Kendal Parish Church Time Line


C13 & earlier C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 Links at Page Base


1087Ivo de Talebois (1st Baron of Kendal) gave the Church of Kerchbi in Kendale to the Abbey of St Mary in York.
1189Inhabitants of Kendal massacred in church by Duncan, Earl of Fife. Kendal under dominion of Malcolm, King of Scotland.
1190Acard de Kirkebi-Kendale, vicar for 38 years.
1201Present building constructed - arch over piscina found carved with this date during Victorian restoration (1829).
1228Nicholas Son of Robert, vicar for 18 years.
1246Roger Pepyn, vicar for 40 years.
1286Alan de Esyngwald, vicar for 15 years.
Early Cl4Parr Chapel built, with chantries to St Mary, St Anthony and St Christopher.
1301 Walter de Madestan, vicar for 11 years.
1312 Roger de Kirkbi, vicar for 54 years.
1366Thomas de Leynesbury, vicar for 30 years.
1396Thomas Greenwode, vicar for 25 years.
Late C14South Aisle added.

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C 15Clerestory added to nave to give more light. (10 windows each side - only 8 now.)
1421Richard Garsdale, vicar for 18 years.
1439 John Bryant, vicar for 56 years.
1495 William Abbot of St Mary's York, vicar for 25 years.
1520Thomas Maynes, vicar for 30 years.
1533Roger Bellingham built chapel.
1537Sundry persons and parish priest, Sir Walter Brown, on Sunday 4th February bid beads in church and prayed for the Bishop of Rome as Pope against the will of 24 appointed for the weal of the Church. The previous month 300 persons threatened to throw the other priest (Sir Robert Applegate) and the 24 into the water for refusing to name the Bishop of Rome as head of church.
1541Kendal Parish transferred to Chester Diocese from York.
1550James Pilkington B.D., vicar for 1 year.
1551Nicholas Ashton, vicar for 11 years.
1562Ambrose Etherington B.D., vicar for 29 years.
1591Samuel Heron B.D., vicar for 1 year.
1592 Ralph Tirer, vicar for 35 years.
1580Ceiling of Bellingham Chapel erected. North aisle added.

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1627Francis Gardener B.D., vicar for 13 years.
1640 Henry Hall B.D., vicar for 5 years.
1645Henry Massey M.A., vicar for 1 year.
Cl7Robin the Devil rode into church on horseback.(see history page).
Cl7Church beautified with scripture sentences, cherubim and seraphim, hissing serpents and dragons.
1646John Strickland, vicar for 13 years.
1659William Brownsword, vicar for 15 years. Publishes book denouncing Quakerism as popery
1661Tower in ruins - repaired.
1664George Wilkinson employed as dog-whipper, swine remover etc. (see old record). ( A farm was adjacent at Nether Bridge so animals tended to stray into church.)
1674Michael Stanford M.A., vicar for 9 years.
1683Thomas Murgatroyd M.A., vicar for 16 years.
1699William Crosby M.A., vicar for 35 years.

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C18Old open pulpit replaced by three decker.
C18Ring 0' Bells built for wardens to brew their ale and have meetings.
1703Organ erected at West End - enlarged 1804 and 1824.
1734 William Cuthbert M.A., vicar for 11 years.
1745Scottish army halted their march north to attend divine service. Vicar frightened away and service taken by Mr Crackenthorpe, Master of Grammar School.
1745Thomas Symonds vicar for 44 years.
1756George Romney, painter, married in church.
1760Churchyard overrun by children. Grammar School boys throwing stones through the windows. Glazier's bill for year £3.7s.
1762Lead fell through roof during divine service. A month later a tower pinnacle fell through roof and broke woman's leg. So all 8 pinnacles reduced by half. (Pieces now lying outside vestry entry.)
1775Whole of communion plate stolen from original vestry (outside east end of church.) Box containing it returned to church in 1942. (Now situated near entrance.)
1789Henry Robinson M.A., vicar for 17 years.
1792Music Festival held for three days in August. Handel's Messiah in the morning followed by a ball in the town at night.

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Cl9Mr Hudson, Vicar, erected new temporary pulpit - destroyed next day by Joseph Lambert of Wattsfield since it blocked entrance to his pew.
C19Archdeacon Cooper built new vicarage and Kirkland Schools.
C19Organ voluntary played during service to enable congregation to walk about and meet friends - then they settled down again for the rest of the service in high backed, velvet lined pews studded with brass nails.
C19Strickland Chapel - coat of arms with cockle shells showing that family went on Crusades. Sinners dressed in white robes had to stand under pulpit for one to three Sundays and their misdeeds were read out to the congregation.
C19Glazier appointed full time to replace glass in north side of church - boys going to Grammar School broke windows continually.
C19Church living given to Trinity College, Cambridge by Queen Mary after death of Henry VIII and dissolution of monasteries.
1806Youths seen sitting on tomb in churchyard. Top found to wobble. Bales of cloth discovered inside awaiting collection.
1806Mathew Murfitt M.A., vicar for 9 years.
1815John Hudson M.A., vicar for 29 years.
1829Leaning pillars in chancel restored. Two clerestory windows removed so lengthening the chancel and shortening nave.
1841Chinese flag captured in battle at Tinghai. (Now displayed in cabinet)
1844John Watkins Barnes M.A. vicar for years.
1847Organ moved to east end and rededicated. Candles for lighting borrowed from dissenting chapels.
1850 - 1852 Church closed for restoration - roof of nave replaced, floor paved at a much lower level, pulpit, lectern and pews installed. Old pulpit and Strickland pew transferred to Sizergh Castle.
1852Hot water heating pipes installed in air ducts under floor grilles.
1856Kendal transferred to Carlisle Diocese.
1858John Cooper M.A., vicar for 38 years.
1860Trinity College offered £200 for Ring of Bells. Asking price £600. Church wardens resisted as they brewed their ale there.
1864South roofs restored.
1868Outer and inner north roof restored. Bellingham Chapel west wall rebuilt - bottle of beer cemented in by workmen when nearly caught drinking it.
18713,000 present when church first lighted with gas.
1877Willis organ built at east end.
1896William Robert Trench L.I.M. vicar for 13 years.
1897Abbot Hall Park given to town, so footpath extended to Nether Bridge.
1897Canon Trench tries to keep "Dogs, ducks, children, catapaults" out of the newly designed churchyard and to prevent "lying about and smoking".
1898Font cover carved by John Kirkbride of Sedbergh and given in thanksgiving for ministry of Archdeacon Cooper which lasted nearly 40 years.

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19012,000 people attended memorial service for Queen Victoria, with 2,500 at musical event at night.
C20Tapestry depicting cross thrusting its way through the troubles of the world designed by Theo Norman, inspired by a visit to Brimham Rocks, near Harrogate.
C20Corona is a gift of the Gilpin Trust commemorating Bernard Gilpin, the Prophet of the North, who was born in Kentmere.
1909H.P.M.Lafone M.A., vicar for 3 years.
1912Ronald Symes M.A., vicar for 13 years.
1924Electric light installed.
1931J.R.Lee Nicholls M.A., vicar for 7 years.
1934Parr Chapel restored after used as vestry. New vestries built and dedicated.
1938Bertram Jones M.A., vicar for 14 years.
1952George Needham M.A., vicar for 19 years.
19561,500 members of the Mothers' Union in church.
1971John Hodgkinson M.A., vicar for 20 years.
1960 - 1980Altar brought forward. Choir and organ moved to west end of church, Bellingham and Chambre Chapels restored.
1991George Alexander Howe B.A., vicar for 9 years.

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