This guide to St.
James the Great, Thorley is designed as a series of descriptive cameos
to encourage the onlooker to wander and to wonder how this historic
parish church developed over nearly 1000 years. The guide is not
intended to be a comprehensive history, but rather a straightforward
account of a few of the many fascinating features set within their
historical context. Few churches can boast two Queen Elizabeths as
patrons for two of their Rectors, an inscription with a reference to the
Koran and a stained glass window containing the star of David.
The compiling of this
guide has been a co-operative effort and I therefore gratefully
acknowledge the valuable advice and assistance of many people for their
help.
Our historical
trail starts outside the southern doorway with a fine strong example of
Norman architecture. The classic double 'dog tooth' zig-zags of the
decorated arch, supported by simple, cable columns, indicate an early
Norman building. The Norman landowner responsible for rebuilding an
Anglo-Saxon structure was probably Geoffrey de Magnaville. William of
Normandy granted him the manorial rights of Thorley (Torlei) in 1086 -
no doubt the fortunes of war following the Norman Conquest.
The marble font, of the same 12th Century period proved big
enough for its original use - the complete immersion of the infant child
during baptism. It was later discarded from the church - possibly during
Cromwell's puritan purges - and used as a drinking trough in a local
farmyard. In 1855 this ancient font was restored to its present
situation complete with a new base and cover.
By standing at the
font and facing east towards the altar the original shape of the 13th
Century church can be seen. This would have been a rectangular hall
with an arch and screen segregating the priest from the people, the
chancel from the nave. The original roof would have been wooden
protected outside with thatch and run at the same level over the nave
and chancel. In the right light a shadow line of the original lower
nave roof can be made out above the chancel arch.
The narrow
lancet windows in the nave and the chancel are the oldest in the
church. These splayed windows slope inward so as to let in maximum
light. As glass was so expensive in the 13th Century, the lancet
windows would have been covered with parchment or oiled linen as a
protection against the inclement weather. The stained glass in these
windows is a later 19th Century improvement.
It is interesting
to speculate whether this Early English 13th Century replacement for
the Norman church was built in two distinct stages. The piscina or
holy washing basin, set into the east end of the south wall of the
nave suggests that an altar or chapel was originally located in this
corner. With the growing influence at this time of the clergy, their
more elaborate services and an increasing population, more room would
be needed. The chancel could therefore have been built as a second
stage extension in the latter part of the 13th Century with the nave
altar relocated within this enlarged separate chancel and sanctuary.
Thorley in the
early 14th Century was a relatively affluent settlement being a
neighbouring parish to the important and prosperous market town of
Bishop's Stortford. This period saw another necessary enlargement of
the parish church. The roof level of the nave was raised and wider
windows incorporated. The nave in these mediaeval times had many uses
apart from those of worship. As the village hall it would have been
used as a centre for meetings, market transactions and storage
purposes. The separation from the chancel, however, would have been
quite obviously emphasised by a wooden screen with a heavy cross
above. There would also have been locked doors to this rood screen to
keep out animals as well as people. The screen would be strong enough
to support a balcony with access from the small side door in the north
wall, up the staircase to an upper door. The impressions of the
fixings for this large screen to the chancel arch can still be made
out by the indentations in the plaster around the chancel arch. This
spiritual and physical barrier between the priest and his people would
have been removed during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I and thereby
opened up the church services to all.
Moving through the
now open arch into the chancel other 14th Century alterations become
apparent. The higher chancel arch supported by slender piers
symbolises the enlarged church as required for the increasing
population. Recessed into the south wall of the chancel is the
remarkable feature of a three seat sedilia. These stone seats of
varying heights were allocated to priest, deacon and sub-deacon
according to rank. A later piscina is also set into the wall alongside
the sedilia.
Around the turn of
the next century, the 15th Century, Thorley Manor acquired one of its
most illustrious Lords, Sir Richard Whittington. As the legendary Dick
Whittington, three times Lord Mayor of London, he made most of his
fortune lending money in the City of London. His name, however, now
lives on at Richard Whittington School and on Whittington Way. Popular
folk lore likes to adopt the successive cats that frequent the church
as the local descendant of Dick's famous cat!
