St. Mary's Parish Church, Thirsk: HistoryThis fine example of what is known as Perpendicular Gothic church architecture is over 500 years old. It was begun about the year 1420 and probably took half a century or more to reach its present form. It succeeded a Norman Church, traces of which remain in a block of stone at the bottom of the South Aisle and in the walls. Before that there was almost certainly a Saxon Minster serving the surrounding countryside. It is first mentioned in 1145, when Robert de Mowbray gave it to the Augustinian Canons at Newburgh Priory. They held the living and provided Vicars to serve the Church. The list of incumbents since the Reformation is to be found hanging near the vestry door. Parish registers date back to 1556. The present building is remarkable chiefly because it hasn't been noticeably altered since it was built, apart from the chancel arch, which seems to have been reshaped several times. The great Victorian architect, Street, carried out the usual sweeping restoration in 1876 but carefully preserved everything he found. It is unusual to find this type of design, that the roof is not at the same height from West to East, but that is probably due to the nature of the sloping ground below the chancel, which was added to the original small nave THE EXTERIOR
The large South porch has, as usual, a room above (Parvis Room) which during the centuries has had many uses. In 1513 an anchorite, or hermit, named Thomas Parkinson, lived there, and stayed by himself for some years. From Thirsk he went to Mount Grace Priory and then to the Lady Chapel, but he did not die there. With the rest of the Carthusians he was turned out at the Dissolution of Mount Grace and spent years wandering destitute until he fell in with tinker's widow and her family and married her. The Parvis Room was originally accessible only by a ladder from inside the church – now there is a stone stair. The great South Door is one of the finest examples in the country. It was put in when the church was built, and most of it has remained the same until now, though the date 1747 can be seen on the present hinges. THE INTERIOR: THE NAVE This is the oldest part, probably built around the former nave. At the top of the South Aisle is the tomb of Robert of Threske who could 
be
regarded as the Founder of the present Church.
Robert of Threske( Threske is the old name for Thirsk) was Henry1V's King's Remembrancer
in the Court of the Exchequer. We do not know
his surname or even if he had one as he was born in the
fourteenth century before the adoption of surnames became general
. He died in 1419 leaving
a fund to build a chantry chapel in the Parish Church and from that
seems to have sprung the great rebuilding a few years later. His
brasses are now almost illegible in the floor, but originally showed a
priest vested and a rhyme.
The roof, restored in 1953,is a fine example of mediaeval carving and has some grotesque masks at the ends of the beams. On the upper part of the walls (clerestory) are some fading paintings of the Apostles, thought almost certainly to be 17th century.The old Hatchments, armorial bearings of local families, especially the Bells, have been placed above the arches. Above the North Door can seen the Royal Arms of George 1V. An old print shows the gilded Angel used to preside over the organ at the West end 150 years ago. There are some fine screens to the Chantry Chapels which, together with the upper part of the Font Cover, represent the achievements of mediaeval carvers. The Font cover, 21 ft high, partly 15th century with crocketted pinnacles, rests on a Victorian font and was in use until mid 2007 when the suspension cable snapped. Thanks to a generous donor a new cable fitted in February 2010 returned the Font to use. Two 16th century pew ends carved with heraldic devices of families connected to the church are displayed in the North aisle. Some pew ends are poppy headed. The view from the Altar Rail looking down the church shows it to be a tall, narrow building in the main, dominated by the magnificent Tower Arch. WINDOWS
CHAPELS The South Chapel was originally a chantry of St. Anne. The North Chapel now contains the organ installed by Postill of York in 1877, improved by Denman in 1884, rebuilt by N P. Mander in 1964 and much repaired and improved in 2007 by Geoffrey Coffin of York. CHANCEL Here again the roof should be noticed, with its quaint scenes of domestic life, and heraldic devices. No doubt it was once all coloured. The form of the window traceries shows that the chancel and the clerestory were later additions to the original building, which must have included a chancel at the end of the present nave. The stone seats (Sedilia) are noted for their original carving, as is the Piscina( mediaeval hand basin). The Altar Table is curiously carved in Flemish style. The painting in the chancel is thought to be a contemporary copy of Caravaggio’s “Incredulity of St. Thomas”. The ancient door by the side of the choir organ leads down to the roomy Crypt with its barrel roof, once used as a Grammar School.
THE PARISH CHEST is in the North aisle.It is dated 1620,was made or presented by Anthony Bell, and once received contributions for the Church. Visitors contributions towards the upkeep of this magnificent but costly building are always welcome but nowadays they are placed in the 'hole in the wall' by the door. THE BELLS OFThe unseen, but no less familiar guardian of the
hours, our heaviest bell celebrated the six hundredth anniversary of its
casting in 2010. This venerable
artefact therefore pre-dates almost all the fabric of the present Church. It is perhaps a little sobering to reflect
that it was around before the bloodbath at Tradition
links the bell (in ringers’ parlance: the “tenor” signifying the heaviest of
the ring) with Fountains Abbey. There
may be something in this but Cistercian rules forbade towers and Abbot Huby’s monster campanile did not
materialise until almost 100 years after the date of casting. It was the handiwork of a well known CENTENARY PEAL 2 David A Town do 3 Dot Salmon do 4 Martin J Kirk do 5 Gerry Parsons (SS Peter & Paul, Stokesley) 6 John Limbach (St Oswald, Sowerby) 7 Graham A Blackburn (All Saints, Northallerton) 8 Peter F Town do
This magnificent old church has withstood the ravages of centuries and witnessed generations of faithful service to God. The building is indeed one of the gems of North Yorkshire and often called the 'cathedral of North Yorkshire' because of its beautiful architecture and commanding presence. We hope this short history and description of many of the features of the church are of interest.If you have anything to add please contact the Media Officer who will be delighted to hear from you. However it is not possible for any Officer to undertake research on your behalf. St.Mary's is not a showpiece or museum but a place of worship and prayer. Those who worship here pray for the community of Thirsk, Christian people everywhere, the needs of all people and peace and justice throughout the world. May the peace of God be with you. |
The
pierced parapet (similar to that at Coxwold) is very impressive adding
grace to a rather chunky outline. It is noticeable that the nave and
tower form a unit which is extended by the chancel, though in fact the
nave at first was only half the present height, the clerestory and
chancel having been added together later, the tower and porch last of
all. The tower is 80 ft high and contains eight fine bells , the oldest
of which bears the inscription in Latin “In the year 1410 was
this JESUS bell made”. On the West exterior wall of the tower
are the remains of a carving of the Virgin and Child below the window
of the ringing chamber.
In the nineteen century all the mediaeval glass in the church was collected
into the window at the East end of the South Aisle. A bomb blew it out
again in 1940, but after the war Dean Milner- White carefully restored
it and it contains great heraldic interest. (After the restoration the
surprised Dean found himself with a little of the glass left over. This
was taken to York and later incorporated into the windows of the
Minster.) The East window was designed locally in 1844, as a tablet on
the chancel wall records. The West windows are pleasant Victorian
examples. The large window in memory of Sir Robert Bower was designed
by Strachan in 1932, on the theme of “The Happy Warrior”. 