St Mary the Virgin, Luddenden – or Luddenden Parish Church – stands near Luddenden Brook.
There have been 3 churches on the site.
Burials at the Church began soon afterwards. The earliest surviving gravestone is dated 1625.
Watson records that this chapel
conteyneth in length 28 yards and in breadth within walls 8 yards and a foot. The circumference of the church yard is 240 yards about. The breadth east and west 63 yards, and north and south 58 yards
A tower was added around 1700.
The Church is illustrated in Buildings in the Town & Parish of Halifax.
Around 1633, James Murgatroyd defended his sons, James, John and Henry, before the Council of the North on charges of unspecified ...
divers offences and misdemeanours by them committed in the chapel, chapel porch and chapel yard of Luddenden, in our county of York
They were fined and sentenced to
upon the Sabbath day in the said chapel immediately after divine service to make public acknowledgement of the said offences and misdemeanours by them committed against God and His holy religion in that holy place, and should likewise every one of them in a sorrowful manner ask forgiveness of God, the congregation, the rector [?] and his people
and then the group was
convented and proceeded against before the Lord Archbishop of York and other commissioners for Causes Ecclesiastical within the province of York for the same misdemeanours committed by them in the chapel before mentioned and in the church porch and in the churchyard of the said chapel
and subsequently
excommunicated for the space of 2 years
and ordered
to perform public penance in the chapel of Luddenden and in the Parish Church of Halifax upon several Sundays
Charles I granted another pardon and Murgatroyd subsequently paid £850 in fines, £500 of which went to repair St Paul's Church, London. Other local people mentioned in the offences included Susan and James Bradley.
The church fell into disrepair and was demolished in 1804.
At this time, baptisms were carried out at the Lord Nelson, Luddenden.
In 1840, John Jowett and Thomas Spencer – two well-known Chartists – were arrested and convicted of stealing lead from the church roof and using this to make bullets for their cause.
The churchyard was closed for burials in 1853.
Luddenden Cemetery was opened in 1860
A new chancel - designed by Ralph Nicholson – was added in 1866 with subscriptions from people including
The organ was built by Abbott & Smith [1899]. Details can be found in the National Pipe Organ Register, and details in National Pipe Organ Register.
The church was extended in 1910. On 20th April 1910, Mrs Annie Murgatroyd laid a stone to mark the extension to the Chancel.
An altar carved by Harry Percy Jackson was transferred from St Mary the Virgin, Luddendenfoot. There are monuments to James Farrer, and William Grimshaw. The table tomb of James Murgatroyd is listed.
There is a bridge between the Church and the churchyard.
In the churchyard, there is a stone cross. A list of some of the Vicars of Saint Mary the Virgin, Luddenden is given in a separate Foldout Churchwardens here have included
The records for the Church are held at the West Yorkshire Archive Service office in Wakefield (Collection WDP39): Baptisms [1653-1957], Banns [1840-1989], Marriages [1661-1996] and Burials [1653-1923].
See James Bradley, Luddenden Bridge, Luddenden Cemetery, Luddenden Vicarage, St Mary's School, Luddenden, St Mary the Virgin, Luddenden: War Memorial, St Mary the Virgin, Luddenden: Graveyard, Vicarage Mill, Luddenden and St Mary the Virgin, Luddenden: Vicars
This & associated entries use material contributed by Lesley Abernethy
Page Ref: KK_82
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