A Brief History of St. Edmund's Church

The church is dedicated to St. Edmund the Bishop, that is Edmund Rich, Archbishop of Canterbury.  This dedication is rare in England. 

The Parish was founded by Bishop Cutheard sometime between AD 900 and AD 915 and a wooden church would have been erected.  With the coming of the Normans a stone church with rounded arches as in Durham Castle would have been built and in 1085 Ulchild became the first recorded rector.

The present church was built between 1246 and 1256.  The tower, although not the first, was erected in 1490 and is 90 feet high.  The original bell is still in the tower although not part of the modern ring.  In 1707 an oak frame was built in the tower for six bells although it was not until 1998 that six bells were housed there.  The clock in the tower commemorates Queen Victoria's Jubilee in 1897.  The 9pm curfew bell, ordered by William the Conqueror, was rung for 800 years until 1965.

The chancel was built about 1290 and probably founded by Sir Andrew of Stanelai, Master of Greatham.  The Chancel screen and fine paneling are excellent C17th woodwork from the 

time of Bishop Cosin, who furnished the choir of Durham Cathedral.  His son-in-law was Denis Grenville, Rector of Sedgefield from 1667 to 1690.  On the north side of the chancel is the organ loft given by rector Pickering in 1707.  Its original home was on a western gallery.  It was moved in 1840 to the north-west corner of the nave before returning to the chancel in 1914.  The case and a very small amount of pipework are all that remain of the original instrument.

Nothing is left of the ancient stained glass and most of the windows are later insertion.  The east window is modern constructed in 1970 and contains an outline cross in the leading.  It is thought to be Leonard Evetts' (1909-1997) finest work in clear glass.  The only remaining early English window is the plain lancet one at the west of the door near the font.  The font was probably given in 1450 by a wealthy Newcastle merchant called Thornton.  It was placed in its present position in 1870.  The eight symbolic regeneration shields were carved on the orders of Rector Pickering, 1701 to 1711.

Outside is the lych gate which was the gift of Alderman Thompson of Stockton in 1906.  Nearby is the memorial of the two great wars.

(The above extracts and drawings are taken mainly from the parish brochure 'Church of St Edmund's, Sedgefield', available from the church.  The editor wishes to acknowledge the contributions of Mrs L Cauldwell and Mrs I Ingham for producing and assembling the Publication and to Mr R Henderson and Mrs A Fuller for the art work..  Some updating has been done thanks to information supplied by Paul Hutchinson.)

The Friends of St Edmund's care for the long term upkeep of this historic building.  Brian Mutch, one of the present Church Wardens, helped set up the group and is their Honorary Secretary.  More about the local and parish history can be had by contacting the Sedgefield Local History Society.

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