THRAPSTON : CHURCH OF ST JAMES
Church Post Code NN14 4NP
Church Open 10 - noon Saturdays for tea and coffee
Visited September 2024
It was Ride and Stride day 2024; and a two church crawl (if as few as two churches can constitute a crawl), with the second of these being the church of St James in Thrapston. I had worked my way a short distance to the south east after starting the day at Lowick, the visit to St James coinciding with a regular Saturday coffee morning coffee morning when this otherwise closed church would be open to visitors.
I had visited here back in 2007, again with the church open for teas and coffee, armed with a basic digital camera and always wanted to pop back one day with the Nikon. A visit was arranged for the winter of 2023, which coincided with one of the foulest day’s weather for several years. The revisit finally happened on a fine and sunny September morning the following year.
Thrapston is a town in Northamptonshire which recorded a population of 7,238 at the time of the 2021 census. Geographically it is at the junction of three major roads; being found on the A14 between Huntingdon and Kettering and at the end of the A605 which has worked its way from Peterborough. The A45 leaves Thrapston from the south as it heads towards Rushden. The River Nene also flows close by, separating Thrapston from neighbouring Islip to the west; the villages close enough together that the tower and spire of St Nicholas Islip can clearly be seen from Thrapston’s bustling high street.
There is a connection in the town with American President George Washington. Sir John Washington, the great great great uncle of the later president living in the town and was buried in the churchyard of St James in 1688.
The church of St James can be found central on the busy high street and consists of west tower with spire, nave with north and south aisles and clerestories, north vestry and chancel. There has been a church here since the 12th century but the oldest parts of the structure that we see today date back to the 13th century.
The late 14th century tower is of five stages, buttressed up to the top of the fourth stage. A recessed octagonal spire with three tiers of Lucerne windows rises up. A single gargoyle can be found centrally on all four sides, with the one very weathered creature looking out to the south with hands held over ears in distress. A frieze of a repeated quatrefoil and diamond design runs across the top of the tower.
The perpendicular nave and clerestories are each Victorian rebuilds, with the 13th century chancel, the oldest surviving part of the present church, being dominated by the fine five light east window, with the window itself dating from the 14th century.
The church here has had a hard life to be fair. A report in 1606 noted, among other things that the lead work and the seating was decayed and the pulpit was ‘very unfit and wanteth a dore’. A further report in 1683 warned the rector of improvements that needed to be completed in the chancel with the rector being responsible for the chancel and the church wardens, who were responsible for the rest of the church, also being warned as to their own responsibilities with regards other work that needed to be completed!
During the 19th century its condition was dangerous and the nave and aisles were completely rebuilt. This left the late 14th century tower and spire and the 13th century chancel as the only ancient survivals.
There was a west gallery here before the rebuilding of the 1840’s, but this rebuilding saw the addition of galleries running down the north and south aisles. Evidently, the behaviour of some of those in the galleries on a Sunday left a lot to be desired and in 1844, shortly after these galleries were first used, someone was employed to maintain order during Divine Worship. Note was also made in 1897 that six sidesmen were appointed to help the church wardens keep order!
When Thomas North compiled his study of the church bells in Northamptonshire, which was published in 1878, there were five bells in the ring here. Two of these were cast at Stamford by Thomas Norris in 1634 and Tobias Norris III in 1677. One further was cast by Henry Bagley II of Chacombe Northamptonshire in 1686. North didn’t note founders for the other two bells at that time.
This old ring of five bells was changed to a ring of eight in 1897, to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee with the whole ring cast by Taylor of Loughborough and dedicated by the Dean of Peterborough in May 1897. The inscriptions on seven of the bells are interesting, taken from Tennyson’s poem ‘Ring Out Wild Bells’ with inscriptions as follows ‘Ring in the Christ that is to be’ ‘ring out the darkness of the land’ ‘Ring in the thousand years of peace’ ‘Ring out the thousand wars of old’ ‘Ring in redress to all mankind’ ‘Ring out the feud of rich and poor’ and ‘Ring out the false and ring in the true’.
I made my way in to the church grounds through a narrow alley off the high street, approaching the church from the south. Entrance is through a west door in the tower, with the original south porch lost during early Victorian rebuilding. The ‘Church Open’ sign was out and we were good to go.
Moving inside, there was a good number of people inside and a nice buzz of conversation. My photographs of the interior were slightly limited due to there being people inside but it was still very much worth while attending.
