These notes were written during the incumbency of The Rev. W. Richardson, 1938 to 1953, by the late Tommy Dunn of Bishop Auckland, a member of the Bishop Auckland Historical Society. The interior of the church now looks much different to that observed by Mr.Dunn as a major restoration was completed in August 2001 costing some £170 000.

This ancient and beautiful church is of stone and was built between the years 1150 – 1200. Its erection must have been in the time of Bishop Hugh Pudsey who was bishop from 13th February 1153 and who died 3rd March 1194. The style of architecture is that which marks the transition between late Norman and early English.

The present vicar, the Rev. Richardson, is of the opinion that a church stood on the site of the present church prior to the dates mentioned above. The same opinion was expressed by an architect with whom the vicar had spoken. There is, however, no physical or written evidence for this conjecture.

There is evidence that the West Bay was added in 1220. The Rev. J. F. Hodgson, late vicar of Witton-le-Wear, considered that the architect and builders of Staindrop Church were also responsible for that of S. Helen’s as certain characteristics are common to both churches, notably the arches and mouldings.

The church is dedicated to S. Helen. Helena, a native of Britain married Constantine Chlorus, a Roman general, who served in England under the emperors Maximanus and Diocletion. Constantine Chlorus died in AD 305. Their son, Constantius, became the first Christian emperor. Helena was said to be a woman of inestimable virtues.

The church at one time was attached to a prebend i.e. stipend or maintenance was granted out of the estate of a Cathedral or Collegiate Church, in this instance the Collegiate Church of S. Andrew Auckland. This was cut off at the dissolution of the monasteries.

The church is situated on the north side of the village and is approximately 11 miles south of Durham Cathedral and 2 miles from S. Andrew Auckland. The church consists of a chancel with north and south chapels, a nave with north and south aisles, a porch with a chamber over it and a bell-cote on the west gable.

The nave, which is probably the oldest part of the church, originally consisted of only two bays, the arches of which are rounded. These arches are noteworthy. Those separating the nave from the south aisle show a toothed ornamentation, while those on the north side are plain. The nave was later lengthened by the addition of another bay on each side.

In late Perpendicular Times, 1450 and 1475 or thereabouts, the church underwent considerable alterations. Many of the original windows were removed and square headed ones were inserted in their place. The original high pitched roof was taken down and the side walls of the chancel raised, the clerestory added and the existing roof erected.
The piers are cylindrical, while the responds are keel shaped. The capital of the pier on the south is circular and plainly moulded whilst that on the north is circular in the neck and octagonal in the abacus and is carved with a leaf pattern which closely resembles the traditional scroll.

The later bay at the west end of the nave has arches which do not differ from each other in character or detail. They are round and consist of two plain chamfered orders with hood mouldings. The responds are half cylinders with a fillet on the face. The chancel arch is pointed. The responds are keel shaped. Both aisles have been prolonged eastwards so as to engage the greater part of the chancel. The arrangement no doubt arises from the existence of chantries.
In 1235 Robert Forrester and his wife, Agnes,
“Granted and confirmed to God and the Chapel of St Helen in Aclet a moiety of new and unbroken ground in the north part of the village for the support of the chaplain who shall perform divine services therein”
There would, therefore, appear to have been a chantry in this church. Certainly at a later period a chantry dedicated to ‘Our Lady’ existed.

The arches rest on corbels. The piers are octagonal and have octagonal capitals both of which are curiously carved. The one on the north has on each of its eight sides a sort of cone-like flower between two leaves. The one on the south side is covered with fanciful designs.

Apparently great latitude was given to Master Builders who felt that their individuality had to be preserved even though their names are lost to posterity. This, no doubt, is the reason for the differences in the ornamentations of the north and south arches in the nave and capitals. Apprentices, too, had the same license and no doubt exercised their imagination on the capitals in the chancel

The east window consists of three lancets under one arch. It depicts, on the bottom right, Mary and on the bottom left, Joseph. In the top right is St. Cuthbert holding the head of King Oswald and in the top left is S. Helen. In the centre is Christ on the cross.

This window is to the memory of Matthew Chester for 50 years vicar of the parish and to his son the Rev. Canon Chester.

There is a two light window of late perpendicular date in each of the side walls of the chancel. The south aisle has four two light windows in the south wall and a single lancet at each end, the one on the east having been widened.

The north aisle has two lights, one at the east end and one along the side. It also has a lancet at the west end. At the west end of the nave there is a window consisting of three lancets under one label. This is in memory of William Byars Kilburn, surgeon, who died 27th October, 1886.

