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The building erected in 1794 was on the same site as the ancient church. It first consisted of a nave and semi-circular apsidal chancel, with three ugly gaping windows on the south side, two on the north and one on the west end above the entrance. There was a small bell turret on the west gable. |
 The Church in about 1850 |
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Family pews were allocated to the Wilmot-Sitwells, the Radfords and Mundys of Shipley Hall. The other pews were described as: 'High, narrow, uncomfortable pens, the backs of the seats rigidly perpendicular and the doors of the selfish exclusive type; some even furnished with locks'. There was a gallery across the west end occupied by the Boy's Sunday School (the girls were on benches down the middle of the stone-floored aisle). The men servants from Stainsby and the instrumental choir occupied the front seats. Two large pews under the gallery were usually occupied by the cottagers - the farmers' men servants on the north and the women on the south. It is assumed that the gallery was demolished during the alterations made in the mid 19th. century. An early recollection about the choir indicates that it was composed of violin, violincello, trombone and bassoon. When a new bassoon was required it is recorded that the Messrs. Radford, Mundy and Sitwell decided on a good looking instrument, but old Oliver, the player, preferred a commoner-looking one. Mr Sitwell said that since Oliver had to play it, he had better have his own choice. LATER HISTORY In the 1860s there was a need to enlarge the church. Major alterations saw the removal of the transepts, the present aisles erected and the door moved from the west to the south side of the church. Two square transepts in the Norman style had been added to the nave in 1844, but they were removed in 1862 and the present aisles substituted, by the generosity of Mrs. Mary Buttle Radford of Smalley Hall. It can be seen from the brass memorial plates near the organ, that the Radford family suffered more than their fair share of tragedies in the unfortunate early deaths of three of their children and also the loss of a son aged 18 years, who served in the Derbyshire Militia. |
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A small porch, with a Norman style doorway, had been erected at the west end in about 1850 as the gift of
Miss Eliza Wilmot-Sitwell of Stainsby House. This porch became a redundant feature at the west end of the church and it was moved to its present position on the south side when the tower was built in 1912. The present chancel replaced the old apse in 1865, at the same time the organ was installed; both the gifts of Mrs Radford of Smalley Hall. Another recollection is that the pathway to the church was wide enough for Mr. Mundy to be driven up to the south door in his pony carriage and for it to be turned round to collect him at the close of the service. |
 West end view about 1900 |
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In February 1877 St. John the Baptist became a separate ecclesiastical parish, independent of Morley,
with the Reverend William Bradshaw as the first Vicar. The major change of the 20th. century was the building of the Bell Tower and the moving of the porch from the west side to its present position on the south side. When the modern church was built in 1794, the two small bells were recast in London in 1796, into a single bell, weighing about 2 cwts. and this became known as the 'Warner Bell', taking the name of the London bellfounder, Old John Warner. This bell was first hung in the bell turret above the west gable, until the Tower was built. During this time, when it was the only church bell, it was a village joke that only a single bell was rung at a funeral, but all the bells were rung at a wedding! Money for building the Bell Tower and housing the five bells had been bequeathed by the Reverend Charles Kerry who died in 1908. In his Will of December 1906 he set out in great detail how the five bells were to be purchased and cast by his friend, John Taylor of Loughborough. They were to be in memory of his parents and himself, and he gave very precise details of how they should be inscribed. The building of the Tower necessitated the removal of the the porch originally built on the west end and it was moved to its present position. The walls of the new Tower were built of Morley stone, with dressed stone from the Coxbench quarries. The new bells arrived at Smalley on 21st. August 1912, having travelled by road from Loughborough on a large trailer with iron wheels, towed by a steam engine. The chime of bells, and assumably their escorts, rested overnight at the Rose and Crown and the following morning, having been dressed with garlands of flowers, the Kerry bells were taken in procession to the church. It was only years later, in 1989, that Smalley discovered how unique this gift from Charles Kerry really was. A keen 'ringer' visiting the church for a wedding, found that Smalley Church has the heaviest chime of five bells, not only in Derbyshire, but in the whole of England; third only in the UK and Ireland, to chimes in Jersey and Dundalk. |
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Early history of the Church
Smalley village Smalley OPS Home |
Sources: This account was written using material from the publications 'Footsteps through Smalley' (1994), 'The Church of St. John the Baptist, Smalley' (1990) and 'Smalley Church Bells'(1999)
Thanks and acknowledgements go to the authors, Joyce Crofts and Joseph Read; Roy & Betty Hughes, and the Smalley Village History Group.