STOCKTON WARD 



HARTLEPOOL 



embattled parapet and angle pinnacles. Externally 

 the lower stage is again divided into two, correspond- 

 ing in height with the aisle and clearstory, the aisles 

 being carried along the north and south sides of the 

 tower with lean-to roofs between the great buttresses. 

 The tower measures internally about 1 8 ft. by 20 ft., 

 the greater length being from north to south, and 

 there is a vice, carried up as a turret, in the south-west 

 corner. The ringing chamber is lighted on the north, 

 south and west by pairs of moulded lancets, and the 

 belfry stage has an external arcade on the same three 

 sides of four moulded arches, of which two on each 

 face were pierced. On the east side above the roof 

 are two wider pointed windows. There is also a blank 

 arcade on the north and south sides, ranging roughly 

 with the clearstory immediately above the aisle roofs, 

 that on the north side being more or less perfect, but 

 only one arch remaining on the south. Internally a 

 great deal of the original detail is now covered up by 

 the fillings of the arches, and the whole is encumbered 

 with timber shoring. The great east arch to the nave 

 occupies the whole space from the piers of the arcades 

 up to the full height of the clearstory, and, liice the 

 arches north and south to the aisles, was richly moulded, 

 but with the exception of the hood mould and part of 

 the outer order all its detail is now buried. Of the 

 original western opening all that can be said is that it 

 was considerably wider than the existing and slightly 

 later doorway, and that it had nook shafts separated by 

 rows of dog-tooth." The vault has deeply moulded 

 ribs meeting in a floreated central boss, but is now in 

 a greatly shattered state. In the filling of the western 

 arch is a window of three lancet lights within a single 

 arch, which now alone lights the tower space. The 

 west wall of the 'galllee' has gone, but sufficient 

 masonry remains at either end to mark its position. 

 The north and south doorways, which are pierced 

 through the buttresses, though much decayed, still 

 remain as when erected. That on the south side 

 consists of three moulded orders springing from angle 

 shafts with moulded capitals and bases, inclosed within 

 a hood mould and with an inner trefoiled arch — a 

 beautiful piece of I 3th-century work. That on the 

 north is much plainer, consisting of four chamfered 

 orders on the outside and two facing south, the wall 

 itself being considerably thicker than those on the west 

 and south. 



The font was 'the gift of Geo. Bowes, Esq., 1728,' 

 and consists of a circular scalloped marble basin and 

 shaft, with contemporary wooden cover. 



The pulpit and all the fittings are modern. 



There is a brass in the floor of the nave immediately 

 in front of the chancel arch, with a figure of Jane 

 Bell, who died in 1593." 



In the engaged portion of the aisle south of the 

 tower are preserved a number of fragments of old 

 masonry, consisting of capitals, gable crosses, &c., 

 together with three stone coffins '' and a mutilated 



female effigy. An ancient key, found in a putlog 

 hole in the tower in 1893, is now in the vestry. 



The tower contains three bells cast by T. Mears of 

 London in 18 19. The clock dates from 1895. 



The plate consists of an egg-shaped chalice of 1813 

 and a paten and flagon of 1818, all made by Thomas 

 Watson of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The chalice and 

 flagon are inscribed, ' Presented by the Corporation 

 of Hartlepool,' and the paten (which stands on three 

 feet) '1818 Hartlepool. This Communion Plate was 

 presented by William Harry, Earl of Darlington, 

 Mayor, George Pocock, Esq., M.P., Robert Wilson, 

 Esq., William Vollum, Esq., Sir Cuthbert Sharp, 

 John Cooke, Esq., Rev. Will" Wilson, William Sedge- 

 wick, Esq., Aldermen, and Mr. Robert Richardson, 

 aided by the liberal subscriptions of the hon. & right 

 rev. Shute Bishop of Durham, and the Rev"" Dr. 

 Prosser, Archdeacon.''" 



The registers begin in i;66. 



The church of the HOLT TRINITl' was built 

 in 1850-1. It is a stone building in the early 14th- 

 century style, and consists of a chancel, nave, north and 

 south aisles, north and south porches, vestry and organ 

 chamber and western bellcote. The parish, which 

 includes the northern part of the town, was formed 

 in 1853." The living is a vicar.age in the gift of the 

 Bishop of Durham. 



The church of ST. JNDREIf, in Croft Terrace, 

 built in 1886, is a stone building in the 13th-century 

 style, consisting of a chancel with organ chamber, 

 nave, north aisle, south porch and south tower. It 

 serves as a chapel of ease to St. Hilda. 



The church of ' the Isle of St. 

 ^DFOPTSON Hilda' (apparently an early desig- 

 nation for the present peninsula ; cf. 

 the name Heruteu above) was granted to the monastery 

 of Guisborough by Robert de Brus (II) and his wife 

 Eufemia about the middle of the i 2th century." In 

 the confirmation charter of Henry II of 1 182 the 

 'church of Herterpol ' was included as well as the 

 church of Hart." In 1237 William Archdeacon of 

 Durham placed the Prior and convent of Guisborough 

 in corporal possession of the chapel of St. Hilda of 

 Hartlepool, according to their former possession and 

 ancient right,"' after the resignation of the chapclry 

 by Lawrence, former Prior of Guisborough, who on 

 his surrender of the priorship at a date before 1219" 

 was given the chapel of Hartlepool for his support by 

 the papal legate." 



In 1291 the chapel of Hartlepool was worth jf26 

 I 3/. 4<3'. ficT annum." At the commission of array in 

 1400 the vicar of Hartlepool appeared with a lance 

 and two arrows, the rector of HartLpool with three 

 lances and six arrows." 



Hartlepool is included in the rectory of Hart in 

 the Fa/or Ecclaiastkus of 1535." On the dissolution 

 of Guisborough Monastery in 1539-40 the rectory 

 of Hart with the chapelry of Hartlepool and tithes 



'" Arch. Ael. xvii, 239. 



'* ' She was the dowghter of Laurence 

 Thornell of Darlington, gent., and late 

 wyfe of Parsevel Bell, nowe maire of this 

 towcn of Hartinpoocll, marchant.' 



** Two of the coffins are of small size, 

 measuring 3 ft. 8 in. and 4 ft. 3 in. in 

 length respectively. During the restora- 

 tion of the tower in 1893, thirteen grave 

 covers were discovered built up inside the 

 tower to form the top of an Early English 



lancet window. On one of the covers 

 was incised a drawing of a mediaeval ship 

 and on another a child ; on the right-hand 

 side of the cross is what appears to be a 

 bottle, probably to represent a chris- 

 matory (Rev. E. J. Taylor in Froc. Soc. 

 Antij. ofNe~.vcatlU (N. S.), 20 (.1893-4)). 



^^ Proc. Soc. Anti^. IS'c'ZVC.iStUy iii, 221. 



" LonJ. Gaz. 8 Feb. 1853, p. 331. 



" Rc^. of Archh[: Gray (Surt. Soc.), 

 p. 80 n. 



" Guhbro' Charlul. (Sun. Soc.), 16. See 

 Hart advowion. 



'* Guisiro' Chartul. (Surt. Soc), ii, 325. 



''•' Lawrence was prior in 1211, quondam 

 prior in 1219 (Ibid, i, xvii). 



" Reg. of Arckhp. Gray (Surt. Soc), 

 p. 80. 



" Pofc Nich. Tax. (Rcc. Com.), 315. 



'* Hill. Duaclm. Script. Trci (Surt. 

 Soc), App. pp. clxxxv, clxxxvi. 



" yalor Eccl. (Rec. Com.), v, So, 319. 



283 