No doubt like most
communities in the middle of the 14th Century, Thorley suffered
ravages from the infamous Black Death and so it would not be until the
15th Century that the village would be able or would require to add to
its parish church. The most prominent feature added at this time is
the church tower, built in the Perpendicular style. The evidence that
church towers were still thought of as defensive locations is shown by
the ornamental battlements and the extra height provided by successive
storeys. Thorley's design of tower with a thin eight sided spire or
spike rising direct from the tower is a church feature peculiar to
Hertfordshire. Other ornaments of this Perpendicular-Gothic period
style may be seen at several levels on the tower on the drip stones
over the arches. These stone reliefs protect the windows and doors by
throwing the rainwater off the mouldings. The carved ends or corbels
of the tower drip stones have characters which give an added personal
interest. The use of the top of the tower as a vantage point has a
modern significance. It was used in the Second World War as a look-out
place to watch for the night-flying Lysander aircraft returning to
Sawbridgeworth airfield at Allen's Green less than two miles away.
The
written records of the church date from 1539. This was only one
year after Henry VIII decreed that each parish should keep registers
to record weekly details of baptisms, weddings and burials. Our
records are housed in the County Record Office in Hertford, protected
in surroundings which ensure that the fragile materials, on which
hundreds of personal details are preserved, will not deteriorate.
On public
view in the church is the record of successive Rectors, who have been responsible
for the parish since 1327. This list, a copy of which is to be found
on an oak panel inside the base of the
bell tower, contains two entries which together may constitute a
unique ecclesiastical record. At the time of the appointment of two of
the incumbents the responsible Bishop's See was vacant, so two Rectors
have as their patron Queen Elizabeth. In 1594 the Reverend Francis
Burley's appointment was signed by Queen Elizabeth I, and then more
recently, the Reverend Alan Cole was appointed under the patronage of
Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II as the then Bishop of St. Albans,
the Rt. Rev. Robert Runcie, had been translated to the Archbishopric
of Canterbury.
Two Rectors
on the roll deserve further mention as they attained a wider
'national' reputation beyond our small parish of Thorley. Francis
Burley is credited as being one of the translators of the King James'
Authorised Version of the Bible in 1611. Samuel Horsley, after a short
time in the living at St. James the Great, Thorley, went on rapidly to
appointments at St. Albans and St. Paul's Cathedral, and from there to
become Bishop of St. David's, Rochester and St. Asaph's, North Wales.
Samuel Horsley and his father, John, who was Rector from 1745 - 77,
have memorials on the north wall of the chancel.
The substantial
tower with walls at least three feet thick has been used since the
seventeenth century as a belfry. St. James now has six bells each with
its own inscription. The oldest is the Number 6, tenor, 8cwt. 2qrs.
and dated 1628 with "God Save the King" (King Charles 1) inscribed.
The most recent is the Number 1, treble, 3cwt. 2qrs. with the
inscription "In memory of Laurie and Maud Frere of Twyford House,
Thorley given by their daughter Beryl Laurie Frere 1946".
In the middle ages,
bells would have had many uses apart from summoning the parishioners
to worship. The curfew bell, or 'couvre feu' bell, was rung in the
evening to remind the local population to put out their house fires as
a safety precaution. A bell could be used as a public clock as the
sound would travel widely from such a prominent landmark. At harvest
time the gleaning bell was rung at 8 o'clock in the morning and then
at 6 o'clock in the evening to indicate the daily period when
gleanings from the corn left by reapers could be legally gathered.
Nowadays, besides the regular ringing on Sundays and at weddings,
special notable occasions are commemorated by special changes. These
celebrations are remembered on plaques in the ringing room in the
tower. Two recent occasions were the Silver Jubilee of her Majesty
Queen Elizabeth II, 7th June, 1977 and In Memoriam of Sir Winston
Churchill, 30th January, 1965.
Situated in the
churchyard beyond the south porch is a symbol of immortality, an
ancient yew tree. It has been dated as being at least a thousand years
old. Poisonous yews act as a deterrent to cattle straying on to the
sacred burial grounds surrounding the church. King Edward 1 (1272 -
1307) decreed that yew trees should be planted in churchyards to
protect church buildings from storms. He may also have had in mind the
ideal use of the yew's wood for making longbows, to equip the growing
armies of the Middle Ages.
