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Inscription and relief from the grave of Hannah Parkin, from Lodge, who died in May 1836. "She died in childbirth after a painful affliction of 35 hours." "Then happy spirits; you are blest How calm your slumbers are From suffering and from pain released And freed from every snare." |
The roots of religion on the site of St Chad's go back at least to Saxon Times. At the west end of the present church there stands the remains of a cross said to be related to St Chad. A chapel at Middlesmoor was concecrated by the Bishop of Rotherham, in the reign if Richard III, built as a 'chapel of ease' to save the faithful the long journey to Kikby Malzeard, which was their parish church.The head of the valley was in the parish of Kirby Malzeard, until transferred to Ripon in the fourteenth century. In 1484, and possibly before that, there was a parochial chapel at Middlesmoor, licensed for baptisms, marriages and burials. In 1536, following the supression of the smaller monasteries, the Pilgrimage of Grace took place. On the evening of Octopber 11th in that year, "the commons of Mashamshire and Nidderdale" marched to Coverham Abbey and Middleham, given what follows, presumably including some from Middlesmoor. At the turn of the sixteenth century, about half of the Catholics of the West Riding were found in the dale and the nearby areas of Ripon,Boroughbridge, Knaresborough and Spofforth
The religion of the upper part of the dale was predominantly catholic and the reformation was not well received. In 1606 West Riding judges commisioned Geoerge Manson, the minister, of Sir John Yorke's parochial chapel, to collect a list of all those popishly inclined and present it to the quarter sessions. The list must have been a long one. Manson said that although there were between 400 to 500 living in his chapelry, he had often "...said service sometymes to two persones, sometymes to three or fower and sometymes there came none at all." When they were compelled to attend communion, "...they wolde spitt owt or convey the breade owt of there mowthes into there handkerchieves or aprons."
At Christmas 1612, the minister decided to visit his wife, who lived at a distance as there was no parsonage in Middlesmoor. He left the village "... intending to be back againe upon the Twelveth daie to reade prayers. Such a snow stormfell in the interi, that he could not passe backe, whereupo all or most of the popishe people belonging to the said Sir John Yorke and others, took advantage of the said minister's absence and flocked all to the church on the twlveth daie saying, 'where is the minister' If we had knowne, we would have brought one with us to say service.' But after the minister came back, none of them came to the said church again."
On another occasion, Sir John's servants brought a piper to the churchyard and "...made there with theire piping and revelling such a noyse in time of prayer as the mynyster colde not well be hearde." The minister depended on his stipend of some £8 to £10, which was sometimes not paid and it is perhaps suprising that the minister stayed at all.
(Much of the above is taken from 'A History of Nidderdale' edited by Bernard Jennings, and there is much more in the book about Catholicism in the dale.)
The church register goes back to 1622 and, according to Edmund Bogg, in 'From Eden Vale to the Plains of York. A Thousand Miles in the Valleys of the Nidd and Yore' records a 1555 reference to an organ in the church, - To the prest of Mydlsmore for mending the organ, viijs.; for nayls for the organ, iijs. id.
He went on to give details of the birth and marriage of Eugen Aram, the celebrated murderer and the birth and death of their first child:
Ramsgill: Eugenius Arram, son of Peter Aram, bap. ye. 2nd of October, 1704.
Loftus: Eugenius Aram and Hannah Spence, married May 4th, after banns thrice pub., 1731
Low Loftus: Anna, daughter of Eugenius Aram, bap. January 23rd, 1732
Low Loftus: Anna, daughter of Eugenius Aram, buried JUne 3rd, 17332.
The
church was rebuilt in 1865/56, costing £331 1s, most of which was raised
by subscription. A new peal of bells was installed in 1868, paid for by Mary
Ann Barkwith as a memorial to to her great uncle Simon Horner, who incidently
was a patron of the school, where his name can be seen above the door. Ever
since then a Bell Festival has been held to celebrate this gift. The adjacent
photograph shows the Festival of 1918.
In 1977, St Chad's became a part of the 'Church of Upper Nidderdale.'
St. Chad's Cross
This link to Saint Chad on the Catholic Forum site gives the background to the patron saint of Middlesmoor.
Photograph Gallery - Photographs of modern St Chad's.