Last updated at 11:19, Tuesday, 15 September 2009

THIS is the second part of a short history of St Cuthbert’s Church, Kirkby, written by a former vicar in 1922.

It notes: “In the reign of Henry VIII, a chapel was added on the north side of the nave, by a Kirkby of the period, and dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

“This chapel afterwards came to be known as the Duke’s chapel, as the Duke of Devonshire’s tenants sat there.

“The original tower having fallen down, the present one was built in 1829, and restored in 1903, when the clock was given by Mrs Todd Newcomb, of the Guards, in memory of her husband.

“Inside the church a few objects of interest are to be seen. An ancient tombstone which has been moved about from place to place, and now rests under the pulpit, is thought to be the stone of the founder of the church.

“It has sculptured upon it a cross in low relief, the upper part of which contains a pair of hands clasped in the attitude of prayer, and above them is represented a head resting on a pillow.

“The lower part of the stone contains, on the right a sword, denoting a knight, and on the left the mutilated arms of the Kirkby family.

“In two windows of the chancel, one on each side, are the few fragments that remain of the ancient painted glass.

“On either side of the chancel is an oil painting, the one on the south representing Moses, and the one on the north representing Aaron.

“These pictures were thought to be early efforts by the famous Romney, but they have been recently examined by an art expert who declares that there is no trace of Romney’s work about them.”

l MORE TOMORROW

First published at 11:55, Friday, 23 May 2008
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk