Selby Abbey
The West Front
OS grid referenceSE615323
CountryEngland
DenominationChurch of England
Previous denominationRoman Catholic
ChurchmanshipBroad Church
Websitewww.selbyabbey.org.uk/
History
StatusParish church
Founded1069 (1069)
Founder(s)Benedict of Auxerre
DedicationSt Mary the Virgin and St Germain
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Heritage designationGrade I[1]
Designated16 December 1952
StyleRomanesque, Decorated Gothic, Gothic Revival
Years built1069–1465
Administration
ProvinceYork
DioceseYork
ArchdeaconryYork
DeanerySelby
ParishSelby
Clergy
Vicar(s)The Revd Canon John Weetman[2]
Assistant priest(s)The Revd Dr Julie Watson; The Revd Paul Finlinson[2]
Curate(s)The Revd Dan Thomas[2]
Laity
Reader(s)Karen Banks[2]
Organist/Director of musicOliver Waterer[2]
Organist(s)Ian Seddon[2]
Churchwarden(s)Elaine Exley; Sue Taggert[2]
VergerAndrew Twineham; Quinn Croft[2]

Selby Abbey is a former Benedictine abbey and current Anglican parish church in the town of Selby, North Yorkshire, England. It is a member of the Major Churches Network in England.

Monastic history

The Nave

The church is one of the relatively few surviving abbey churches of the medieval period, and, although not a cathedral, is one of the biggest. It was founded by Benedict of Auxerre[3] in 1069 and subsequently built by the de Lacy family.

On 31 May 1256, the abbey was bestowed with the grant of a Mitre by Pope Alexander IV and from this date was a "Mitred Abbey". This privilege fell in abeyance a number of times, but on 11 April 1308, Archbishop William Greenfield confirmed the grant, and Selby remained a "Mitred Abbey" until the Dissolution of the Monasteries.[4]

Archbishop Walter Giffard visited the monastery in 1275 by commission, and several monks and the Abbot were charged with a list of faults including loose living, (many complaints referred to misconduct with married women). In 1279 Archbishop William de Wickwane made a visitation, and found fault with the Abbot as he did not observe the rule of St Benedict, was not singing mass, preaching or teaching, and seldom attending chapter. Things had not improved much in 1306 when Archbishop William Greenfield visited and similar visitations in later years resulted in similar findings.[4]

The community rebuilt the choir in the early fourteenth century, but in 1340, a fire destroyed the Chapter House, Dormitory, Treasury and part of the church. The damage was repaired and the decorated windows in the south aisle of the nave were installed.

In 1380–1 there was the abbot and twenty-five monks.[4] In 1393 Pope Boniface IX granted an indulgence to pilgrims who contributed to the conservation of the chapel of the Holy Cross in the abbey.[4]

The fifteenth century saw more alterations to the abbey. The perpendicular windows in the north transept and at the west end of the nave were added and the Sedilia in the Sanctuary was added. One of the final additions was the Lathom Chapel, dedicated to St Catherine, east of the north transept, in 1465.

In the Valor Ecclesiasticus of 1535 the abbey was valued at £719 2s. 6¼d (equivalent to £467,021 in 2021).[5] The abbey surrendered on 6 December 1539. The community comprised the Abbot, and 23 monks. The abbot was pensioned off on £100 a year (equivalent to £71,416 in 2021) [5] the prior got £8 and the others between £6 6s. 8d. and £5 each.[4]

Abbots of Selby

Source:[4]

  • Benedict 1069–1097
  • Hugh de Lacy 1097–1123
  • Herbert, 1123–1127
  • Durand, 1127–1137
  • Interregnum 1137–1139
  • Walter 1139–1143
  • Helias Paynel, 1143–1153
  • German, 1153–1160
  • Gilbert de Vere, 1160–1184
  • Interregnum 1184–1189
  • Roger of London, 1189–1195
  • Richard I (prior), 1195–1214
  • Alexander, 1214–1221
  • Richard, 1221–1223
  • Richard (sub-prior of Selby), 1223
  • Hugh de Drayton, 1245–1254
  • Thomas de Whalley, 1254–1263
  • David de Cawod, 1263–1269
  • William de Aslakeby (prior) 1280,-1293
  • John de Wystow I (sub-prior), 1294–1300
  • William de Aslaghby (sacrist), 1300–1313
  • Simon de Scardeburg (prior), 1313–1321
  • John de Wystow II, 1322–1335
  • John de Heslyngton (a monk), 1335–1342
  • Geoffrey de Gaddesby, 1342–1368
  • John de Shirburn, 1369–1408
  • William Pigot, 1408–1429
  • John Cave, 1429–1436
  • John Ousthorp, 1436–1466
  • John Sharrow, 1466–1486
  • Lawrence Selby, 1487–1504
  • Robert Depyng (monk of Crowland Abbey) 1504–1518
  • Thomas Rawlinson, 1518–1522
  • John Barwic, 1522–1526
  • Robert Selby, 1526–1540

