Church and Parish of St Saviours Leeds. This Church was Consecrated by the then Bishop of Ripon on 28th October 1845, but its origins dated back a previous six years. It was the anonymous gift of Dr Edward Bouverie Pusey, Regius Professor of Hebrew in Oxford University, but that fact was not established until after his death in1882. At the time Pusey promoted the building of this church; the whole nature of English society had changed overwhelmingly, and to some extent, was continuing to change. The industrial Revolution had turned the country from a farming economy, to one where manufacturing industries were the key to local and national economics. The old farming communities had, in the main, collapsed, and populations had moved en masse to large towns such as Leeds. This brought the usual social problems such as inadequate housing and living conditions, paltry wages for large numbers of hours worked, explanation on a grand scale, and a massive gap between those who had, and those who had not. Not to put too fine a point on it, government was more interested in making money than in the conditionsin which people lived. It must not be forgotten that only the property classes had the vote at the time. To say that throughout this period, the Church of England had not covered itself in glory would be a massive understatement. In the main, the clergy had sided with the forces of privilege. This was to be exemplified by three notorious examples in 1819, the mill operatives in Manchester had attempted to hold an entirely peaceful demonstration on St Peter’s Fields in that town. Their protest was against the reduction of wages and the importation of machinery to do their jobs. The local magistrates saw fit to order the militia to fire upon them, despite the peaceful nature of the demonstration. Every one of the magistrates involved was a Church of England clergy. At around the same time the machine operatives in west Yorkshire stung to action by their reduced living conditions caused again by reduction of wages and the introduction of machinery, and provoked by a particularly exploitative factory owner, stormed Rawfolds Mill near Liversedge. A gain the militia were led against them by the local vicar, Hammond Roberson. Patrick Bronte, father of Charlotte, Anne and Emily who sympathised entirely with the working had something to say about that incident. Thirdly the bishops voted against the passing of the Reform Act before Parliament in 1831 showing exactly how unwilling they were all to alter the situation. Leeds. by 1835, had grown out of all proportion, but it contained some dreadful living conditions, especially on the east and south sides. Sanitation was non-existent, and Gerry built housing covered the whole area. Clothing mills and engineering shops dotted the area which was entirely neglected by the religious detonations. Nominally, the whole of Leeds was in the parish attaching to St Peter’s Church Kirkgate, but the clergy there were faced by an impossible task. Such was the area now comprising St Saviour’s parish immediately before our church was built. -----------------------------------------------------
St Saviour’s church was the anonymous gift of Edward Bouverie Pusey Regius of Hebrew in Oxford University. Its building came about due to a friendship between Pusey and the then Vicar of Leeds. W.F. Hook. Hook came to Leeds in 1837 and immediately attempted to tackle the religious deprivation in the place. He was on the terms of friendship with many Oxford dons who were part of a reform movement in the Church of England, commenced a few years previously, which set out to restore the proper teaching and practice of the church which had been largely ignored, then forgotten over the previous century or so. Pusey was a leading member of this reform movement, know as the Tractarians. In 1838 Hook wrote to his friends in Oxford ‘ we have heard of your sayings, now let us see something of your doings’. In other words come to Leeds and build a church in accordance with your own principles. Just about the same time, Pusey’s wife died and he resolved to respond to Hook’s request by building a church to her memory. The church was nearly seven years in building. It was a tumultuous time for the C of E which had become thoroughly rattled by some of the attempts of the reformers to restore its teaching. Bishops were still seen as establishment figures and feared that the boat was being rocked. Reformist clergy were slapped down on, and trust disintegrated. Pusey’s great friend J.H Newman was particularly badly treated, although he had brought some of it on by himself by his tactlessness. In October 1845 just a few days before the Consecration