Parish of Garrigill, Cumberland

"Garrigill Chapel is of great antiquity. It was probably founded about the same period as Alston Church. It is dedicated to St. John. The old church was a very poor building, and in a dilapidated condition, when it was pulled down and rebuilt in a very plain style, in or about 1790. The Vicar of Alston is the patron. For many years, perhaps for centuries, there was only divine service on every third Sunday morning. The church bell was cast about or a little after 1765. The parsonage house was erected by subscription in 1851, at a cost of between four and five hundred pounds. The chief contributors being the Rev. H. Salvin, Captain Salvin, the Commissioners of Greenwich Hospital, and the London Lead Company. The following is a list of the Curates who have resided in the chapelry :­John Hind,            ; James Steel,    ; Blythe Hurst, George Monkhouse, 1851; James Welsh,-; William Muskett, who left in 1876. After this date no resident Curate was appointed, until 1888, when the chapelry was endowed, and the Rev. Percy Thomas Lee appointed. During the interim, the services were performed by a clergyman, sent as in former times, by the Vicar of Alston." (Alston Moor - Its pastoral people, its mines and miners : William Wallace 1890)

A Notice in Garrigill Church 2002:-
"

THE CHURCH AND CHAPELRY OF ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST, GARRIGILL

Garrigill is a corruption of the Saxon for "Gerard's Ghyll", but records only begin with the Norman period.

The Manor of Alston and other lands were given to William de Veteri Ponte by William the Lion, King of Scotland, and this grant was confirmed by King John on May 10th., 1809. In 1215 Ivo de Veteri Ponte gofted the advowson of the Church of "Aldenston and the Chapel at Gerardegile" to the Canons at Hexham Abbey who held it, with some interruptions, until the Dissolution in 1538. The advowson eventually passed to the Earls of Derwentwat who were Jacobites and were dispossessed after the Rebellion of 1715. In 1735 the patronage together with local lands was granted to Greenwich Hospital which held them until 1952 when the properties were sold and the patronage passed to the Bishop of Cartlisle.

Garrigill was evangelised, it is said, by St. Augustine of Canterbury who came to this country in 597 and died in 605. The legend is that the highest peak in the Pennines was known as "Fiends Fell" because of the evil spirits who lived there, and that the saint climbed the mountain, said Mass to drive the little devils away, erected a cross, and re-named it Cross Fell. However this area is remote, and is just as likely to have been visited by the missionaries of St. Ninian of Galloway in the fifth century or those of St. Aidan of Lindisfarne in the seventh.

Lead Mining was carried on around Garrigill from very early times, and the dues and taxes were paid to Carlisle - it was a safer journey than over the fells to Durham. Thus Garrigill came to be in the County of Cumberland. Ecclesiatically it is in the Diocese of Newcastle, formerly part of Durham.

Garrigill Chapelry has always been in the Parish of Alston but the inhabitants have maintained a vigorous independence. In the fourteenth century they complained of neglect by the Curate of Alston and asked for their own resident priest. There were resident curates here from at least 1350 to 1953. In 1887 the ARchdeacon recommended that Garrigill be made an independent Parish. In 1934 the Parishoners asked the Legal Board of the Church Assembly to allow them their own Church Council, but nothing came of it. Today the Chapelry is part of the same Cure with Alston, Nenthead, Kirkhaugh and Knarsdale which all share the same priest.

Nevertheless, the Chapelry always had its own Churchwardens and Vestry. The list of Churchwardens goes back to 1732, and of course there were many others before that. The Churchwardens were elected by turn from farms on either bank of the River Tyne, until the practice was discontinued in 1886. Until 1894 they had civil as well as sacred duties, being responsible for the upkeep of roads, the appointment of the Village Constable, the extermination of vermin, the school, and the relief of the poor and "in particular, soldiers passing through the village". Among their privileges was an annual dinner at the expense of the patron.

The present church dates from the eighteenth century but has been much restored. The original building was four-square, crowded with pews, and had plain sash-windows. A gallery was erected in 1752 and removed in 1890. In that year began the extensive alterations. The chancel arch was built to separate the choir, The East and South windows were installed, and the vestry was added on the North side. It had been intended to extend the Church to the West, but funds were insufficient and so the West window was installed and the porch added. The organ was bought in 1894, the lectern given in 1900. From this period too date the altar brasses, the sanctuary lamp, and the oak gates to the Churchyard. The restorations were completed by the gift of the North window in 1904. It depicts the Crucifixion and is in memory of George Monkhouse, Curate in Charge from 1851 to 1876.

The Reredos is a memorial to the Fallen in the Great War, 1914 - 1918. Notice the name "Vipond" among those listed. This is a corruption of "Veteri de Ponte" the original holders of the Manor, and the family of that name claimed direct descent. The family was widespread in the district until the eighteenth century, but has now disappeared. Vipond survives as a Christian name in the area."

Original registers 1730 - 1959 deposited at Northumberland Record Office
IGI Baptisms 1708 - 1829? Marriages 1699 - 1880
 

#0    "Garrigill St John's Church - Chapel of Ease to St Augustine's, Alston
        The Register (Baptisms, Marriages and Deaths) from 1699 - 1730
        Edited by Cæsar Cain, Curate in Charge
        1901        Haltwhistle
        Printed by R M Saint, Albion Printing Works"    Viewed at Carlisle record office. No entries found for Swind(a)le. (Republished on CD by Original Indexes) (Baptisms 1708-1729, Marriages & Deaths 1699-1729, Non-conformist births 1708 - 1728)

#1    Information extracted from The Register of St John's Church, Garrigill, in the County of Cumberland and the Diocese of Newcastle on Tyne, Vols I-VI Transcribed by Edwin Dodds and JW Robinson 1908 (held at Newcastle-upon-Tyne Central Library). (1730-1812)

#2    Transcription of marriages 1730-1837 produced from indexes prepared by Bill Rounce (1730-1812) and Carol Yellowley (1813-1837) and entered onto computer by George Bell with the assistance of Sandra (Hope) Bell

#3    Transcription of Baptisms 1813 -1837 prepared by Sue Wood
#4    IGI Online
#5    Microfilm of Parish Registers viewed at Carlisle Record Office. All marriages reviewed 1837 - 1958.
#6    Transcribed by Norman Swindle. NB positively two baptismal entries on 28th October 1813 for children born to George and Susannah Swindle - entry 35 Jacob, entry 36 Vipond.

Baptisms

No further Swind(a)le baptisms to 1959

Marriages

No entries found for Swind(ale) in references 1 or 2

Burials

See also Congregational Church of Redwing, Garrigill and Alston

Roll of Honour

European War 1914 - 1918

The names of men who have served with his Majesty's Forces