Post monastic history

For a time after the dissolution, the church was unused but in 1618 it became the Parish Church of Selby. During the English Civil War and the Commonwealth period the building suffered with the north transept window being destroyed, and the statues on the brackets in the choir were demolished.

Movement in the stonework adjacent to the crossing tower

Like York Minster, the church rests on a base of sand and has suffered from subsidence. Many sections collapsed entirely during the seventeenth century, including the central tower in 1690 which destroyed the south transept. The Tower was rebuilt, but not the transept. In the eighteenth century the choir was filled with galleries, and used for services, the nave only used for secular purposes.

The church was restored by Sir George Gilbert Scott in 1871–1873 who restored much of the nave for use, and again in 1889–1890 by his son John Oldrid Scott, who restored the choir. The tower was restored in the first few years of the twentieth century.

The reredos was designed by Robert Lorimer and added in 1901.[6]

Vicars of Selby Abbey

Source:[7]

  • Anthony Ashton 1540 – 1583
  • Robert Dove 1583 – 1586
  • Thomas Tomlinson 1586 – 1603
  • John Bradley 1603 – 1610
  • Thomas Greenwood 1610 – 1613
  • John Moor 1613 – 1620
  • Richard Smith BA 1620 – 1625
  • John Whitaker BA 1625 – 1642
  • Paul Hammerton 1642 – 1650
  • Richard Calvert 1650 – 1658
  • Thomas Birdsall 1658 – 1666
  • Arthur Squire MA 1666 – 1698
  • Shadrach Sherburn BA 1698 – 1701
  • Henry Allan 1701
  • Geoffrey Rishton 1701 – 1720
  • Thomas Hardy 1720 – 1728
  • William Charnley BA 1728 – 1748
  • Marmaduke Teasdale BA 1748 – 1778
  • William Porter MA 1778 – 1796
  • William Caile 1796 – 1797
  • Thomas Mounsey 1797 – 1819
  • Jonathan Muncaster 1819 – 1834
  • John Leidger Walton MA 1834 – 1850
  • Francis Whaley Harper MA 1850 – 1889
  • Archibald George Tweedie MA 1889 – 1904
  • Maurice Parkin MA 1904 – 1910
  • John Solloway DD 1910 – 1941
  • Alfred Edgar Moore Glover MA 1941 – 1945
  • Frank Read AKC 1945 – 1952
  • John Aldwyn Pelham Kent MA 1952 – 1978
  • Anthony Cecil Addison Smith MA 1978 – 1983
  • Michael William Escritt DipTh 1983 – 1990
  • Peter Lawrence Dodd MBE 1990 – 1993
  • James Alexander Robertson 1993 – 1996
  • Roy Ian John Matthews TD MA 1996 – 1997
  • Keith Michael Jukes BA 1997 – 2007
  • Keith David Richards [8] 2007 – 2010
  • Canon John Weetman[9] 2011 –

The fire of 1906

The abbey after the fire of 1906

The organ builders from John Compton had been working until 11.00 pm on Friday 19 October, and shortly after midnight on Saturday the organist Frederick William Sykes spotted flames coming from the organ chamber.[10] The organ builders had been installing a new kinetic gas engine to provide power to the new organ. Initial reports that the new organ equipment was to blame for the fire were later proved inaccurate.[11]

The fire destroyed the roof of the choir and the belfry and peal of eight bells was also destroyed. All of the interior fittings were also destroyed but thanks to the actions of the local fire brigade, the fourteenth-century stained glass in the East window was saved.

A secondary fire broke out in the nave roof on the Sunday, but this was quickly extinguished.[12]

The abbey was rebuilt under the supervision of John Oldrid Scott at a cost of around £50,000 (equivalent to £5,545,000 in 2021) [5] and reopened in 1909. The restoration of the south transept was completed in 1912, funded by William Liversedge.

