A HISTORY OF DURHAM 



and west tower 80 ft. high, and stands slightly to the 

 north of the old chapel which was pulled down at the 

 time of its erection. No record of the appearance of 

 the old chapel has been preserved, but it was pro- 

 nounced 'ruinous and too little' in 1705.'" The 

 nave and aisles of the present building are under one 

 flat-pitched roof originally covered with lead, for 

 which slates were substituted in 1793. A vestry was 

 erected at the east end of the north aisle in 1 7 19, 

 together with a west gallery in which an organ was 

 placed in 1759.'' A second gallery was erected on the 

 north side in 1748 and another on the south in 1827, 

 but during the remaining years of the 1 9th century no 

 alterations were made in the fabric. In 1906 the old 

 ch.incel, which was very short and little more than a 

 recess at the east end, was rebuilt on a larger scale, the 

 floor of the nave relaid, and the old pews replaced by 

 modern oak seating. A side chapel and clergy vestry 

 from designs by Mr. W. D. Caroe were added in 

 1925 and paid for out of a bequest by Mr.T. L. Kirk 

 of Norton. A quire vestry was at the same time 

 built from subscriptions of the congregation. 



Externally the building is of little architectural 

 interest, the detail being very plain^ The nave has 

 si.x large round-headed windows on each side and two 

 well-designed doorways on the south below the end 

 windows. The walls terminate in a cornice and plain 

 brick parapet. 



The new chancel ^- and its fittings form a very fine 

 piece of modern Renaissance work. As seen from the 

 west end of the church in contrast with the long plain 

 nave it has an appearance of much dignity and beauty. 

 It contains very fine pavements of Sicilian, Frosterley 

 and Egyptian marbles. The old altar rails have been 

 retained. They are said to have been made by Capt. 

 Christopher out of drift oak picked up by Capt. Cook, 

 with whom he sailed on his last voyage. 



The nave arcades consist of six semicircular arches 

 springing from square pillars, and there is a semi- 

 circular chancel arch. The piers and arches are all 

 plastered, and there are flat plaster ceilings to the nave 

 and aisles. The side galleries extend as far as the 

 fourth bay from the west and are contained within the 

 aisles. The organ retains its old position in the west 

 gallery. 



The tower, which forms the west porch, is of three 

 stages with large round-headed belfry windows and a 

 straight brick parapet and angle pinnacles. The west 

 doorway is of some architectural merit, and there is a 

 large west window with a rounded head and pediment 

 above. The angles are emphasized by stone quoins. 

 A clock and chimes were placed in the tower in 1736. 



The vestry is panelled in oak all round, and the 

 pulpit is the original 1 8th-century one of oak of good 

 design. The font also is original, with an octagonal 

 fluted bowl of Frosterley marble. The organ built in 

 1759 "'^^ replaced by a new instrument in igoo. 



There is a ring of ten bells, two of which are by 

 Christopher Hodgson, 1696, and four by Samuel 

 Smith of York, 1714. The other four, cast by Llew- 

 ellins & James of Bristol, were added in 1898 as a 

 memorial of the sixty years of Queen Victoria's 

 reign.*'' 



The plate consists of a chalice and cover made at 

 York in 1688 by John Oliver, inscribed ' Capcl de 

 Stockton 89 ex dono WiUmi Lee ' ; another chalice 

 and cover of the same date and make inscribed ' Capel 

 de Stockton 89 Tho. Rudd Curat Stephan Whidwright 

 guard'; a paten of 1702 inscribed 'Tho. Rudd 

 Curate, Tho. Sutton and Rob' Thursby Chappie 

 Wardens of Stockton March y" 26"' 1703 ' ; a paten 

 of 171 1 with the mark of Seth Lofthouse, London ; 

 two fl.igons of 1728 made by Thomas Farrer, London, 

 one inscribed ' The Gift of Nicholas Swainston Esq' 

