The History of St Luke's Skerton Continued.....
St Luke’s Church and its contents
The building which has been the centre of worship in this Parish for the past 150 years, stands on an elevated position overlooking Owen road and Ryelands Park. It is described in the Baines Directory of 1912 as: "A handsome stone edifice, with a square tower, surmounted by pinnacles."
In 1923, the Lancaster Guardian said: "the edifice looks best in its elevated position from the west, with its steeple, its corner pinnacles and flagstaff rising above the tress, which screen the old houses and school on the easterly side. Simplicity characterizes the architecture, the slanting buttresses between the lancet windows giving strength."
The outside of the Church has changed little over its 175 year history. Only the vestries, which were added in the Rev. Brack’s time, break the simple lines of the original building.
Internally, however, many changes have taken place to create the Church as we know it. In 1833, the Church had seating for between four and five hundred people. The pews at the back of the church, and most of those in the gallery, were free sitting, set aside for the use of the poor of the parish. The rest of the pews could be rented by individual families. In 1833, pew rents varied from 2/- to 7/- per annum, and the total possible income from such rents was £102/8/-. During the vicariate of the Rev. Jelly, repeated payments were made to the Ecclesiastical Commission to “free” more rented pews, and by 1916 all the pews in Church were free. Many of the smaller pews, however, have been removed to make room for new constructions which have been added more recently.
The Lady Chapel
During the Rev. Jervis vicariate, a fund was started to provide a memorial to the Rev. Ellwood. This memorial - a Lady Chapel – was constructed in 1951. Three Pews were removed from the south –east corner of the Church, the floor level was raised, and the Alter rail was extended to separate the new altar from the Chapel. The new Chapel was dedicated by the Lord Bishop of Blackburn on November 22nd 1951. A plaque on the wall is inscribed thus:
"This Chapel was provided by the parishioners to the memory of Thomas Ernest Ellwood, Vicar 1916 – 1933. Requiescat in Pace."
The Baptistry
In 1952, as a memorial to the Rev. Jervis, the Baptistry was reconstructed. The font was moved to a central position in the new Baptistry, and it was also raised a little higher off the ground. The Pews which surrounded the original font were removed, and two long oak cases were installed. The oak case along the south wall is a frontals case, and that along the west wall is a book cupboard. On the wall of the new Baptistry is a bronze tablet which is inscribed:
"This Baptistry was reconstructed and oak case installed in the memory of Aubrey John Jervis, Vicar 1933-1937. Requiescat in Pace."
Children’s Corner
In 1946, two pews were removed from under the lancet window in the north-west corner of the Church to create a Children’s Corner. At a later date, this became a Literary Corner, and it contained a number of books which could be borrowed by the parishioners. This area now houses the Book of Remembrance.
On the side, there is a small vase, given in memory of the Rev. Canon Moss by the Sunday school. The two brass candle sticks are a memorial to Mr James Churchouse.
The Organ
In 1959, the old organ was removed and the new one was installed. The old organ had stood in the north east corner of the church. It was a hand pumped organ built by Horsfall’s of Lancaster, but it frequently broke down, and services where sometimes help up while quick repairs were carried out.
The new organ, made by Rushworth and Dreaper, was dedicated by the Rt. Rev. Anthony Hoskyns Abrahall, Bishop of Lancaster, in January 1960. The console was installed on the south side of the Church, just below the Lady Chapel, and the pipe chamber was installed on the Vestry wall. In his sermon, the Bishop of Lancaster congratulated the people of St Luke’s as being owners of such a fine instrument, and commented on the fine appearance which the new organ gave to the chancel.
The Plaques
The Church contains many memorials to past parishioners. On the south wall, there are several Plaques commemorating members of the Whalley family, an eminent Skerton Family of times gone by. There are three marble tablets commemorating past Vicars of the Parish, The Rev. Barrow and the Rev. Jelly on the North wall and the Rev. Brack on the East wall.
Other, more practical memorials include a confessional kneeling stool, to be found in the lady altar, which is inscribed thus:
"In memory of Cyril Armstrong ( ordinary seaman) who lost his life at sea on active service, March 4th, 1942. Aged 19 years"
In the Sanctuary there is a wrought iron plant stand, given in memory of Mr Herbert Frederick Wainman. More recent memorials include a sick communicants set given in memory of Mrs Bertha Cornwell and an oak paschal candlestick bought by the parishioners as a memorial to Miss Annie Wilcock,
"A true and faithful member of St Luke’s Church"
St Luke’s Banner
The new banner is a memorial to the Rev. Canon Moss, bought with money given by the parishioners. It was blessed by the Rt. Rev. Anthony Hoskyns Abrahall on Tuesday, October 7th, 1975, the 142nd anniversary of the Church’s consecration.
Many of the items which play and important role in our Church services are gifts of past parishioners. Many of the vestments, for example, have been bought with money anonymously given to the Church. The large silver chalice and the paten which are used at Holy Communion were the anonymous gift of a parishioner. They were blessed, dedicated and first used on St Luke’s day, 1926.
The Chalice and Paten were made by the Church Crafts Guild of London. The gold cross on the bottom of the chalice, and the precious stones inset on the stem were given towards the making of the Chalice by an anonymous donor.
The brass processional cross was given to the Church by one Miss Hatch, whose father owned a large building firm. The Large English Missall, which was used until the introduction of the Alternative Service Book, was the gift of Herbert Victor Kemp, a Chaplin in the Royal Navy, who helped officiate in the Church during the interregnum prior to the Rev. Moss’s arrival.
A gift of a different kind was that given by Mr John Geldard. He used some of the wood from the pews removed to accommodate the Lady Chapel, to make two collection plates.
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