St Ninian's Church, Whitby

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Coordinates: 54°29′10″N 0°36′54″W / 54.486°N 0.615°W / 54.486; -0.615
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Church of St Ninian, Whitby
New Chapel
Church of St. Ninian, Baxtergate
Map
54°29′10″N 0°36′54″W / 54.486°N 0.615°W / 54.486; -0.615
LocationWhitby, North Yorkshire
CountryEngland
DenominationNon-denominational
Previous denominationEpiscopal
Church of England
Anglican Catholic Church
History
DedicationSt Ninian
Dedicated1863
Architecture
Functional statusClosed
Years built1776-1778
CompletedOctober 1778; 245 years ago (1778-10)
Closed2019; 5 years ago (2019)
Specifications
Capacity800 (1778)
600 (1882)
Bells3
Listed Building – Grade II*
Designated23 February 1954
Reference no.1148349

The Church of St Ninian is a former place of worship in Whitby, North Yorkshire, England. The building was a proprietor church, the only one in the whole of Yorkshire, and one of only two Anglican churches to be dedicated to St Ninian in England. St Ninian's used to serve as an Anglican place of worship (as a chapel of ease to St Mary's Church, which is on the east cliff at Whitby). St Ninian's later became involved in the Anglo-Catholic church after a disagreement with the Church of England over the ordination of women priests. The church is noted for its interior woodwork, crafted by men who worked in the shipyards at Whitby noted for turning out the ships used by Captain Cook on his explorations looking for Terra Australis. The church was the second oldest Anglican church in the town of Whitby, with more churches and chapels being built after St Ninian's.

The church ceased to be a functioning religious house in 2019.

History[edit]

A chapel of ease called St Ninian's was known to have been in existence on Baxtergate in Whitby since the late 14th century. This was located quite near to the harbour walls near Horse-Mill Ghaut.[note 1][3] This has led to some speculation of it being a Medieval bridge chapel.[4] The current chapel, of late 18th century origin, was built on the opposite side of the road to the earlier Chapel,[5] and as the altar does not face towards the east, the church was noted for not being orientated.[6] It was originally opened as an Episcopal chapel and was sometimes known as Baxtergate Chapel, before later becoming St Ninians.[7]

The 1778 church was built by local people and owned by them, not the Church of England. As such, it is known as a Proprietors Church, the only one in Yorkshire, and believed to be only one of four such churches in England.[8] Thirty of the townsfolk paid £64 each towards the building costs, which entitled them to a free pew.[9] The rest of the pews in the church were available to anyone, and their collection plate offerings paid for the minister's salary. As the church was free of the local diocese, the minister at that time was appointed by the patrons of the church. However, the minister was under licence from the Archbishop of York.[10] Some of the original owners of the church included Thomas Fishburn and Thomas Milner; Fishburn's Yard in the town built three of the ships that Captain Cook used on his voyages, and Milner owned the Earl of Pembroke, which was bought by the Royal Navy and renamed Endeavour.[11][12] As a result of this, the church always had a strong link to the seafarers in the town.[13]

As the structure is a proprietary church, the families of those who paid for the church inherit the ownership,[14] though by its closure, very few of the owners could be traced.[15]

The inhabitants of lower Whitby were unhappy with having to travel up to St Mary's Church which was on the hilltop of the East Cliff; one of the reasons cited for the building of St Nininan's was to alleviate that journey from the west bank of the river, up the 199 steps to the church.[8] So they formed a shareholders fund to build their own church, and purchased a site on Baxtergate for £500,[16] with the final cost of the entire church coming in at £2,000.[17] They petitioned the Archbishop of York for an Anglican minister, and the rights given to a chapel of ease. The archbishop is said to have acceded as he was now free of having to build another church.[18] The church was traditionally a chapel of ease to the Church of St Mary, on the east cliff at Whitby.[6] In 1863, the church was dedicated to St Ninian; previous to this, it had been known as either Baxtergate Chapel (or less commonly as New Chapel.)[17] It was only one of two Anglican churches in England to be dedicated to St Ninian.[19][note 2]

Between 1881 and 1882, the church was extensively renovated with the box-pews removed in favour or ordinary pews, which reduced the numbers the church could host from 800 to 600.[22] In the 1890s, the church was closed again for renovations,[23] to a design drawn up by Edward H Smailes, who had the chancel and apse completely renovated.[24][25][26] The upper galleries were not changed during this time, so whilst the lower floor has an Anglo-Catholic feel to its design, the galleries are the same now as they were when they were built in the 1770s.[27] In 1892, three bells were acquired from Mears and Stainbank, though these have remained not hung in a belfry.[28]