of St Saviour’s Newman and others joined the Roman Catholic Church. Pusey became tarred by the association with the same brush, and Hook and the Bishop of Ripon became thoroughly alarmed about what was being attempted here. Nevertheless, the Consecration of this church was a great day for Leeds and for the Church of England as a whole. A congregation of nearly 800, including 260 clergy met together – representative of the Scottish, Irish and American churches included. The architect of St Saviour’s church was John Macduff Derick (1815-1861), and Irishman living on Oxford who had submitted designs for the Martyrs Memorial there. He was a pupil of Sir John Soane, and perhaps of Pugin, too. The design of the church is loosely based upon that of St Mary’s University in Oxford, however, the full design was never implemented. The presence of underground mine workings precluded the spire envisaged by Derick. The present tower, based generally upon the original design, dates only from 1937 and is the work of Leslie Moore. Much of the recent history of the Church of England is encapsulated within the history of this church, which was one of the first to be opened without pew-rents, and free to all comers. During the cholera epidemic of 1849, St Saviour’s became the fist parish on the post-reformation parish to restore the Daily Mass, and although it is impossible to prove conclusively, it is likely that they reserved the Sacrament too. The clergy were in possession of a full set of Eucharistic Vestments from Christmas 1848, although until Easter 1866, only a coloured stole was worn. The full ranges of vestments were introduced in 1866-1869. Liturgical advances included a Midnight Mass at Christmas 1848 and Easter 1849. The Religious life has always received encouragement here. Pusey intended from the start that a lay brotherhood should be established. This was not to be, although there is much evidence that the parish was a successful training ground for Ordinands for many years. The pioneer Benedictine, Father Ignatius (the ten Vicar, Richard Collins) visited here in 1864, as did Father Benson and his colleagues among the Cowley Fathers, and at a slightly later date, many of the members of the Community of the Resurrection, Mirfield. Several communities have worked here including the Sisters of the House of Charity Bristol (1880-1929), the All Saints Sisters (1929-1938) and the Community of the Holy Rood (1956-1965). The latter, indeed, was founded by a former member of St Saviour’s, Mary Jacques in the 1850’s and there is a little circumstantial evidence to indicate that the CHR worked here during the 1870’s too. At St Saviour’s the teaching of the Book of Common Prayer were fully put into practice from the stat, for the first time anywhere for nearly 300 years. As a consequence, ‘the blows fell on St Saviour’s Leeds thick and fast’ from those violently opposed to what was going on here. Despite the defection of clergy to Rome in 1847 and 1851, and in an evangelical direction in 1858, the laity held fast, and it was largely due to them that this parish became a successful missionary endeavour. Although the architect was not experienced in church buildings, he produced a design which received high praise in The Ecclesiologist for January 1847. It is said, but with what truth is not known, that the proportions of St Saviour’s are the same as those of Westminster Abbey. Certainly, the church has unusual acoustics, ideal for Gregorian Plainchant, which was the main form of music sung here for nearly a century. The musical tradition has always been strong, and the quality of congregational singing was remarked upon as early as 1853. The church is a cruciform structure, which returns to medieval principles then being encourages by such as A.W.N.Pugin. Whether Pugin had a hand in the actual design is not known, but he did provide designs for some of the stained glass windows. Ruggedly splendid though St Saviour’s is, standing in a semi-industrialised, semi-housed landscape, it is the interior which is its chief glory. The exterior remains unfinished, though the corbel heads were added by G.F.Street in 1866. Those at the North Transept represent Dr Hook and the Archdeacon of Craven, Charles Musgrave. Those at the porch entrance, Bishop A.P.Forbes and Canon R.Ward, second and first vicars of the parish. The exterior of the west door is guarded by Queen Victoria and Bishop C.T.Longley of Ripon. Only a few of the interior corbels are portraits, but those at the West door represent Dr Pusey, and additions (1924) at the North door are Canon Wylde and J.W.Cudworth represents W.Lyndon Smith, our first organist. Of the stained glass, the North, South and