The flagon The cruet

Church plate is a collective term for church objects made of precious and semi-precious metals. For convenience we have included the glassware used. Some church plate is among the most valuable furnishings in the church and is kept in the safe when not needed for worship. The plate in St. James's Church reflects, not only the light created by human beings, but also, symbolically, the light of the Holy Spirit.

A cruet is a small flat-bottomed vessel with a narrow neck used during the celebration of Holy Communion. Cruets often have an integral lip or spout and may also have a handle has a stopper or lid to protect the contents from from flies and dust. Cruets are normally made from glass, ceramic, or stainless steel. Cruets come in pairs, one containing water and the other containing altar wine. The cruet containing water is marked 'A' for the Latin word for water, Aqua, and the one containing the wine, 'V' for Vinum.

The altar wine, a special wine made only for Holy Communion containing a much lower alcohol percentage than other wines, is mixed with water in the chalice during Holy Communion in commemoration of the Last Supper.

The chalices

A flagon is a large vessel, usually made of glass and metal, that contains the wine to be consecrated. If more than one chalice is used during the administration of Communion, the flagon (or an additional cruet filled with wine and water) is placed on the altar at the offertory, and other chalices are brought to the altar after the breaking of the bread.

There should be only one chalice on the altar during the Great Thanksgiving. A smaller container called a cruet is used for the priest's chalice, usually identical to the cruet of water, which is mingled with the wine before consecration. The cruets do not remain on the altar after the preparation of the gifts.

Chalices, often made of precious metal and sometimes richly jewelled, have been used since ancient times. The chalice, from Latin calix, meaning cup, is a drinking cup or goblet with a bowl, a single stem, and a foot. The stem usually has a knob to make it easier to grasp. The chalice holds the sacramental wine during Holy Communion and everyone drinks from it, the server wiping the cup with a napkin and rotating it for each communicant. This is called 'taking communion from a common cup'. Worshippers can dip the bread into the cup if they prefer. The ornate silver-gilt Baroque chalice with garnets is now only used on special occasions at St. James's. Underneath are scratched the initials "H.I.K. 1818".

The ciborium The pyx

A ciborium is a covered container used to store the wafers or bread for Holy Communion. It is like a chalice in shape but its bowl is more round than conical.

The santuary lamp

The lid has a cross or other sacred design mounted on it. The ciborium is usually made of gold or silver and the interior of the cup is always lined with gold.

The wafers, Communion Hosts, are round flat wafers made from unleavened bread. They are consecrated during the service and distributed amongst the congregation during the celebration of Holy Communion.

The other vessel used to hold the communion wafers is called a pyx and is a small silver plated box which serves for storing and carrying the wafers to the sick. It is inscribed "To the Glory of God and in loving memory od Sergt. Thomas J. Henstridge, R.E., aged 26 who died 14 November 1939 after a road accident whilst on duty. 'Faithful unto death'. Hallmark 'A.P. M&Co. E.'"

In the sanctuary is a niche, which is a cut out place in the north wall. Next to this is an aumbry which is a locked cabinet or safe in the wall to hold the consecrated (made sacred) bread and wine that is not used during the normal communion. This can then be taken to the ill or housebound who have asked for communion to be given to them at home. A wax sanctuary lamp stands in the niche next to the aumbry as a sign that this sacrament is stored here. The lamp is always burning to remind us that Christ is always present. See the niche with the aumbry and sanctuary lamp on the page The Sanctuary.

Church crosses and Candlesticks

Historical Background to the Church Plate
The ornate chalice is baroque, made in Cologne in about 1760. The stones had been set at a later date in silver-plated copper, possibly in 1818. Maybe it was an acquisition of the young FitzWygram on the Grand Tour. The paten was made in England in 1879 and is thought to have been made to match the chalice. The silver and glass cruet is dated 1866, and the plain chalice and flagon 1884. In 2008, a second plain chalice was purchased, together with a ciborium of matching design which replaced the use of the paten to hold the communion wafers.

For a detailed account of the historical background of the church plate, read the page The History of the Church Plate and Textiles.