St Nicholas Church

A church has stood on this site since 1177 when the Chappele of Herewyche was founded by Roger Bigod, first Earl of Norfolk, and given together with the Church of Dovercourt to the Monks of Abendon at Colne (Earls Colne).

The crusaders rested here following the Banner of the Cross across Europe to the Holy Land. Kings, Queens and Princes have worshipped here on their way to and from the Continent. Samuel Pepys (twice MP for Harwich), Willoughby, Drake, Howard, Frobisher, Nelson and Daniel Defoe almost certainly attended this church whilst staying in Harwich. Boswell and Dr Johnson prayed to their creator here for protection for Boswell on his continental tour. Christopher Jones, Master of the Mayflower, was twice married in the old church, in 1593 and 1603. Both marriages were recorded in the church registers which date back to 1559 and also contain the baptism of some of his children. Also to be found here are the names of Richard Gardiner and John Alden (the hero of Longfellow’s poem ‘The Courtship of Miles Standish’), who were among the Pilgrim Fathers.

The first chapel was almost certainly built of chunks of local septaria, examples of which can still be seen in some of the cellars in the town. The chapel was enlarged by Adam Bakyll, a rich Harwich clothier, who died in 1404. It was repaired and beautified by public subscription in 1775, but by 1819 was in such a dilapidated state as to be unsafe. It was therefore pulled down and the present graceful church erected on the same site, being consecrated by Dr Rowley, Bishop of London, on 20th July 1822.

Built of London brick and Coade stone (the secret of which has been lost), it is in simple Gothic style and cost £20,000. It consists of a tower and spire with eight bells, a nave, aisles, galleries and chancel, and was designed to seat 1,500 people, the largest in the district. The slim graceful columns inside the church are not stone but iron, as are the window frames, a product of the industrial revolution which was getting underway. The architect was MG Thompson.

The Nave Ceiling is said to be unique and is most attractive.

A List of Vicars can be seen by the SW door with a picture of the old church. Ralph de Pelham, 1365, the first vicar of whom there is any record, was granted “Three Quarters of two Bushels of Corn, together with two Cartloads of Straw, of which one is for his Bed and the other for Strawing the said Chapel, to be received annually from our Rector of Dovercourt”.

Dutch Tiles (Delft 1650) at the back of the church were presented by the late Mr Arnold Cann, who removed them from a house in West St, where they had been reused to line pantry. Some are of familiar Dutch water scenes (windmills, watermills, sluices, schoots and swans), but others depict scenes from the Old and New Testaments – Adam and Eve being driven from the Garden of Eden, The Sacrifice of Isaac, The Flood, Noah and the Ark, Moses in the Bullrushes, the Dividing of the Water as well as many scenes from the Nativity, the Parables, the Gospels and the Acts.

There are Three Fonts in the Church:

1. 	Norman Font (12-13th c.) is the oldest link with the first chapel and can be found in the baptistry in the north aisle by the Lady Chapel. It is of grey Purbeck marble with simple ‘flat-iron’ recessed arcading round the octagonal bowl. This type of font was mass produced at the quarry and there are quite a number still in use in the surrounding districts. It was retrieved from the churchyard in 1876 and reinstated in the church.

2.	Victorian Font is now I the south aisle, having been removed from the central gangway a few years ago. It was presented by Mrs Charlotte Cox (of the banking family0 in 1873 in remembrance of her three beloved children. The basin is of Caen stone supported on five columns, four of which are polished Devonshire marble.

3.	Terracotta Font, which stands beneath the pulpit, is now used as a flower holder. It was for some years in St Nicholas Church Hall, Bathside, and its origin is unknown, although it has been suggested that it could have been installed when the new church was built as the design was sympathetic. It was replaced by the Cox font.

Pulpit was dedicated by the Bishop of Colchester in 1897 and replaced an earlier one. It is said to be the only permanent memorial in Harwich of the 60 years’ reign of Queen Victoria.

