Churches of Skegby
St Andrew's Church
Church History
"Of the early church here nothing is now known, only a fragment of Norman masonry remaining at the base of the tower, the whole edifice undergoing a complete rebuilding during the reign of Henry III, the north aisle added and new windows inserted. Of this work only three bays of the nave arcade are left, the tower was inserted over a bay of the west arcade from which we may assume that up to then the church had been towerless."
[From The story of Skegby and Stanton Hill, by W Clay-Dove.]
St Andrew's Church was originally built in the 12th century, as a chapel of ease to the parish of Mansfield. It is unusual that the dedication of this church had been forgotten until 1898, when a 15th century document came to light in the possession of the Dodsley family. The document - relating to the Bride family - mentions an Inquisiton which took place in 1460 "held in the chapel of St Andrews Church".
Rear of St Andrews Church
In 1870, the church was completely restored, which removed most traces of the Norman structure. The church suffered from mining subsidence and girders had to be used during the restoration. An organ chamber was also added at this time, at a cost of £1,500, which was raised by subscription. The churchyard was enlarged in 1871; the land being paid for by the Dowager Countess of Carnarvon.
Parish records
The Parish registers date from 1569 and are said to be in a reasonable condition. However, in the introduction to the printed transcript of marriages published by Phillimore the state of the registers is discussed and it suggests that some entries are missing or illegible. The transcription was done by Miss M. A. Dodsley.
At the beginning of the burial register which starts in 1813 is a list of Parish Clerks.
See further details
in the Reference Section
Churchyard
The Church is located on a raised plot, overlooking Skegby Hall. The front part of the churchyard is formed by a steep slope. The churchyard is an irregular shape, and was extended in 1870/1 at the expense of the Dowager Countess of Carnarvon who paid £100. A further acre was added in 1910.
The monumental inscriptions have been recorded by the Community Program Agency, and a copy is available in Sutton-in-Ashfield Library.
From the middle of the 17th Century, it was known that Mrs Hooton held "a conventicle of Quakers" at her house, which is likely to be the one known today as the Quaker House. Elizabeth Hooton was a prominent Quaker, in fact was "First Minister in the Society of Friends". She eventually left to travel to America. Meanwhile, members of the Society were regularly summoned before the Justice of the Peace for holding their religious meetings.
It is thought that a Quaker burial ground was near to Mrs Hooton's house, and some people were buried there from further afield, including Sutton-in-Ashfield and Hucknall under Huthwaite.
Other Nonconformists
The Weslyan Methodists built their chapel at Skegby in 1844. Prior to its erection, services were held in the house of John Holmes.
Wesleyan Methodist Chapel
The United Methodists began in Skegby in 1865.
Other non-conformist chapels were located in the Stanton Hill area of the parish.
Created 27th January 1998 by Heather Faulkes - updated 6th October 2002
