ST JAMES CHURCH
Church Notes taken August 20th 1829 The Church consists
of a chancel, nave, and side aisles. The chancel is 31ft 9ins long
and 15ft 1in wide, covered with plaster and wainscoted, with roses
on the inter-sections of the ribs. The Communion table is not
raised but railed off; the East window is large. The nave is 41ft
7ins long and 15ft 3 in wide covered in lead.
The pulpit stands on the East side of the first pillar from the
East on the south side, octagonal in shape. In the Southeast corner
is a bracket for an image, and over it is the entrance to the roof
loft. Over the West door are the arms of George 111. The font
stands in the Northwest corner, octagonal, of stone; on the faces,
quatre-foils in circles.
The seats are very ordinary. The nave is separated from the aisles
by four arches on each side, which are supported by quatre-foil
pillars, and lighted above by three clerestory windows on each
side. Over the East arch are the Belief, Lords Prayer and
Commandments. Part of the screen between the nave and the chancel
still remains.
The South Aisle is 42ft 5ins long and 8ft wide. In the Northeast
corner was the staircase up to the rood-loft. In the South wall at
the East end is a small piscina, with a plain cinquefoil head. The
roof is covered with lead.
The West Aisle is
42ft 10ins wide and is covered in lead. Here as well as in the
South aisle are some ordinary seats. On the North side is a
porch.
The steeple stands at the West end of the nave, square, built
with stones; the dimensions within, 8ft square, their is only one
bell. The present steeple was built about 28 to 30 years ago
(1799 or 1801) at the expense of the three Messrs. Gwilt, brothers;
the former steeple having a little before that time partly fallen
down. The earlier steeple was put up by the same builders who also
built the steeple at Flempton, and it is remarkable that half of
each of the two steeples fell down at nearly the same time.
Flempton steeple has not been rebuilt, (at this time) and its
present state will show what this was like, before the new steeple
was built.
This account was given by Mr Gwilt the rector at the time. The
statement therefore in the description of Bury and its Environs,
that it was rebuilt at the sole expense of Edward Gwilt esq. is
incorrect; as is also much of the other information relating to
these two parishes and neighbourhood in the same work, so Mr Gwilt
assured me.
The walls are cast
over
In this church is buried one Alice Dikes or Deeks a maid who died
in the reign of King Henry V11 and left £20-00 per annum to be
divided amongst the poor of both parishes. Her will was most
curiously adorned with the pictures of our Savour, and the Virgin
Mary and was kept in a chest made for that
purpose.
LOW SIDE WINDOW
At Icklingham St James near Mildenhall in Suffolk,
there was in the thickness of the wall, not far from the centre of
the North side of the chancel, a stone bench, in an arches and
covered recess outside the church; and at a height above the seat,
equal about to the level of a mans mouth when seated, was a square
aperture looking into the church. This recess is now stopped up.
Traces of the foundations outside the church seemed to indicate
that at some time the recess was enclosed within some building. The
above is regarded as a low side window, which was used as a
Confessional, the priest being seated within the
church.