By the 18th Century
sermons were playing an increasingly longer part in a church service
so benches, pews and 'horse-box' pews became necessary to support the
long-suffering congregation. Prior to this the only benches that
existed would be placed against the side walls of the nave. These were
reserved for the old and the infirm and hence the expression 'the
weakest to the wall'. There is no obvious evidence of the 18th Century
seating arrangements at St. James before the present furniture which
is Victorian. We may presume that the Lords of the Manor and other
landowners would have had their own personal family pews and benches
towards the back of the nave. It is also likely that, being a country
church, space would have been left at the back of the church reserved
for the shepherds with their dogs.
The earliest
memorials in the churchyard date from the 18th Century. To the right
of the south porch are two ancient gravestones which were erected to
tenants by their landlords - a most generous 18th Century gesture.
Like most churchyards, the shape of the burial ground is lopsided with
most of its area lying to the south and west of the church. There was
a long-held prejudice against being buried on the sunless north side.
At one time, when the churchyard was not so full of graves, an area
would have been available for village fairs and archery contests. To
accommodate the wishes of parishioners who chose to be buried at St.
James the churchyard has had to be extended twice in the past 100
years, in 1888 and 1946. Today the Parochial Church Council has
entrusted the tending of the churchyard to the Friends of St. James.
New members and other volunteers are always welcomed to help maintain
this large area in the respectful manner which it deserves.
The 19th Century saw many changes to the overall fabric of the church
that are still obvious today. Substantial restoration took place in
1855 consisting of rebuilding many crumbling walls, providing new
stonework around windows and a complete new roof over the chancel and
nave - the thatched roof had been burnt down in 1832. The whole floor
was repaved and the nave and chancel provided with new seating. At the
same time the vestry and the south porch were added. The cost of these
very necessary repairs and additions were largely borne by the Lord of
the Manor, Lord Ellenborough and by Mr. B.J.L. Frere of Twyford House,
whose family have continued to endow the church for over a hundred
years.
The church is rich in stained glass windows all dating from the
latter half of the 19th Century. Various benefactors have seen fit to
remember members of their families in this colourful way. All these
windows depict biblical scenes and trying to make out their
inscriptions is an interesting exercise. The east window deserves a
special mention as old photographs exist showing a window with five
lights or divisions. This was replaced by the present one with its
three lights in 1868, presumably to allow more light into a somewhat
dark sanctuary and chancel.
The stone Reredos that extends across the east wall behind the
altar was erected by grateful parishioners in memory of the Reverend
Frederick Vander-Meulen, Rector 1853 - 1882. It was during his
incumbency that the valuable outside restoration work, interior
refurbishment and necessary additions were completed to ensure the
sound structure and shape of the church that is apparent now.
Perhaps the most
attractive addition to the church in the twentieth century was the
Lychgate. This was erected in 1921 in memory of John Matthias Proctor
who was Rector from 1883 - 1909 - only the third Rector of St. James
the Great in a period spanning over a hundred years. This fine example
of a roofed main gateway was built in a much older style that served a
most practical purpose. 'Lychgate' is the old English for
'corpse-gate' and so called because the priest used to meet all
funerals at the gateway to the churchyard and so the wide Seats
provided a waiting place for the coffin bearers.
Twentieth century
parishioners more than fulfilled their responsibilities in maintaining
their 800 year old church. The century witnessed a succession of
necessary repairs, replacements and improvements such as replacing the
old lamps with electric lights (1947), installing an oil-fired central
heating system (1957), renewing the roof (1959), the floor (1962) and
the wobbly spire (1966). The organ had at least two renovations, in
1964 and 1981. The outside stonework had continual attention
particularly the west door in 1976.
Our church should
not be regarded only as a memorial to the heritage of the past. It has
to serve as the living, spiritual focal point for the expanding parish
of Thorley. Parishioners who lost their lives in the century's two
World Wars are remembered on the war memorials inside the church and
similarly, tended graves outside are indications that loved ones are
not forgotten. As well as the regular church services, christenings
and marriage ceremonies will ensure that parishioners will worship
here and so continue to proclaim the Christian message from their
historic building.
The conclusion of
this guided tour through the nine centuries of history of Thorley
church strangely leads back beyond its starting point in the 12th
Century. When the foundations for the flint wall on the northern
boundary were being excavated in 1986, pieces of Roman pottery were
found which dated back to the 2nd and 4th Centuries A.D. Obviously
this prominent hilltop site has had a settlement here with, likely as
not, a centre of worship, not just for 800 years of recorded history,
but for at least 2,000 years!