West windows are to the work of Pugin. The West window, depicting the Crucifixion has been considerably altered from its original design. Though the window presently shows angels at the foot of the cross holding scrolls, it is known they originally held chalices catching drops of blood from the crucified Christ. At the order of the Bishop however, the design was altered immediately prior to Consecration. This window has recently been restored by Martin Johnson of York. The North transept window, best seen from the organ gallery, contains scenes from the Passion. The South Transept window represents the Communion of Saints. The East Window, containing the Ascension, is almost certainly the work of Michael O’Connor of Bristol. A short history of the church, published in 1872, comments that it was thought the window was donated by the Irish Bishop of Clogher, but there is no first evidence of this. The nave windows and those in the clerestory are, in the main, the work of O’Connor. A few of the naïve windows are by other artists. The Forbes Memorial window n the south aisle is by Baguley of Newcastle (1877). Next to this, the Collins memorial window (1872) is the work of ford Maddox brown, a memorial to Thomas Collins, and vicar of Farnham, Knaresborough, and his wife Anne – parents of the then vicar. Three other windows date from the period 1865- 1878. In the north aisle, the Lyndon smith window commemorates the first organist who was drowned in a skating accident. It is by William Morris (1867). The Outhwaite window, (1870) is the work of Morris and Burne Jones. The porch window, a memorial to former vicar, Richard Collins (1978) is also by Burne Jones. Minor alterations were made to the naïve windows by George pace, 1961-1963. Two panels from the celestory windows, removed in 1866, are to be found in the south aisle of Leeds parish church. All the windows in the chancel, save one, are by O’Conner. The one exception, on the north side, was made into a memorial to Arthur Threfall, by pace in 1963. During its 160 year history, St Saviour’s has been subject to at least three major restoration schemes. The first, by street, in 1866/7 involved the raising of the high alter, the replacement of the original pulpit (which stood on the south side), the decoration of the chancel roof by Clayton and Bell, and the painting of frescoes of northern Saints on the chancel walls. All this decorative work has long since been obliterated. The church was reopened on 25th January 1867, when the preacher was the reverend Thomas Helmore, presenter of St Mark’s College, Chelsea, a leading authority on Gregorian plainchant music. The second and most expensive scheme was achieved in the years 1888-1890 under the supervision of g.f.Bodley. The original intention was to build a chapel in memory Dr Pusey (who had died 16h September 1882 however, the scheme grew to encompass a full restoration of the church- which remains much as Bodley left it, after rededication by Bishop Edward King of Lincoln on 27th October 1890. The third and last full restoration of the church took place under the supervision of G.G.Pace 1961-1963. At that time, the Claton and Bell frescoes were painted out, as was Bodley stencilling on the naive and crossing roofs. In the last ten years a further major overhaul of the building has been started. The roof has been made watertight, and the bell-turret secured. Much of the exterior wall work has been repainted: the west window fully restored to its former glories, and a new heating system installed. Exterior floodlights a gift from the east Leeds regeneration project were switched on in May 1999. A BRIEF TOUR OF THE CHURCH The Chancel. The high Alter, of grey marble with oak legs, is the original, and was the subject of much debate as a result of a Consistory Court ruling in January 1845 that CofE did not allow stone alters. In the event, the Bishop allowed the compromise of stone Mensa and wooden legs- to ensure that the Alter (or holy table) was moveable. The Retable contains a tabernacle flanked by instruments of the passion. The tabernacle is the work of Bodley, but it may not appear until 1902 when the rerendos was erected. The stutory was put in place piecemeal, between 1902 and 1912. Prior to 1902, the alter was backed by a triptych by Hardman of Birmingham showing the ten commandments and lords prayer- as requested by Dr Pusey. The pair of octagonal oak standard candlesticks, with faceted stems and copper mounts, suitable inscribed, commemorate the golden jubilee of Canon Wylde as Vicar They were dedicated by Bishop Talbot of Winchester in 1927. The chancel is not the original, which s now placed in the porch. The present screen is