St. Gabriel is in memory of the Rev Basil Walter Truman who was Rector at Brimington from 1926 - 1935.
The Oak Screen was erected in memory of those who fought in the 1914 - 1918 by members of the Brimington Church Sewing Party.
A more recent plaque on the screen commemorates the installation of a loop system for the hard of hearing.
To the left of the window on the north wall there is an inscribed brass plaque written in Latin which gives a brief description of Henry Audsley, his life and work in the arduous post of ‘curate’ of Brimington. The translation follows:
Sacred to the memory of Henry Audsley, at one time Vicar of Chesterfield Church, afterwards engaged in the sacred duties of preacher and curate of this Chapel. The life he lived in the adjoining house, which he built at his own cost, was one of retirement, but not of ignoble leisure, for he occupied his time to a great extent in acceptably expounding the Scriptures, winning his congregations by his pleasing eloquence; whilst the church nowhere could boast of a more learned theologian, a more fluent preacher. He died December 1st 1723 aged 60,"
On the southern wall of the chancel near the altar rail is a marble plaque remembering the Baker family.
The brass lectern was given to the church after the First World War by the parents of Harry Dakin who died in France.
Standing in front of the side altar looking towards the southern wall there is the memorial to the men who died in the war. It takes the form of a statue.
The sculptor describes it thus:-
As the memorial is erected to the men who died in the service of their country, and who in their suffering displayed the greatest qualities human nature is capable of— strength, nobility dignity and fortitude in the face of death— I felt that I must endeavour to the beholder, and particularly to the generations that come after, that nobility and fortitude in suffering which so characterised our dead. That is what I intended my figure to convey, hoping that the passer-by in the days to come may read in the quiet calm resignation of the figure the great ideals for which it stands, and for which his ancestors died. And so perhaps inspire in him a great determination to emulate, if need be,
BRIMINGTON INCUMBENTS
Rector Curate
1650 Thomas Bennett
1705-1723 Henry Audsley
1800- Thos. Field
1836-1852 John Kirk Marsh
1852-1874 Frederick Arnold
1874-1888 John J. Singleton
1888-1897 E.K. Blumhardt
1897-1904 E. Templeman
1904-1909 Jas. F. Morley
1909- 1925 W. A. Dutton
1925-1935 Basil Walter Truman
1936-1941 Donald D. McQueen
1943-1951 V.A.Loughborough
1951-1954 J. H. Langton Edwards
1955-1973 David Ford
1974-1989 Ian Winterbottom
1990-1998 David Truby Dr Jocelyn V Lewis
1999- Ayshe Erdal
This document is not a full list of donations kindly given to Brimington Church.
All donations are recorded in the memorial book which is currently being restored and updated.
Brimington Church 1808
In the churchyard there are a couple of items of note:
A grave stone near the tower bear’s the inscription:
‘Pass not proud mortals thus unmindful by
Here moulders one who never told a lie
Who ne’er detracted from anothers name
Nor e’er by scandal brought a neighbour shame
In life’s uneven path contented trod
Curs’d not her neighbours nor blasphem’d her God
More quiet none to brother’s sister’s known
For know O reader she was deaf and dumb’
Another tells the tale of a tragic riding accident:
‘This youth whose fate we mourn in frequent tears
Fell from a horse! entangled in the gears
By his left foot! and drag’d along the road
Above a mile! towards where he abode
Thus! awful to relate his vertual breath
In vernal bloom was stopped by cruel death’
This grave is situated near the corner where the rectory drive meets the main road.
Also in the graveyard is the mystery of the man hanged in Derby but buried in Brimington in 1800.
This page is Copyright Peter Deeming
My thanks go to him for allowing this page to go on the web.
Please note that as far as we know this page is accurate, but would suggest that all viewers check the facts for themselves.
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