 Anno Domini 1727,' and the other 'Mrs. Ann 

 Stainsby widow of Mr. Robert Stainsby gave ten 

 guineas towards this piece of plate ' ; a flagon of i 730, 

 Newcastle make, inscribed ' The Gift of Mr. Rob' 

 Bishoprick 1730'; two plates of 1743 made by 

 Humphrey Payne of London inscribed 'Stockton 

 Church 1743 ' ; a large almsdish of I 743 made by 

 John Gilpin, London, inscribed ' The Gift of Catharine 

 Jackson' ; a small cylindrical cup and paten, 1821 ; 

 a small chalice and paten of 1824, both inscribed 

 with the names of the vicar, curate and churchwardens, 

 1825 ; and two chalices of 1863 by Barnard & Sons 

 of London.** 



The registers begin in 162 I. 



In the south-west corner of the churchyard is a 

 handsome war memorial erected by public subscription 

 from a design by Mr. H. V. Lanchester, F.R.I.B.A., 

 and at a cost of ^^7,500. It was unveiled by the 

 Earl of Durham and dedicated by the Bishop of 

 Durham on 31 May 1923. 



The church of the HOW TRINITV, in the High 

 Street, was completed in 1837. It is a building in 

 the Gothic style consisting of a chancel, nave with 

 north and south aisles, north and south transepts and 

 west tower with spire. The parish was formed in 

 1837.*^ The living is a vicarage in the gift of the 

 Bishop of Durham. 



The church of ST. JJMES, in Portrack Lane, was 

 completed in 1868. It is a stone building in the 

 style of the early 14th century, consisting of a chancel, 



'" Surtecs, op. cit. iii, 1S4. 



** The organ was improved in 1784. 

 A new organ was erected in 1901. 



" It was designed by the late Mr. R. J. 

 Johnson and carried out by Mr. A. 

 Crawford Hick. 



'^ The six old bells are inscribed as 

 follows : (i and 2) ' Christo Hodgson 

 made mee 1696. Thomas Readman, 

 William Hewler, Church Wardens'; 

 (3) 'Te Devm Lavdamvs. 1714'; (4) 

 •Cantate Domino Canticvm Novvm. 

 1714' ; (5) ' Lavdate Dominvm Cymbalis 

 Sonoris. 1714'; (6) 'Gloria in Excelsis 

 Deo. 1714.' Each of the four new 

 bells has a medallion portrait of Queen 

 Victoria, and bears an inscription ; {7) 

 'Fear Cod honour the King. To the 



Glory of God and in Commemoration of 

 the 60th year of the reign of Queen 

 Victoria this bell is presented by George 

 James Clarkson, Founder of the Stockton 

 Society of Change Ringers and first 

 Secretary of the Diocesan Association of 

 Ringers for Durham and Northumber- 

 land'; (8) 'Day by day we magnify 

 Thee. To the Glory of God and in 

 Commemoration of the 60th year of the 

 reign of Queen Victoria, this bell is pre- 

 sented by the Clergy and officials of this 

 church. Henry Martin, Vicar. Frederick 

 Robson, George Hickson Wass, Church- 

 wardens ' ; (g) * Charity never faileth. 

 To the Glory of the Great Architect of 

 the Universe and in Commemoration of 

 the 60th year of the reign of Queen 



Victoria, this bell is presented by the 

 Freemasons of this town,* Ac. ; (10) 

 'Righteousness exalteth a nation. To the 

 Glory of God and in Commemoration of 

 the 60th year of the reign of Queen 

 Victoria, this bell is presented by public 

 subscription.* . . . ' From my heart I 

 thank my beloved people. May God bless 

 them. Victoria R. and I. June 22nd, 

 1S97.' The four new bells arrived at 

 the church 20 June 1898, but remained 

 in the porch for some months. They 

 were first rung on Easter Day and 

 dedicated on 2 May 1899. 



^* Proc. Soc, of Antiq. Newcastle^ iii, 

 290-1. 



■" LonAn G'ao. 29 Dec. 1837, p. 

 3384. 



362 



