button to main menu  Old Cumbria Gazetteer
St Mary and St Michael, Great Urswick
St Mary and St Michael's Church
Urswick Church
locality:-   Great Urswick
civil parish:-   Urswick (formerly Lancashire)
county:-   Cumbria
locality type:-   church
locality type:-   runic inscription
coordinates:-   SD26847419
1Km square:-   SD2674
10Km square:-   SD27
references:-   : 2005: Diocese of Carlisle, Directory 2004/5


photograph
BRE04.jpg (taken 31.7.2009)  
photograph
BRE21.jpg (taken 31.7.2009)  

evidence:-   old map:- Nurse 1918
source data:-   Map, The Diocese of Carlisle, Cumberland, Westmorland, and Lancashire North of the Sands, scale about 4 miles to 1 inch, by Rev Euston J Nurse, published by Charles Thurnam and Sons, 11 English Street, Carlisle, Cumberland, 2nd edn 1939.
image
NUR1SD27.jpg
"URSWICK"
item:-  JandMN : 27
Image © see bottom of page

 stained glass - coats of arms

evidence:-   database:- Listed Buildings 2010
placename:-  Church of St Mary and St Michael
source data:-  
courtesy of English Heritage
"CHURCH OF ST MARY AND ST MICHAEL / / / URSWICK / SOUTH LAKELAND / CUMBRIA / I / 75884 / SD2684474191"
source data:-  
courtesy of English Heritage
"Church. West tower C13, upper stage Perpendicular; chancel C13, lengthened C14; nave C14; vestry C14. Stone rubble with ashlar dressings and slate roofs. Tower has pointed west entrance with 3-light, Perpendicular window above and C15 Picta in niche; 3-light straight-headed louvred bell-openings; coped embattled parapet. 4-bay nave has gabled south porch with round-arched entrance, the inner door has relief panels dated 1909; quatrefoil above porch; 2-light Decorated windows with hood mould and stops and 2-light single- chamfered-mullioned window. North elevation has 2-light straight-headed windows with pointed lights. Chancel has coped gable and cross, 3-light east window has transom and flowing tracery; to south a lancet and 2-light window with flowing tracery flank pointed entrance; to north a 2-light Perpendicular window and vestry gabled to each and west with 2-light windows. South elevation has attached headstones of C18 and early C19. Interior: Roof 1598 (dated tie beam with initials) kingposts with arch braces and struts, butt purlins to north. West gallery 1828 on Tuscan columns paired in depth. C19 font and medieval font with rich cover dated 1921. Tower entrance has door made from decorative fragments. C18 3-decker pulpit and reconstructed pew to south side. Unchamfered chancel arch has niches to jambs and rood beam with angel supporters to cross and 2 saints, by A. Millar of Guild of Handicrafts, 1910. Also by Guild the richly decorated organ case, east panelling and reredos with C18 Last Supper, stalls, vestry door, south door, pulpit tester and credence table, etc. Chancel also has pillar piscina, squint and C18 brass floor plates and C13 grave slab. Nave has C19 and C20 stained glass; chancel has C19 and medieval armorial stained glass and fragments."

evidence:-   database:- Listed Buildings 2010
placename:-  Gale Monument
source data:-  
courtesy of English Heritage
"GALE MONUMENT APPROXIMATELY 23.5 METRES SOUTH OF ST MARY'S CHURCH / / / URSWICK / SOUTH LAKELAND / CUMBRIA / II / 75886 / SD2682374154"
source data:-  
courtesy of English Heritage
"Monument in square enclosure. Early C19. Ashlar. Enclosure has low wall, railings and gate missing. Square plinth has square sarcophagus with urn finial. Oval panels record members of the Gale family, dates of death 1816-1903."