Chancel is polygonal with one tier of windows. The stained glass is original showing the crests of:

Left – John Hopkins, 16 times mayor of Harwich whose memorial stone is on the north of the Chancel

Centre – Dr Rowley, Bishop of London, who consecrated the church in 1822

Right – The Borough Arms

Altarpiece is a painting of ‘Moses Giving the Law’ and was acquired for the old church in 1700. The church-wardens commissioned it from William Paris and their account reads: “Paid Mr William Paris for the painting of the altarpiece £20, lettering the tables in ditto £6.6.0d, frame £12.12.0d, case and bringing down £1.2s – Total £40”. The figure of Aaron is obviously derived from ‘The Worship of the Golden Calf’ painted by Nicholas Poussin, the famous French artist in 1636. It is interesting to note that 41 years after Harwich acquired its altarpiece, the original was sold to the National Gallery by Samuel Paris, possibly the son of William. The painting was restored in 1992. The altar frontals were embroidered by the late Gwen Stooke.

Monuments and Memorials Set high in the chancel walls and needing field glasses to read them, are many interesting monuments from the old church, and round the walls are many memorials to the ship-wrecked mariners and the men of Trinity House.

Brass Behind the choir stalls on the north side, is the only old brass in the church. It is John Richmond and his two wives, Joan and Christian, 1530. “Pray for the souls of Johanis Rychemond and Joanne and Christiane his wives&ldots;..”. The Richmond monument was in the old church and was destroyed during the Reformation. This fragment of brass was recovered in 1907 from Devonshire, the Monumental Brass Society tracing its origin back to Harwich. The will of John Richmond is lodged at Somerset House. In it he desired to be buried within the church of St Nicholas “nere my wyf” (Joan), and left money to bring fresh water in pipes of “ledd” from the springs of Dovercourt to Harwich.

Organ This was built by Flight and Robson of London, who were well known for their major work, especially the famous Appolonian organ. The accounts for the building of the church show that Mr Flight was paid £445 for the organ. There is a tradition that the instrument was packed and despatched to Harwich in a barge but the barge sunk in the harbour during a storm. The organ parts were salvaged and appeared none the worse for their immersion in salt water. One of its most interesting features in a cornet stop. The front pipes are neatly encased and the whole effect is very pleasing. The organ was completely restored in 1992.

Cages High up on both sides of the organ are the ‘cages’, quite unique, into which the school children were packed in days gone by to form a heavenly choir. This was before the choir stalls were placed in the chancel around 1870. The cages are now kept locked for reason of safety but an excellent view of the interior of the church can be obtained from the lower gallery.

Royal Arms Beneath the organ are the Arms of King George IV who gave £1000 towards the rebuilding of the church. They are the handsomest in the county.

The Clock This is positioned beneath the Royal Arms and recently replaced one made by Harwich clockmaker J Brown in 1821, the gift of Captain George Deane.

Mayor’s Pew This is in the Nave and is unmistakable with its red cord and velvet cushions and the rest for the Borough mace.

Beza Bible 1607 This can be seen in an oak case to the right of the altar in the Lady Chapel. It was presented by Mr & Mrs T Jennings in 1936. It contains the Geneva version of the Old Testament by Theodore Beza, ‘Englished by L Tomson’. It includes the Apocrypha.

German Bomb In a glass case at the rear of the church is the head of an aerial torpedo, which narrowly missed the church during a Zeppelin attack in 1917.

Bells There was originally a peal of six bells cast in 1752 by Thomas Gardiner of Sudbury but they were taken out of the old church and recast in 1821 by Mears and Stainbank of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry when two trebles were added.

Tower Cock The external face is inscribed ‘Newell of London 1821’ but the mechanism, dated 1799, made by John Thwaites of London, probably came from the old church.

The church is open daily from 1100 – 1500 from Whitsun to the end of September.