furness family history society

THE PARISH CHURCH OF SAINT MARY, ALLITHWAITE

The 19th. Century church stands on a hill overlooking Morecambe Bay. The Church was built at the end of 1864 the beginning of 1865. It was consecrated on the 29th. June 1865 by the Bishop of Carlisle, Dr Samuel Waldgrave. The first incumbent of St Mary’s was the Revd. Robert Townson and in the following year the Royal seal of approval had been given to the Parish of Allithwaite thereby severing its direct links with Cartmel.

Miss Mary Winfield Lambert, of Boarbank Hall left a total of £11,000 and £6,000 for the building and furnishing of the church, school and school house and for the erection of the vicarage. She also left £500 to be invested by the incumbent for the benefit of the poor and needy in the ‘division of Lower Allithwaite.

Over the years many alterations and additions have been made to the building and its furnishings. In 1909 a new organ was installed. A gift of £120 being given by Mr Andrew Carnegie the rest was by subscriptions. In 1914 a brass lectern was given in memory of Matthew Hudson who had been a churchwarden for over 30 years.

For the first 60 years the church was lit with oil lamps and probably heated by oil stoves or maybe none at all, the worshipers keeping their feet warm with rushes as in most churches. In 1932 . The lighting to the east of a tablet near the lectern was paid for by public subscription in memory of, William Joseph Lamb, who was organist for 47 years, and also a lay reader. The new installation took place in 1964
And given in part by Mr & Mrs C. A. Eisner in memory of their son.

A big building project took place in 1934 and in 1940 new oak choir stalls were installed. The east window and the one over the Lady Chapel were both in memory of those who fell in the two great wars. Hanging at the back of the church is a plane wooden cross, it had its origin in France during the first world war. It once marked the grave of Isaac Henry Brockbank, a private in the Kings Own Royal Regiment, who was killed in action in March 1916 and laid to rest in Artillery Wood Cemetary, Ypres. The cross was brought back to this country by his widow, and is a permanent memorial to to one of many who gave their lives.

Over the years many gift have been received by the church including the wrought iron gates presented in memory of Dr Maurice Dwyer and consecrated by the Bishop of Penrith

Information taken from the booklet. “ The History of the Parish of Allithwaite, By Ronald Stevens

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