The clerestory, which carries a battlemented parapet, is lighted by three perpendicular windows. At the west end there is a round headed window apparently of very early date which must have been moved from some other part of the church. Other windows have been restored recently.

The entrance door which opens into the aisle is well worth close inspection. It is considered to be the original door and is one of the oldest in the country. It is in the perpendicular style and its appearance suggests very great age and to be in the condition that it is after a lapse of 700 years is remarkable.

The porch, which is apparently of a later date, has over it a parvis or domus inclusa and with that existing at St. Andrew’s Auckland provides the only instances in the County. It is now approached by a modern stairwell within the porch but originally was reached from the south aisle stone steps corbelled out from the wall. These can still be seen inside the church. In the early days it was occupied by a chantry priest. He would be very similar to a curate of today but would receive remuneration for saying masses in one of the chapels for the repose of the soul of someone who had made a bequest or, perhaps, he would have acted as a tutor to some privileged family in the district.

The old entrance at the top of these stairs is now occupied by a cupboard which contains the church registers.

These register which commenced in 1593 are of considerable interest containing numerous entries concerning members of the families of Downes, Carr, Cradon, Williamson, Eden, Lowther, Lumley, Tuer and many others.

Burials between the years 1678 and 1695 are omitted. No reason can be given for this. There are many strange sounding names in the registers such as Pilotis Joanes 1627 and Brianus Mounsier 1631.

There is a long list of clergy one of whom, John Vaux, was frequently in trouble. He was suspended from his Ministry on Thursday 7th November 1633 but restored again on Thursday 11th December 1634. During his absence Robert Cowper of Durham served in his place and left out several christenings and registered others in a disorderly fashion.

Apparently John Vaux had sold almanacs at the altar table and practised the art of casting nativities, pretended to recover stolen goods and made and composed several libels and epigrams to the scandal of the church. He was sentenced to three years in jail but did not serve the full sentence. In one of the records it says that John Vaux is still talked about in West Auckland and people have been heard to confirm that he could raise the devil.

Another record states that on February 4th 1646 our gracious King Charles laid at Christopher Dobson’s house in Bishop Auckland.

There is also set out what would be the Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting. The members of the council who could not write, and there were many, made their particular mark and the vicar, who was no doubt the chairman, indicated at the side of the mark who that person was.

The first vicar known to be the incumbent of this church was John Drawlace in the year 1421. A list of vicars is exhibited in the vestry and the succession of vicars has been uninterrupted until the present time.

It is a perpetual curacy with net yearly value of £383 with a 23 acre glebe and a residence. In 1712 and 1713 this curacy was augmented with land and tithes purchased for £400 of which £200 was of Queen Anne’s Bounty and £200 given by Sir John Eden Bart. which money it was said was lost by purchasing under a bad title.
The bell cote contains two bell one of which is mediaeval and bears the inscription,
+R Sanc + A Helena Ora Pro Nobis
Meaning, “S. Helen pray for us”
Beneath the second ‘e’ in the word Helena and in the ‘b’ of Nobis is a shield charged with a bend.

On the second bell is inscribed ‘R. Watson, Newcastle 1832’ Apparently the bell cote was blown down in 1843 and the second bell broken. It was melted down and re-fashioned by the Newcastle firm. The turret was re-built in 1866.

An inventory in the reign of Edward V1 1554 records two bells in the turret, two handbells and one bell for sacring for the sanctuary and also one chalice.

There was at one time a gallery at the west end of the church, a wooden structure where the musicians were housed. The date when it was erected is not known nor the date when it was taken down. There are accounts for the repairs to violins, reeds, strings and a bassoon (1815).

The present pews date from about 1866 and are of pitch pine being given to the church by John Musgrave and fixed during the ministry of the Rev. J. Roscamp 1892-1909. Prior to 1600 the church would have had no pews, the worshippers either standing or sitting on the floor which had been strewn with rushes. It is likely that a stone ledge or bench ran around the church to enable the more elderly worshippers to sit. It is probable that the saying ‘the weakest go to the wall’ has arisen from this.
The original floor of the church was approximately 4ft lower than the present level. The raising was probably due to burials inside the church.

The pews in the chancel are the original ones put in about 160 and are of local oak and in beautiful condition.

The chapel on the south side of the high altar now houses the organ which was formerly a one manualled instrument. It was made into a two manualled organ by Nelson’s of Durham who used all the old material as far as was possible. The expense of this was borne by the Eden family. It is also the Eden chapel. Robert Eden who died 20th June 1584 is buried in the chancel. In this chapel carved on the oak panelling is ‘Ralph Eden 1629’ It is supposed to have been done during services by the boy but is so well executed as to appear to be the work of a craftsman.

