The Parish Church of St James
St. James's Road, Hampton Hill, TW12 1DQ (Parish Office 020 8941 6003)
The Parish Church of St James

THE CHURCH BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS
Church Building | Inside the Church | Outside the Church | Stained Glass Windows | Symbols in the Church | The Church Hall | The Churchyard | The Churchyard Graves | The Tower and Spire | The Vicarage



The Vestry

The Vestry

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The Vestry

The vestry is situated at the east end of the south aisle. It is the room where the clergy, servers and choir robe up. These robes are housed in the vestry, along with various other vestments, altar frontals, pulpit falls, Bible book marks and clergy's stoles and top garments. A vestments press for storing the clergy's vestments is kept in the vestry.

A piano is housed in the vestry for occasional use and most of the music used by the choir is stored here, along with various miscellaneous items.


There are photographs of all the previous vicars hanging on one of the walls. There are also other photographs of Revd. Job with the choir and the chancel with a staged communion service happening. A notice board shows various rotas and other information for the clergy and servers. The choir diary hangs on the choir music cupboard.

Historical Background to the Vestry
A vestry was added to the church in 1874. The vestry door was moved from the chancel to the south aisle in 1886 with the December issue of the magazine reporting: “This effects a great improvement in many ways. Some extra room is gained in the chancel for choir seats, the plain and rough wall which hitherto has disfigured the south aisle is greatly improved by the introduction of the handsome carved doorway; and on the occasion of festivals the clergy and choir will not be compelled to face all weathers in their return from the heated Church to the vestry. The greatest gain, however, perhaps is inside the vestry, which by the alteration has been rendered capable of a far more convenient arrangement.” In 1919 ”A very useful anthracite stove has been presented to the Church, placed in the Vestry, and has turned an ice-house into a very comfortable room. This gift is much appreciated, not least by the organist and choir and myself.” The vestry was cleared of dry rot by voluntary workers and later redecorated in 1959 and again in 1987. A vestments press for storing the clergy's vestments was bought in 2009 with some money left to the church, in memory of Margery Orton.

For a more detailed account, read the page The History of the Vestry.


Further Information
Contacts
Contact the Parish Office on 020 8941 6003
Associated pages on this website Associated pages on this website:
The Vestry (for youngsters in the Young St. James's section of the website) |
Through the Years:
Alterations in the Church (1886 December)

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