St Cuthbert, Aldingham - Church of England

St Cuthbert,
Aldingham
Lancashire

Cemeteries

The church has a graveyard.

Church History

It was founded in 1180.

The Church, dedicated to St. Cuthbert, is an ancient fabric, erected, no doubt, soon after the Conquest, though we find no mention of it in any document earlier than 1180, when the name of Daniel, parson of Aldingbam, occurs as a witness to a deed, in which William, son of Michael le Fleming, executes a change of land with the Abbot of Furness. In the valuation of benefices made by order of the Pope, in 1291, the living was returned as worth £53 6s. 8d., which would represent a very considerable sum of present money. The church appears to have been rebuilt early in the fifteenth century, but the semi-circular arches, characteristic of Norman architecture, between columns alternately octagonal and cylindrical, supporting the south aisle, are parts of the original structure. The church consists of nave, chancel, and two side aisles. The flat pointed arch, which separates the chancel from the nave, is probably of the reign of Henry VII. (1485-1509). The massive tower, which must be assigned to the same period, contains three bells. In a chancel window are emblazoned the arms of the Harringtons, and in the walls of the chancel and floor of the sacrarium are several sepulchral slabs to the memorv of recent rectors, but the remains of the late Rev. Canon Macaulay, brother to the historian, repose in the churchyard. During some alterations in the church a few years ago, a tombstone was discovered bearing an incised floriated cross, and the inscription Hic Jacet Goditha de Scales (Here lies Goditha of Scales). In the arch leading to the chancel is a small aperture, formed from one of the pews, for the purpose, as is supposed, of witnessing the elevation of the host in Catholic times. A side aisle was added to the edifice by the Rev. J. Stonard, D.D., the then rector, at a cost of £300, and the church is now capable of seating 350 persons. The benefice is a rectory in the gift of the Crown, by forfeiture in the attainder of Lady Jane Grey, and is worth £1,093 per annum, or about £985 net. It is now held by the Rev. Henry Hayman, D.D., ex-head master of Rugby School, late Fellow of St. John's College, Oxford, and some time assistant preacher at the Temple Church, London. The rectory house is a pleasant dwelling m ar the church, about six miles from Ulverston. Dr. Stonard, who held the living 35 years, and died at the age of 81, was the author of several learned works, and in the churchyard is a beautiful hexagonal monument to the memory of his family.

from Mannex's Directory of Furness & Cartmel, 1882

Church Records

Whilst every effort has been made to record exact details of record office and library holdings you are recommended to check with them before visiting to ensure that they do hold the records and years you wish to examine. Similarly check with transcript publishers to ensure they cover the records and years you require before making a purchase.

Original registers

The Cumbria Record Office, Barrow hold:

• Baptisms 1601-1927
• Marriages 1601-1978
• Banns 1754-1812
• Burials 1601-1955

Bishop's Transcripts

Lancashire Record Office hold:

• Baptisms 1639, 1664, 1690-1877
• Marriages 1639, 1664, 1690-1840
• Burials 1639, 1664, 1690-1877

Register Transcripts

The Lancashire Parish Register Society have published the following transcripts for the church.

• Volume 30 - Bapt 1561-1694, Marr 1540-1694, Bur 1554-1695.
• Volume M10 - Marr 1695-1756, Bapt & Bur 1695-1756.

Indexes

Boyd's marriage index 1542-1837 is held at Lancashire Record Office.

The IGI contains:

• Baptisms - 1561-1756
• Marriages - 1539-1754

Maps

The church is located at OS grid reference SD2835471035. You can see this on maps provided by:

• this church marked on a Google map. (Use this to report a corrected location)
• Google Streetview (Drag pegman to centre of map to show picture)
• OldMaps
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• Bing (was Multimap)
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• Google maps showing nearby churches with satellite image option.

This site provides historical information about churches, other places of worship and cemeteries. It has no connection with the churches themselves. For current information you should contact them directly.