In 1994, the church voted to leave the Church of England and join the Anglican Catholic Church over the ordination of women priests.[29] It was the first church in Britain to leave the established Church of England structure "wholesale".[30] In 1994, the Bishop of Whitby wrote to the Archbishop of York asking for the licence of St Ninian's to be revoked on account of the repairs needed to be made at the church. The problems of the decaying church could have led to falling masonry, and this would incur legal liability problems for the 30 owners of the church. However, only 15 members of the church could be located, and the approval status for church decisions needed a 51% majority or higher.[31][32] The original 30 investors in the church passed on their rights through inheritance, sale, transfer, and in at least one instance, bankruptcy.[33] Up until its secession from the Church of England, St Ninian's was the second oldest Anglican church in the town of Whitby (only the Church of St Mary is older), with the other churches in the town following in the 19th century.[34]

In 1998, the Archbishop of York (David Hope) revoked the licence for the church to hold traditional Anglican services after the dispute with the "traditionalist members could not be resolved".[35] Later, in 2013, the church announced its intent to breakaway from the Anglican Catholic Church and become independent,[36] but in 2019, the church was closed completely.[11]

Architecture[edit]

Completed in October 1778,[37] the external walls are finished in brown brick, and the internal designs were akin to the wooden designs of the local ships.[38] The cupboards in the vestry were fashioned to be like the locker's on ships, again a legacy of those who built the interior of the church in the first place.[39] A Whitby mast-maker, Isaac Allanson, supplied the men and materials for the three galleries that line the church on three sides, with supports made from oak wood.[40] The carpenters were used when the ship-building trade was "slack", or could be spared from the yard.[41]

Supporting the roof is nearly 30,000 feet (9,100 m) of sawn timber. At that time, imports of timber were being hampered by a blockade caused by the American War of Independence. This increased the overall cost for all the proprietors.[42] The roof is built from slate, which was transported overland from Hull in the 1770s. The land route was preferable to delivery by sea as shipping was affected by the war which was ongoing at that time.[43]

The Architect Journal from 1874 described the building as a "debased edifice of Queen Anne, or any way, of Dolly Varden architecture..."[44]

The chancel screen, polygonal timber pulpit, and stone font, all originate from the early 20th century.[41] In 1954, the building was grade II* listed.[41]

Notable people[edit]