part of the 1890 restoration scheme. The side panels, each containing an angel holding a scroll, were the anonymous gifts of a Southport Lady- maybe a connection of Edgcumbe Staley, Curate of St Saviour’s 1880-1882, and the first of St Hilda’s, who came from Southport. The rood and beam, also the art work of Bodley, commemorate Mother Agnes Stewart (1820-1886). Mother Agnes Stewart is now remembered by the school named after her, but she was an early proponent of the religious Life in Leeds. Originating in London, she moved from Frome to Leeds in 1871. There were strong connections with parish of Frome trough its vicar, W.J.EBennett, curate, Robert Linklater, and the patron, Lady Bath, another keen supporter of the religious life, who had longstanding plans for a home for the mill girls in this parish. It seems to have been Linklater who finally advised Mother Agnes to come to Leeds when she fell out with Bennett- not unusually for that time both had strong personalities. The crossing and the transepts The North transept is filled with the high organ gallery, which is carried on wooden piers against the crossing arch, and at the back, a few feet from the passion window. It is not entirely clear when an organ first appeared in the church, but circumstantial evidence would indicate 1859. A faculty was granted in 1866 for creation of an organ chamber on the south side of the chancel, but this obviously never materialised. We do know however, that the original instrument was by Francis Booth of Wakefield, and that it had one manual and five stops only. It lasted until 1913, when it was replaced by the present instrument, by J.W.Walker of Ruislip. This has two manuals and twelve speaking stops. The gallery was erected at the time of the 1890 restoration and it is likely that the organ case is by the reverend F.H.Sutton, who was usually employed by Bodley. Temple Moore produced plans after 1907 to erect a similar gallery in the south transept, containing a small chapel. Thankfully, this did not materialize as it would have blocked out the south transept window- one of the great glories of St Saviour’s. The St Edward or Dr. Pusey Chapel leading off the transept is the work of Bodley. It is said that the little east window is the work of Powell brothers of Lincoln, although this view was contested a few years ago. The reredos is the work of Francis Darlington of Harrogate, and is the Parish World War 1 memorial. The Gredine at the front contains representations of the instruments of passion. The cupboards on the north side are also by Bodley. One contains Dr. Pusey’s oxford DD Robes, given by his daughter, Mrs Brine after his death . The family hatchment,given at the same time, is fixed to the south wall. The tabernacle, to the north of the Alter, was donated in 1893 in memory of William Powell, verger from 1869, and Harriet Smith. The statues of St Edward the Confessor and St Edward King and Martyr are by Thomas Garner. The wooden screen and gates were designed by Leslie Moore and made by church warden Joseph Ibbotson.
The Nave The nave and gilded statue of our lady on the south side is the work of Temple Moore and was the gift of the governor of Pusey House in 1919. The present pulpit, the third the church has possessed, was the gift of the Children’s family of Cantley Hall in 1902. The accompanying ivory crucifix was given anonymously by a parishioner in memory of his son, killed in the First World War. The font is of conglomerate marble, circular in form, with the four leafed-shaped panels, inlaid with white marble. It is the work of Street (1871). There is no record of the original font. The canopy, the work of J.T.Micklethwaite (1885) is a memorial to Father Edmund Deane, who died during a scarlet fever epidemic. It remained undecorated until painted by a parishioner, Mrs Butler of Mill Street, in 1923. The screen in the north porch is the central portion of the original chancel screen, removed in 1890. It is made of oak and the work of Vincent. It was painted and gilded Willamette, but these decorations have long since been removed. The cross over the screen caused considerable trouble in the early days of St Saviours. It was objected to by the Bishop who ordered its removal after the consecration in 1845. It was then replaced, and again subject to a complaint and removed. It was not restored until after 1851. Meanwhile, the clergy made their point by erecting a brass cross on the church roof, surmounting the flag pole, where it remained until blown down in a storm on 19th October 1935. The present seating arrangements date from 1907. The seats where probably the work of Temple Moore. who became architect to St Saviours in that year.
