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The History of St James's Audlem
The church was founded in the middle of the 13th century by Thomas de Aldelime in the reign of Edward 1 to St Thomas’s Priory, Stafford and held until the dissolution of the monasteries when it passed into private patronage.
In 1896 the living was purchased from Lord Combermere by the then vicar, Canon Atkinson, who then gave it to the Bishop of Chester. The building is built on a hill, which is thought to be a Celtic burial ground.
The floor is much higher than the original floor as the church was at one time used for burials. The windows are all late 19th century. The oldest part of the building is the north side, Lady Chapel and tower.
Some key dates:
| 1360-1400 | Lower part of Chancel wall with three light windows on south side. |
| 1500-1540 | Period of great change. North Arcade moved two feet northwards and Lofty Clerestory erected with panelled Tudor ceiling. Note the spring of the original arch left in East side of tower. Hundreds of small white marks on Chancel walls where soldiers sharpened arrows on the stone before it was used in the building. These marks were probably made about 1350-1400. |
| 1590 | Porch altered with panelled ceiling in place of former entrance. Note stone seats of original porch with grooves where spears and swords were sharp |
| 1895 | Major restoration at a cost of nearly £3000. Sixteen coats of whitewash and plaster were removed from walls revealing on the north wall, near the War memorial, an old fresco and niches probably of a Chantry. Square pews were removed with some carvings retained in choir stalls and the Sedalia. The arch under the tower was opened up and the space converted for use as a Baptistry. The vestry was built outside the North door and a screen erected at the East end to separate the chancel from the Nave. |
| 1609 | the Jacobean pulpit. |
| 1960-1975 | ave roof restored after ravaging by death watch beetle. External roof of nave re-leaded. Nave aisle floor repaired after collapse of coffins below. |
| 1975-1979 | General repairs, new heating system and sound amplification added. |
| 1982 | Chancel screen removed to new position at West end. Pews west of screen removed and carpet laid in Chancel and Sanctuary. New Alter frontal. Reredos restored. |
| 1983-1990 | Urgent restoration costing £200,000, renewing all roof timbers and re-leaded whole roof except nave. |
| 1991 | Lady chapel restored, refurnished and rededicated. Organ moved from here to North Aisle when pews were removed and new floor laid. |
| 1994 | New Nave floor, new Alter platform and Communion rails installed, pulpit repositioned. |
| 2000 | Boiler house, oil tank and Tower restoration. |
| 2002 | Kitchen and toilet installed. |
| 2003 | Sound system updated and loop added. |
| 2006 | Major restoration of the weathervane. It was discovered it had been used for target practice at some point in its past! |
| 2007 | West interior porch added, Lady Chapel is enclosed and disability handrail is added to west path. |
Some particular items of interest are:
- Fourteenth century tiles below West window of tower (use adjacent light switch to illuminate).
- Roman Funeral Urn (70-90 AD) on shelf to right of Lady Chapel east windows.
- Fourteenth century wooden chest adjacent to north wall.
- 15th century Font to left of pulpit.
- Priests door on outside of south Chancel wall
- Rare Mass dial.