The Edens lived here from 1577 until 1835 when they moved to Windlestone Hall. This removal was a calamity for the expenses of running their country seat and estate ruined them. The Eden chapel was originally the chapel of the Virgin Mary.
The coats of arms of two members of the Eden family hang on the north and south walls. Each one bears the skull and cross bones and sheaves of corn and a hand. They were probably carried at the head of the funeral procession and exhibited outside the church to show that a member of an important family had died. Other members of the family are buried under the east window in an enclosed part of the churchyard. The railings are broken down and the graves overgrown with grass and bramble bushes. The present Edens have been approached in the matter of having the graves attended to. The present Sir Timothy Eden is lay rector of the church.

The chapel on the north side was that of the Monk family who are connected with the brewery at West Auckland. Some of the parishioners called it the Brewery Chapel but it is actually the Chapel of St. Helen.

The oak pulpit which stands on the right and the brass eagle which stands on the left were gifts of the late Lady Eden in 1898.

It was during the Wars of the Roses that the Eden family became the squires of St. Helens.

The altar cloth is very old and beautiful. During the Reformation some of the jewels in it were either lost or stolen. It has recently been renovated through the efforts of the present vica,r The Rev. Richardson. He obtained gems very similar to the originals from Jewish Jewellers in London. The cover is in scarlet and gold and the various coloured jewels give a rich colouring to the altar.

Attached to a pillar near the entrance is the Poor Box. It is a curious oaken box and Surtees the historian informs us that he has in his possession a box of exactly the same construction. It formerly held the monies received in a hamman or Turkish Bath in Constantinople. Since Surtees death the whereabouts of is box are unknown.

The box in the church is divided into three compartments with money slits and a lock to each. Two compartments still contain there original locks. The middle compartment now has a modern hasp and padlock. This alteration was made by Rev. Stephen Davison who also had the money slits enlarged. On each of the lids there are large capital letters, H on 1, W on 2 and E on 3. The meaning of these letters is not known. On the back of the box is the text, “ He that hath pitty upon the poore, lendeth unto the Lord and looke what he layeth out – it shall be payd him againe” Prov 19.17.

The Carr family came to St Helens in the 15th century and it was during this period that the roof was taken off and carried up to its present height.

Within the altar rails on a flat slab of marble is the following inscription:-
Cuthbertus Carre de Auckland
Santae Helenae Armig
Orbit 18 die Decemb
Anno aetatis suae 79
Anno dui 1679
Which means, ‘Cuthbert Carr born 1619 died 22nd December 1697 aged 79 years’
This is the family which built the Brusselton Summer House.

A memorial brass dated from the 15th Century, 1450, shows two figures, a man with a long tunic edged with fur, close cropped hair, pointed shoes and wearing a rosary. Only the lower portion of the lady remains. Six sons are shown but the number of daughters cannot be ascertained owing to the brass partly being concealed by a pew.

There is a large stone in the churchyard without inscription which covers a vault and this is credited by local superstition as being the resting place of the founders of the church.

Also inscribed on a small tombstone is, ‘Poor Charles died March 9th 1785’. Poor Charles is supposed to have been a negro and it is said that a female parishioner erected the stone out of compassion.

Some of the parishioners were executed for participating in the rising of the earls.

The communion plate which is kept with registers consists of
1 A silver cup
2 A silver paten 1737
3 A silver paten 1790
4 A silver flagon or straight sided tankard 1842.

There is an entry in the 1813 register which reads, “It is herein agreed that the guinea annually expended on procuring a dinner for the vestry shall in future be vested in the hand of Mr Todd for the purpose of procuring a service plate for the communion, as witness our hand this 28th April 1813. Mr Todd has now £2.2.0 for the above purpose.

In 1849 miners from Wales arrived and the vicar, finding insufficient room for his enlarged congregation, packed the church with pews. This made accommodation for 350 worshippers.

Inside the entrance porch is stone seating for those wishing to rest inside the doorway. A channel a yard wide has been cut around the outside of the church in an effort to prevent dampness.

Just out side of the church is a building known as ‘The Barracks’ the name probably arising from the fact that the local militia were quartered there during the Napoleonic Wars.

A nunnery was at one time in being near the church, the nuns probably coming from France and being later transferred to Darlington

The door on the north side was used by the vicar before the vicarage was built

With sincere gratitude to the late Mr. Tommy Dunn of the Bishop Auckland Historical Society for the above notes