Grimsby Minster

Grimsby Minster
The Minster and Parish Church of St. James, Grimsby
53°33′50″N 0°05′22″W / 53.563792°N 0.089360°W / 53.563792; -0.089360Coordinates: 53°33′50″N 0°05′22″W / 53.563792°N 0.089360°W / 53.563792; -0.089360
Location	Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire
Country	ENG
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Broad Church
Website	www.grimsbyminster.co.uk
History
Dedication	James, son of Zebedee
Significant past bishop(s)	Rt Rev David Tustin
Architecture
Status	Parish Church
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade I listed building
Administration
Parish	Grimsby
Deanery	Grimsby
Archdeaconry	Stow & Lindsey
Diocese	Lincoln
Province	Canterbury
Clergy
Bishop(s)	Rt Rev David Rossdale
Vicar(s)	Reverend David Shenton
Laity
Director of music	Anthony Pinel, ARCM, ARCO
Organist(s)	Steven Maxson

Grimsby Minster is a minster and parish church located in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, England. Dedicated to St. James, the church belongs to the Church of England and is within the Diocese of Lincoln.

Background

Today's St. James' church came into existence in 1114, when ownership of an earlier religious building was transferred to Robert Bloet, the Bishop of Lincoln. The following years saw many renovations and developments to the building, which eventually produced a church containing a nave with six bays, with the central tower being added in 1365. In 1586, St. James' became the parish church of Grimsby, after John Whitgift united the parishes of St. James' and St. Mary's, the parish church of the latter having been located on Victoria Street. In 1856, Canon Ainslie began a complete restoration of the church, which included lengthening the chancel and the rebuilding of the South transept. Later works included the building of new windows with stone tracery, and the installation of new oak roofs. The next key event in the history of the church, was the opening of the James College in 1883. The predecessor of today's St. James' School, it was founded by Canon Young, and continues to be the only choir school in the UK to be attached to a parish church.^[1] The news that the church was to be granted minster status was announced in the Grimsby Telegraph on 15 April 2010.^[2] The Minster-making ceremony took place on Sunday, 16 May 2010 and was led by the Lord Bishop of Lincoln, and the Bishop of Grimsby. The Mayor of North East Lincolnshire, Councillor John Colebrook, accepted the official declaration of Minster status on behalf of the Borough.

Parish structure

It is in a group of parishes which includes:

• St. Hugh's Church, Grimsby
• St. Martin's Church, Grimsby
• St. Mark's Church, Grimsby

Organ

The church has two pipe organs. The West End Organ is by J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd and dates from 1951, built to replace an earlier instrument destroyed by enemy action during World War II. Parts of the pre-war instrument were incorporated within the new organ, notably soundboards and some pedal pipes. A specification and pictures of the organ can be see on the National Pipe Organ Register. The Walker organ was rebuilt by J.W.Walker in 1976, with significant tonal modifications being made at this time.

Given the significant distance between the West End of the Church and the Choir, a second organ was installed on the North Side of the Choir in the 1970s, by Johnson. This two manual and pedal instrument is used for choral services in order to accompany the Choir. The specification and photographs of this instrument, too, can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.

Organists

Former organists include

• Edwin Brammer ca. 1872^[3]
• James Forbes Carter ca. 1896^[4]
• John Stanley Robson 1924^[5] - 1953
• Eric Arthur Conningsby 1954 - 1955 (formerly organist of Llandaff Cathedral)
• Dennis Townhill 1956 - 1961 ^[6]
• Martin How 1961 - 1964
• Michael Dudman 1964 - 1968
• Robert Walker 1968 - 1973
• Christopher Weaver 1974 - 1979
• Patrick Larley 1982 - 1987
• Andrew Shaw 1987 - 1993
• Andrew Cantrill 1994 - 1996
• Steven Maxson 1997 - 2003
• Adrian Roberts 2003 - 2006
• Anthony Pinel 2006 -

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Assistant organists

Stephen Maltby 1979 - 1982

• Barry Whitfield ??? - 2006
• Steven Maxson. 2006 -

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Choir

Grimsby Minster is known for being the only parish church in England to have its own Choir School, St James' School. St James' School was founded in 1880 by Canon James Peter Young to provide boy choristers for St James' Church. The School is now a co-educational school of the Woodard Corporation and a member of the Choir Schools' Association. From September 2008, Choristers have also been drawn from a neighbouring Voluntary Aided Church of England School, Lisle Marsden Primary School (named after a former Rector of Grimsby, Canon Lisle Marsden).

The Choristers within the Choir at the start of the Michaelmas Term 2009 were:

David Whitworth, Head Chorister
Sam Lee, Head Chorister
Lyle McNally, Chorister
George East-Dunning, Chorister
Charlie Maxson, Chorister (pupil of Lisle Marsden Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School />Jack Turrell, Probationer

Two probationary choristers, pupils of Saint James' School, joined the Choir in June 2009 : Liam Pudsey and Roy Hillson

Choral Scholars, former choristers now singing with the Gentlemen of the Choir, were:

Ashley Draper, Tenor
Adam Rogers, Bass
Oliver Woods, Alto

Gentlemen of the Choir include:

Altos

Sam Maxson (formerly Head Chorister, when not at Durham University)
Steven Maxson (when not required to play the organ)

Tenors

Robert Adams (Organist of All Saints' Church, Waltham, Grimsby)
Thomas Drew (formerly Head Chorister)
Phil Huckin (when not at his home in Wales)
Harry Pickering (formerly Head Chorister)
Martin Pickering

Basses

David Parker
David Overton (formerly Master of the Choristers)
Thomas Drew (former Head Chorister)

Bells

The Minster has 10 bells hung for normal full-circle ringing. They weigh a total of 4.3 tonnes, the tenor (the largest bell) weighing 18.25cwt and having a diameter of 4 feet. They are tuned to the key of E flat. They date from 1830 when three of them were cast by William Dobson, and several bellfounders have cast the rest since then, including John Taylor and Co and John Warner and Sons, the newest bells (the two lightest) being cast in 1962 by Mears and Stainbank. The ringers are Frank Kennington (captain), Matthew Jeffery, Lorraine Jeffery, John Cade, Jane Willerton, Kim Holland, Vic Pope, Neil Mangan, Joanne Smith and Bethany Chapman.

References

1. ^ Extract for Lincolnshire Life Magazine
2. ^ http://www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk/news/St-James-Church-granted-minster-status/article-2019356-detail/article.html
3. ^ White's History, Gazetteer & Directory of Lincolnshire, 1872, p.208
4. ^ Kelly's Directory of Lincolnshire, 1896, p.234
5. ^ Who's Who in Music. Shaw Publishing Co. Ltd. London. First Post-War Edition 1949-50
6. ^ http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article4812668.ece

External links

• Details from listed building database (478765) . Images of England. English Heritage.
• Photographs of Grimsby Parish Church
• Grimsby Parish Church group on Flickr