There are four bay arcades to north and south with galleries with these all dating from the early Victorian rebuilding. Nave is separated from chancel by a 19th century screen, with much of the fixtures and fittings in the nave and chancel all dating from that same time. Carvings of human heads look out across and along the interior; a turbaned bearded figure looking out in a disapproving manner towards those taking teas and coffee at the west end of the nave.
Modern comfortable chairs will probably incur the chagrin of those who think that uncomfortable wooden pews are a penance necessary involved in Christian worship
The font dates from the late 1880’s and replaces an earlier medieval font. Interestingly it can be found at the east end of the north aisle rather than the more traditional position at the west end of the nave.
The altar has a white cloth, on which are embroidered the nine fruits of the spirit, several of which have caused me concern over my Christian journey. A bottle of hand sanitiser on the altar is ideal dating evidence for anyone looking at these photographs in future years, dating it to 2020; the covid year or after!
Against the south wall is a triple ogee headed sedilia, the seating for the priests during the Mass in pre reformation days. To the east of that is a double piscina, in which the hoily vessels used in the Mass would be washed.
The fine east window is of five lights, and dates from 1863; made by Wailes of Newcastle, one of the largest stained manufacturers of the 19th century, whose work includes the huge west window at Gloucester Cathedral.
This has five large panels detailing scenes from the crucifixion and resurrection with smaller panels below all depicting scenes from the Old Testament, with a Biblical connection between each of the pairs.
With regards the larger panels, from left to right we see Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, just before the arrest, drinking from the cup that he was to drink from; disciples asleep in the foreground. The smaller Old Testament panel below shows Joseph’s brother showing their father his rob, covered in goat’s blood after they had sold him in to slavery.
We then see two scenes where someone is marching towards their sacrifice. Jesus is forced to carry his own cross on his way to crucifixion, with below Abraham and his son Isaac carrying the implements for a burnt offering after God instructed Abraham to sacrifice his only bellowed son.
Central we see the crucifixion, with Christ crucified in front of symbolic blood red sky. Below we see Abraham being prevented from sacrificing his son; the real sacrifice of a Ram being provided, caught up in a thicket close by. This is the crux of this fascinating window; the difference for those who care to study it closely. God sacrifices his own beloved son whilst sparing Abraham’s beloved son; the latter proving his loyalty and trust in God in what he was prepared to do.
The fourth panel shows the resurrection with the risen Christ emerging from the tomb; again in a symbolically blood red cloak and accompanied by the angel, with some started Roman guards in the foreground. Below we have Joseph in his own form of resurrection, being lifted out of the well before being sold in to slavery.
Finally we have the ascension with Christ flanked by angels and with hands raised in blessing; wounds visible, rising up in front of four of the disciples. Below we see Elisha watching on as Elijah is taken up to Heaven in a fiery chariot.
In the south east corner of the chancel we have a banner which depicts St James, after whom the church is dedicated. He is the patron Saint of pilgrims and, as usual, he is shown carrying a pilgrims staff with two scallop shells hung over his arm; the scallop shell an often used Christian symbol.
The church grounds were closed to burials in 1895 and the gravestones themselves were removed to the outer walls in 1963. Several chest tombs are still in situ though, with one dating back to the 15th century and a group of three, with one dating back to the early 17th century with the surname Holditch still legible, each having a Grade II Listing in their own right.
A couple of the gravestones each depict a grieving widow, with one fine example in slate showing a weeping willow, which symbolises grief, draped over an urn. A closer look here shows that one of the branches on the willow tree has broken off; this symbolising death, but more specifically a life cut short, someone who has passed on before their time!
Times were hard, and many people failed to live until old age. This is illustrated in a plaque to the Leete family. Father Henry Leete was a surgeon in the town. He died in 1804 at the age of 53. His wife Margaret died two years earlier at the age of 51. They had six children and their deaths really brings home how hard things were. Harriott Elizabeth died in 1804 at the age of 27 years, passing away two weeks after the death of her father.
Mary Ann died in 1804 aged 24 with her sister Rosamond passing away in 1806 aged 20. Emma Sophia died four months after Rosamond aged 15 years.
Only two of the six lived a full life. Henry, who was also a surgeon died in 1853 aged 74 years with Nancy passing in 1858 aged 72.
It is worth noting that these were affluent people; how much worse would things have been for those who lived in poverty, of which there would be many.