Later twentieth century

In 1952 the abbey was given Grade I listed status.[1]

Restorations of 2002

In 2002 the abbey underwent an extensive restoration, costing several million pounds. Stage 6, the restoration of the Scriptorium was completed at a cost of £795,000. The £400,000 cost of restoring the South choir Aisle and the "Washington Window" was met in full by British American Tobacco.[13] World Monuments Fund committed more than $800,000 to exterior work, including roof repairs, beginning in 2002.

The Washington Window

Coat of arms of the Washington family in fifteenth-century stained glass at Selby Abbey, England

A notable feature of the abbey is the fifteenth-century[14] Washington Window, located at the clerestory level of the quire,[15] which features the heraldic arms of the ancestors of George Washington, the first president of the United States. It is believed the shield is in the Abbey thanks to a financial benefaction supporting the work of the monastery at Selby from John Wessington, one of George Washington's ancestors, who was Prior of Durham from 1416 to 1446, and the design is thought to be one of the oldest representations of the Flag of the United States in the world.[16] Selby Abbey is on the 'American Trail' of attractions around the UK with strong American historical connections.[17]

Music

The east end of the Abbey: organ and choir stalls

Music at Selby Abbey has a long history going back to its monastic foundation in the 11th century when plainsong was chanted at the daily services by the Benedictine monks. Today, the music at services consists principally of choral music sung by the Abbey's choir, organ music, and congregational hymn singing.

The Choir of Selby Abbey numbers c35 adults and children. While the choir consists principally of dedicated volunteers, the Abbey provides three Choral Scholarships and employs a professional Assistant Organist and Director of Music. The Abbey Choristers receive a full musical education and training. During term-time the choir sings at the weekly Sung Eucharist on Sundays, and at Choral Evensong on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month, in addition to singing at other special services, weddings and concerts.

In 2022 the Abbey Junior Choir was founded to provide singing opportunities for younger children aged five and upwards.

The Abbey hosts many concerts throughout the year performed by choirs, orchestras, brass bands and other musicians and groups. Selby Abbey Trust organises an annual Organ Recital Series featuring performers from across the world.[18]

Organ

The organ at Selby Abbey, built in 1909 by William Hill & Son, (south) case designed by John Oldrid Scott

The previous organ was installed in 1825 by Renn and Boston, in a gallery on the east side of the choir screen wall. It was rebuilt several times by Booth of Wakefield, Forster and Andrews of Hull and Conacher of Huddersfield. In 1868 the organ was rebuilt and moved to a bay in the quire. The opening recital was given by William Thomas Best. This organ was rebuilt in 1891 by James Jepson Binns of Bramley and moved again, this time to the north side of the quire. A rebuild took place by John Compton in 1906, but the organ was destroyed by the great fire of that year, which nearly destroyed the abbey too.

Following the 1906 fire[19] and as part of the subsequent restoration of the Abbey, William Hill & Son was commissioned to build the current organ which was completed in 1909.[20] With 67 speaking stops and 4 manuals, most of the pipes of this instrument occupy two cases designed by John Oldrid Scott placed either side of the choir stalls in the Chancel. The huge pipes of the "Pedal: 32' Double Open Diapason" sit high up on the floor of the Triforium speaking into the Nave.

The first major restoration of this organ was carried out in 1950 by Hill, Norman and Beard.[21] In the early 1960s, the Italian virtuoso Fernando Germani made several LP recordings at the Abbey of organ music by Reger, Franck and Liszt, bringing the organ to international attention. In 1975, further alterations and additions were made to the organ by John T. Jackson.

By the 2010's the organ was showing its age and becoming increasingly unreliable, so in 2014 Geoffrey Coffin and Principal Pipe Organs of York carried out a major restoration lasting two years. Paul Hale was the adviser and the project was completed in 2016.[22][23]

Organists and Directors of Music

Burials

  • Thomas Thwaites and wife Alice de la Hay[40]