 ring of bells

 cross slab gravestones

evidence:-   old print:- Jopling 1843
source data:-   Print, St Mary and St Michael's Church, Urswick, Lancashire, by Charles M Jopling, published by Whittaker and Co, Ave Maria Lane, London and by Stephen Soulby, Ulverston, Cumberland, 1843.
image  click to enlarge
JP1E10.jpg
On p.47 of a Sketch of Furness and Cartmel, by Charles M Jopling. 
item:-  Armitt Library : A1636.11
Image © see bottom of page

incumbents:-  
Fleming, Daniel le  1160 -  
Boyvill, William de  1230 -  
Melmerby, William de  1260 -  
Barnard Castle, Richard de  1297 -  
John  1351 -  
Fisher, John  1361 -  
Normand, William  1380 -  
Walton, William 
Woodhouse, John  1445 -  
Harrsion, Thomas  1535 -  
Hartley, Thomas 
Sawrey, William  1546 -  
Woodburn, Henry  1554 -  
Dobson, Thomas  1557 -  
Sawrey, William  1562 -  
Sayer, James  1579 -  
Lindow, William  1585 -  
Marshall, Nicholas  1620 -  
Inman, George  1660 -  
Inman, Thomas  1681 -  
Swainson, Richard  1696 -  
Holme, Henry  1714 -  
Addison, John  1747 -  
Ashburner, William  1788 -  
Bailes, John  1800 -  
Ponsonby, William  1805 -  
Forrest, Matthias  1841 -  
Gale, James  1861 -  
Billinge, Robert Burland  1878 -  
Postlethwaite, Thomas Norton  1903 -  

 scratch dial

 sundial

notes:-  
Described in:-

Butler, Lawrence (ed): 2011: Church Notes of Sir Stephen Glynne for Cumbria, 1833-1872: CWAAS:: ISBN 978 1 873124 52 9
Extracted from the original notes made by Sir Stephen, now in Deiniol's Library, Hawarden, Flintshire, contact through Flintshire Record Office


photograph
BRE14.jpg  Three decker pulpit.
(taken 31.7.2009)  
photograph
BRE15.jpg  Organ, by Wilkinson, Kendal? carving by Alec Miller, Chipping Camden Guild of Craftsmen, 1910s.
(taken 31.7.2009)  
photograph
BRE24.jpg  Organ, carving detail.
(taken 31.7.2009)  
photograph
BVQ86.jpg  Organ, carving detail with coat of arms and signature:-
"A Miller 1910" (taken 11.11.2011)  
photograph
BRE25.jpg  Organ, carving detail, a portative organ.
(taken 31.7.2009)  
photograph
BVQ87.jpg  Mothers Union banner.
(taken 11.11.2011)  
photograph
BVQ89.jpg  Memorial and coat of arms, Malachi James Cranke, died 1909
(taken 11.11.2011)  
photograph
CCI78.jpg  Old key.
(taken 5.2.2015)  
photograph
BRE10.jpg  Faculty for John Addison to be curate here, 1743.
(taken 31.7.2009)  
photograph
BMJ68.jpg  Carving, Mater Dolorosa, said to be from Furness Abbey.
(taken 10.7.2006)  
photograph
BRE26.jpg (taken 31.7.2009)  
photograph
BRE27.jpg (taken 31.7.2009)  


photograph
BRE11.jpg  The Tunwini Cross.
(taken 31.7.2009)  
photograph
BRE12.jpg  The Tunwini Cross.
(taken 31.7.2009)  
photograph
BMJ67.jpg  The Tunwini Cross; W G Collingwood interpreted the runes:-
"This cross Tunwini erected in memory of Torhtred a monument to his Lord pray for the [his] soul" (taken 10.7.2006)  
photograph
BVQ84.jpg  Drawing of a cross, by Collingwood.
(taken 11.11.2011)  


photograph
BVQ85.jpg  Watercolour, early 20th century?
(taken 11.11.2011)  

notes:-  
It is suggested that there might have been a church here from the 9th century, or even earlier. The monks at Furness Abbey claimed patronage of Urswick church before 1148. There were various addition, the tower is pre-norman; the chancel and porch in the norman period; the nave newly roofed in 1598; the vestry in the early 17th century, rebuilt 1850; major works in the early 20th century.

: : church leaflet

hearsay:-  
The local people have a rushbearing procession on the feast day of St Michael, 29 September.

dedication
person:-    : St Mary the Virgin
person:-    : St Michael
place:-   Urswick / Carlisle Diocese

button to lakes menu  Lakes Guides menu.