History of our church - The Petition of 1836
PETITION TO THE LORD BISHOP OF GLOUCESTER AND BRISTOL (14th December 1836)
That within the Parish of Horfield the population has within the last 12 or 14 years increased nearly three fold in consequence (among other causes) of many new houses having been erected in the same Parish. That the Parish Church which was a very old structure and confined in it's dimensions had been allowed to run to decay, and being much too small for the accommodation of the increased population many of the Parishioners desirous of attending the performance of Divine Worship were obliged to attend other places of worship by reason of such limited accommodation.
That your Petitioners The Reverend Henry Richards the Minister and John Bailey and James Marmot the Church Wardens thereof set on foot a Subscription to raise a fund for altering and enlarging the old building and having obtained about five hundred pounds they caused contract to be entered into with Masons, Carpenters and Plasterers for enlarging the same Church and for carrying into effect the repairs and alterations at that time considered requisite.
That upon the said repairs being commenced and the roof taken off the whole of the fabric except the Tower and part of the roof was found to be in such a dilapidated and ruinous state as to render useless the consideration of any such alterations, the Architect employed on viewing the walls of the said fabric having announced to the said Minister and Church Wardens that to effect any important improvement in the Church and for the proper maintenance and support of the edifice it would be necessary to pull down two of the main walls of the said Church and the Roof and Walls of the Chancel and also to rebuild the whole of the parts so pulled down with two wings towards the eastward end of the main building of the Church one on the North and the other on the South side thereof.
That the main building and the Chancel together should be sixty one feet and five inches in length in the clear and sixteen feet and three inches in width in the clear being the former length and width, each wing to project from the main building twelve feet and to be sixteen feet wide in the clear. And it was also thought advisable that the ground floor of the North wing should form a vestry room and four pews with a flight of stairs to a gallery with nine pews - that the wing on the South side should form on the ground floor eight pews with a flight of stairs to a gallery which gallery should contain nine pews, and that at the Westward end of the said Church another gallery should be erected the whole width of the building the floor of which should be extended over the whole width of the vestibule in the Tower and both of which should contain free sittings.
That the ground floor of the said Church should consist of a vestibule under the Tower and an aisle in the centre from the vestibule to the Reading Desk which was to be placed in the centre of the Church between the wings, and the pews were to be placed on each side of the wings and of the aisle from the Reading Desk to the free sittings.
That the walls should be constructed of stone and be two feet six inches thick.
That the entrance to the Church should be in the west end of the Tower and form a vestibule - that the Communion Table should be replaced in it's former position and that with the consent of John Shadwell Lay Rector undersigned the two old seats in the Chancel should be removed and two new seats erected in their place.
That your Petitioners having duly weighed and considered the fitness and propriety of the above Plan for the repair alterations and enlargement of the Parish Church aforesaid and having duly approved thereof the same has been partly carried into effect and is being completed under the superintendence of your Petitioners.
That the expense of the whole of the before mentioned alterations and improvements was estimated at five hundred and eighty pounds the greater part of which sum to the amount of five hundred pounds has been raised by voluntary subscriptions and it is expected that sufficient funds will eventually be raised in the same manner, for defraying the whole expenses that may be incurred in the before mentioned alterations and improvements.
That the present Church Wardens on the 23rd. day of May last convened a meeting of the Inhabitants of the Parish aforesaid and accordingly at a meeting of such Petitioners in vestry assembled it was resolved "That should any deficiency arise in the amount required for the alterations of the Church. the Parish do make a rate not exceeding sixpence in the pound for that purpose".
That on pulling down the walls of the said Church several monuments and Tablets were necessarily removed all of which have been carefully preserved and replaced as near as possible to their original situations, and such of the gravestones as were removed in order to excavate the ground for the foundations of the new wings have also been similarly replaced with care as near as possible to their original situations. That the alterations and additions to the said Parish Church so repaired and enlarged will accommodate nearly treble the number of persons which it was capable to accommodating in it's former state and there will be one hundred and twenty eight free sittings.
That your Petitioners at the time of taking and pulling down the main walls of the said Church and rebuilding the same with two wings as aforesaid and for that purpose removing the monuments, tombstones and earth as above mentioned had no intention of doing the same contrary to the wish or approbation of your Lordship or to avoid the obtaining your Licence or Faculty for such operation, but omitted to make such application for obtaining such Licence or Faculty from not being aware of or informed of the necessity for so doing.
That your Petitioners have since ascertained that their pulling down, rebuilding and enlarging the said Church in manner aforesaid and removing such monuments and tombstones without having previously applied for and obtained your Lordship's Licence and Faculty for so doing was contrary to the Ecclesiastical Canons and Laws of the Realm, now beg leave to submit the whole case and circumstances to your Lordship and hope that your Lordship will be graciously pleased to sanction the repairs and enlargement of the said Church and that the said two wings so added as above set forth be not removed and sufficed to remain for the use and benefit of the said Minister, Vestrymen and Inhabitants of the said Parish.
Your Petitioners humbly pray your Lordship to consent to and confirm the proceeding of your Petitioners in this behalf, and grant to the Church Wardens of the said Parish of Horfield your Licence of Faculty to enable them to preserve and keep for the use of the Minister, Vestrymen and Inhabitants of the said Parish Church in it's present state so already altered and enlarged with the addition of the said two wings and also your Lordship's sanction for the removal of the said tombstones and monuments and for replacing them in the original situations as aforesaid and that the same may remain and continue in the same and with the like full benefit and advantage as if such Licence and Consent had been obtained previously to the pulling down, rebuilding and enlarging of the said Church and the removal and replacement of the said tombstones and monuments.
And your Petitioners will every pray etc.
SIGNED:
John Shadwell: Lay Rector
Henry Richards: Minister
John Bailey & J. Marmont: Church Wardens.
F.K.Barnes, John Hember, Luke Williams, Peregrine Rosling: Inhabitants.
Petition addressed to:
The Right Reverend Father in God James Henry by Divine Permission Lord Bishop of the Diocese of Gloucester and Bristol his vicar General in Spirituals and Principal Official his Surrogate or any other competent Judge in his behalf.
The church in about 1835 following the rebuilding of the Nave and Chancel carried out by Rev'd Henry Richards in 1831 when both were considerably enlarged. The West Tower is the only part of the original mediaeval building which still exists.
The North and South clerestories (the upper part of the nave containing windows clear of the roof of the aisles) were installed by Rev'd H Hardy circa 1870.
