Saint John the Baptist, Coley

Contents:

• History of the Church

• Vicars & Curates of the Church

• Features of the Church

History of the Church

The Church of St John the Baptist, Coley stands on a site which is 688 ft above sea level.

Coley Chapel House stood nearby.

In 1513, a group of local men took an acre of land from the lord of the manor for the construction of a church. There was a disagreement between the men and John Rishworth, and the land was returned to the lord of the manor for Rishworth's use.

Rishworth then gave ¼ of an acre for a church. The new Church opened as Coley Chapel in 1529. This was a simple cell measuring 84 ft by 4000 ft.

Richard Northend was the first recorded Vicar [1530].

In 1550, the endowment was confiscated and the Church was closed for some years.

The Church was enlarged around 1631 when Rev Richard Denton was Curate.

It was extensively repaired and reconstructed around 1711 when Rev Nathan Sharpe was Curate. The arms of Queen Anne were installed to commemorate the work. There are plaques recording these and other alterations.

The present building was constructed in 1816-1818 by William Bradley. On 26th February 1816, the first stone was laid for a new Church. Mr Rhodes was involved in the construction of the Church

The burial ground opposite dates from 1842.

In 1855, Michael Stocks built a day school for the Church. The school closed in 1876.

In 1901/1902, the Church was restored and altered by Charles Hodgson Fowler.

• The cost was £2,250
• Central heating was installed

In 1938, to celebrate his 90th birthday, Samuel Watkinson paid for installation of electric lights at the Church.

In 1951, the panelling and doors of the choir screen were installed in memory of J. H. Fletcher

When Saint George's Church, Norwood Green closed on 3rd November 2002, the congregation moved to St John's at Coley, which is now described as St John the Baptist serving Coley & Norwood Green

Features of the Church

• The East Window
• The West Gallery
• The Pews
• The Pulpit
• The Font The oak font was installed in 1996
• The Organ
• Vestries for the choir and the Vicar were installed in the Chancel [1902]. The woodwork was done by Harry Percy Jackson and completed in 1941 and 1948 by his son. There are other examples of their work in the Church
• A stained glass window in memory of Sarah Ann Watkinson was unveiled by her husband in 1914
• St John the Baptist, Coley: War Memorial
• There are several wall monuments from the earlier Church:
  • A stone monument dated 1727 to the Sharpe family of Hipperholme,
  • A marble monument dated 1765 to the Simpson family of Hipperholme
• The Royal Arms
  • Those of George III on the north wall
  • Those of Queen Victoria on the south wall
  • Those of Queen Anne on the west wall of the gallery to  commemorate the work of 1711. The arms of George III are  carried on the reverse of this board
• In 18??, a monument to Samuel Baines was erected in the churchyard by his sister, Sophie, in testimony of his worth and her sisterly love
• St John the Baptist, Coley: Graveyard
• Church Records

  The records for the Church are held at the West Yorkshire Archive Service office in Wakefield (Collection WDP38): Baptisms [1734-1943], Banns [1837-1994], Marriages [1747-2003] and Burials [1734-1948].

  Transcriptions of the Parish Registers are shown in the CD entitled Parish Registers: Saint John the Baptist, Coley.

  A book can be consulted at the Churcht – by arrangement with the Churchwardens – containing transcriptions of Monumental Inscriptions of the graves and the memorials inside the Church

See Coley Church Cricket Team, Coley Vicarage, Captain John Hodgson, John Northend, The Northowram Nonconformist Register, John Riley, Ryshworth's Chapel, Hipperholme, St John the Baptist, Coley: War Memorial, St John the Baptist, Coley: Graveyard, St John the Baptist, Coley: Publications, St Matthew's Mission Church, Coley and Watkinson Almshouses, Lightcliffe

Transcriptions of the Parish Registers are shown in the CD entitled Parish Registers: Saint John the Baptist, Coley

This & associated entries use material contributed by Chris Helme

Page Ref: QQ_120

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