Bishop of Selby

The Bishop of Selby is a Suffragan Bishop to the Archbishop of York and oversees the Archdeaconry of York, which includes the Deanery of Selby.[41]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Historic England. "Church of St Mary and St Germain (Selby Abbey) (1132591)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Meet the Clergy & Staff". Selby Abbey. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  3. ↑ "Selby and Tadcaster History". northeastengland.talktalk.net. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2009.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Page, William, ed. (1974). "Houses of Benedictine monks: Abbey of Selby". A History of the County of York. Vol. 3. London: Victoria County History. pp. 95–100. Retrieved 20 October 2023 – via British History Online.
  5. 1 2 3 UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  6. ↑ Dictionary of Scottish Architects: Robert Lorimer
  7. ↑ "Genuki: Selby, Vicars transcription, Yorkshire (West Riding)". www.genuki.org.uk. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  8. ↑ "Selby Abbey vicar, Father Keith Richards, to retire". York Press. 1 July 2010. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  9. ↑ "New vicar of Abbey named". York Press. 23 November 2010. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  10. ↑ Western Times, Monday 22 October 1906. p.4. Selby Abbey Entirely Destroyed by Fire on Saturday
  11. ↑ Sheffield Evening Telegraph. Friday 14 December 1906. p. 5. The Selby Abbey Fire
  12. ↑ Gloucester Citizen, Monday 22 October 1906. p.5. The Fire at Selby Abbey
  13. ↑ "Restoring Selby Abbey: The Challenge We Face". Selby Abbey. Archived from the original on 10 October 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2009.
  14. ↑ "Washington Window". Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  15. ↑ Selby Abbey, "The Washington Window" (leaflet available in the Abbey)
  16. ↑ "Selby Abbey's Stars and Stripes window could prove a draw to American tourists". York Press. 10 February 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  17. ↑ "BBC – A History of the World – Object : Washington Window at Selby Abbey". BBC. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  18. ↑ "Music". Selby Abbey. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  19. ↑ "Yorkshire, North, Selby, Abbey of St. Mary and St. Germain, Selby Abbey, The Crescent [N07130]". National Pipe Organ Register. British Institute of Organ Studies. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  20. ↑ "Yorkshire, North, Selby, Abbey of St. Mary and St. Germain, Selby Abbey, The Crescent [N05109]". National Pipe Organ Register. British Institute of Organ Studies. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  21. ↑ "Yorkshire, North, Selby, Abbey of St. Mary and St. Germain, Selby Abbey, The Crescent [N05111]". National Pipe Organ Register. British Institute of Organ Studies. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  22. ↑ "Yorkshire, North, Selby, Abbey of St. Mary and St. Germain, Selby Abbey, The Crescent [K01532]". National Pipe Organ Register. British Institute of Organ Studies. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  23. ↑ Hale, Paul. "Selby Abbey". Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  24. ↑ Hampshire Telegraph – Saturday 20 August 1864
  25. ↑ "Bardon Music | Organ Sheet Music | Compositions by Edward J. Bellerby". www.bardon-music.com. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  26. ↑ Yorkshire Gazette – Saturday 3 December 1881
  27. ↑ Thornsby, Frederick W., ed. (1912) Dictionary of Organs and Organists. Bournemouth : Logan.
  28. ↑ Ronald, Landon, ed. (1937). Who's who in Music and Musicians' International Directory. Vol. 2. Hafner Publishing Company. p. 159.
  29. ↑ Thornsby, Frederick W., ed. (1921) Dictionary of Organs and Organists; 2nd ed. London: G. A. Mate
  30. ↑ Hull Daily Mail – Friday 7 January 1921
  31. ↑ Hull Daily Mail 7 March 1922
  32. ↑ "Walter Hartley". Discogs. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  33. ↑ Cummins, David M., ed. (2000). International Who's who in Music and Musicians' Directory: (in the Classical and Light Classical Fields) (17th ed.). Psychology Press. p. 224. ISBN 9780948875533.
  34. ↑ "Mervyn Byers". Discogs. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  35. ↑ "Biographical Dictionary of the Organ | Dr Anthony Langford". www.organ-biography.info. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  36. ↑ "Royal School of Church Music, Guild of Church Musicians". Church Times. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  37. ↑ "History". Easingwold Singers. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  38. ↑ "Independent Society of Musicians Music Directory". musicdirectory.ism.org. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  39. ↑ "Selby Abbey – At the heart of the community since 1069". Selby Abbey. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  40. ↑ Testamenta Eboracensia: Or, Wills Registered at York Illustrative of the History, Manners, Language, Statistics, &c. of the Province of York from the Year MCCC Downwards. J. B. Nichols and Son. 1869. p. 10. Retrieved 9 October 2020 – via Google Books.
  41. ↑ "New Bishops of Selby and Whitby". Diocese of York. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
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