  • William Scoresby, attended the church when it had a evangelical preacher (Dr Richard Holloway) in charge. Scoresby later became a priest, inspired by Holloway.[43][45]
  • Ernest Stroud, was the incumbent vicar at St Ninian's in the early 1960s[46]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ A Ghaut is a localised term for a narrow alleyway leading down to the waters edge. It is believed to derive from the Scandinavian word gat meaning a way through. Whilst the word seems common in India, it is not used elsewhere in England.[1][2]
  2. ^ Another source states four in England, but one other is a Catholic church, and the former Church of St Ninian in Fenton was demolished by the end of the 19th century. Saint Ninian, as a dedication, exists in several churches elsewhere in the United Kingdom.[20][21]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Waters 2011, p. 54.
  2. ^ "ghaut - Yorkshire Historical Dictionary". yorkshiredictionary.york.ac.uk. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  3. ^ Holt, Robert Burbank (1890). Whitby, past and present. London: Copas. p. 29. OCLC 42892666.
  4. ^ Waters 2011, p. 30.
  5. ^ Young, George (1824). A picture of Whitby and its environs. Whitby: Rodgers. p. 229. OCLC 82021591.
  6. ^ a b "Parishes: Whitby | British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  7. ^ Royle, Edward; Larsen, Ruth M, eds. (2006). Archbishop Thomson's visitation returns for the diocese of York, 1865. York: Borthwick Publications. p. 480. ISBN 1-904497-17-9.
  8. ^ a b Kitchen, Ruby (30 October 2021). "Search for church's lost owners". The Yorkshire Post. p. 3. ISSN 0963-1496.
  9. ^ Stangoe, Joyce (24 September 2021). "St Ninian's Church, Whitby: 'we would love to see this at centre of community life'". The Whitby Gazette. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  10. ^ Reed, Silvester (1866). Reed's Illustrated Guide to Whitby (10 ed.). Whitby: Reed. p. 38. OCLC 504705471.
  11. ^ a b Wilkinson, Paul (15 October 2021). "Whitby Civic Society launches campaign to save listed church in Captain Cook's home town". The Church Times. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  12. ^ McGowan, A. P. (January 1979). "CAPTAIN COOK'S SHIPS". The Mariner's Mirror. 65 (2): 109–118. doi:10.1080/00253359.1979.10659134.
  13. ^ Barker 2006, p. 43.
  14. ^ Stothard, Peter, ed. (29 May 1994). "Rebel sect hijacks ancient church - Whitby, North Yorkshire". The Times. No. 69, 967. p. 9. ISSN 0140-0460.
  15. ^ "Latest news - Whitby Civic Society". www.whitbycivicsociety.org.uk. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  16. ^ Atkins, Duncan (20 February 1998). "Blow for church erected by Cook's shipbuilders". The Whitby Gazette. p. 3. ISSN 0963-4649.
  17. ^ a b "bi-centenary of St Ninian's". The Whitby Gazette. 22 September 1978. p. 11. ISSN 0963-4649.
  18. ^ Barker 1990, p. 108.
  19. ^ Woodwark, Thomas Harwood (1927). The Proprietary Chapel of Saint Ninian in Whitby. Whitby: Horne and Son. p. 156. OCLC 59222456.
  20. ^ Arnold-Foster, Frances (1899). Studies in church dedications or England's patron saints. London: Skeffington and son. p. 432. OCLC 491463651.
  21. ^ Bond, Francis (1914). Dedications and patron saints of English churches: ecclesiast. symbolism saints and their emblems. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 19. OCLC 162918893.
  22. ^ "Genuki: WHITBY: Geographical and Historical information from the year 1890., Yorkshire (North Riding)". www.genuki.org.uk. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  23. ^ "Re-opening of St Ninian's Church Whitby". York Herald. No. 12489. Column E. 15 June 1891. p. 3. OCLC 877360086.
  24. ^ "Heritage Gateway - Results". www.heritagegateway.org.uk. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  25. ^ Pevsner, Nikolaus, Sir (2002). Yorkshire, the North Riding. New Haven: Yale University Press. p. 396. ISBN 0-300-09665-8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  26. ^ Whitworth 2002, p. 64.
  27. ^ White 2004, p. 32.
  28. ^ "Whitby: St Ninian - CHR Church". facultyonline.churchofengland.org. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  29. ^ Behrens, James (2003). Church disputes mediation. Leominster: Gracewing. p. 96. ISBN 0852445784.
  30. ^ Stothard, Peter, ed. (14 May 1994). "Church opts out - St Ninian's in Whitby, North Yorkshire". The Times. No. 69, 953. p. 2. ISSN 0140-0460.
  31. ^ Lumley, Steve (21 January 1994). "St Ninian's under threat". The Whitby Gazette. p. 1. ISSN 0963-4649.
  32. ^ "St Ninian's should be saved". The Whitby Gazette. 28 January 1994. p. 7. ISSN 0963-4649.
  33. ^ Barker 2006, p. 40.
  34. ^ "Town church needs £34,000 restoration". The Whitby Gazette. 21 June 1985. p. 9. ISSN 0963-4649.
  35. ^ Wilkinson, Paul (24 February 1998). "Church revokes chapel's licence". The Times. No. 66, 133. p. 12. ISSN 0140-0460.
  36. ^ "Church of St Ninian's | Anglican Catholic Church". www.anglicancatholic.org.uk. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  37. ^ Lawton, G E (1842). Collectio rerum ecclesiasticarum de Dioecesi Eboracensi, or, collections relative to churches and chapels within the diocese of York: To which are added collections relative to churches and chapels within the diocese of Ripon. London: Rivington. p. 507. OCLC 230752299.
  38. ^ Kennett, David H (April 2019). "Brick and its uses by the Church of England: the Archdeconry of Cleveland, Yorkshire 1541 - 1836". Information BBS (141). British Brick Society: 30. ISSN 0960-7870. OCLC 264958540.
  39. ^ Barker, Malcolm (17 December 2005). "The ghosts of Christmas past". infoweb.newsbank.com. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  40. ^ Barker 1990, p. 54.
  41. ^ a b c Historic England. "Church of St Ninian (Grade II*) (1148349)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  42. ^ "St Ninian's vows to keep going". The Whitby Gazette. 27 February 1998. p. 14. ISSN 0963-4649.
  43. ^ a b Barker 1990, p. 110.
  44. ^ "Our rambler in Yorkshire". The Architect. XI. London: Gilbert Wood: 98. 21 February 1874. OCLC 32931380.
  45. ^ Jackson, Robert Edward Scoresby (1861). The life of William Scoresby. London: T Nelson & Sons. p. 107. OCLC 4861976.
  46. ^ Crockford's clerical directory, 1980-82: a reference book of the clergy of the provinces of Canterbury and York and of other Anglican provinces and dioceses (88 ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. 1983. p. 978. ISBN 0192000101.

Sources[edit]

  • Barker, Rosalin (1990). The book of Whitby. Buckingham: Barracuda. ISBN 0-86023-462-2.
  • Barker, Malcolm G (2006). Essence of Whitby. Ilkley: Great Northern. ISBN 1-905080-11-5.
  • Waters, Colin (2011). A history of Whitby & its place names. Stroud: Amberley. p. 30. ISBN 978-1-4456-0429-9.
  • White, Andrew (2004). A history of Whitby (2 ed.). Chichester, West Sussex: Phillimore. ISBN 1-86077-306-0.
  • Whitworth, Alan (2002). A to Z of Whitby History. Whitby: Culva House Publications. ISBN 1-871150-05-1.

External links[edit]

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