imported>Billjones94: /* History */

2021-08-11T16:16:24Z

History

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{{Use Indian English|date=August 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2013}}
{{Infobox church
| name = St. James' Church
| image = St. James Church 9.jpg
| image_size = 250px
| caption = St. James' Church, Delhi
| location = [[Delhi]]
| country = [[India]]
| denomination = [[Church of North India]]
| status =
| architect =
| functional status = Active
| website =
| diocese = [[Church of North India]] diocese of Delhi
| archbishop =
| fullname =
| religious institute =
| churchmanship = English Church
}}
[[File:St.james b.jpg|thumb|A view of the St. James' Church.]]
[[File:St. James Church ( Night ).jpg|thumb|The church building during a [[Christmas]] night.]]
'''St. James' Church''' (also known as '''Skinner's Church'''), built in 1836 by [[James Skinner (soldier)|Colonel James Skinner]], is one of the oldest churches in the city,<ref name=skin/><ref name=hind>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120915061405/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2007/03/05/stories/2007030500650200.htm Now St. James's Church in Kashmere Gate is the oldest church in Delhi] ''[[The Hindu]]'', Monday,St. James Church also formerly known as 'Skinner's Church' is situated at the junction of Lothian Road and Church Road in Delhi and is easily approachable by local transport and from Kashmiri Gate Metro Station 5 March 2007.</ref> and part of the [[Church of North India]] [[Diocese]] of Delhi.<ref>[http://www.dioceseofdelhi.org/diocesan_church_in_delhi.html Churches in Diocese of Delhi] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090110053802/http://dioceseofdelhi.org/diocesan_church_in_delhi.html |date=10 January 2009 }} ''Diocese of Delhi'' website.</ref>
{{Coord|28.665637|77.230784|type:landmark_region:IN|display=title}}
It is situated near [[Kashmiri Gate (Delhi)|Kashmiri Gate]], at the intersection of Church Road and Lothian Road. It was the church the [[Viceroy of India]], attended until the [[Cathedral Church of the Redemption]], near Gurudwara Rakab Ganj, was built in 1931.<ref name=hind/> The only other church of that era, the [[St. Stephen's Church, Delhi|St. Stephen's Church]], at Fatehpuri, Delhi was built in 1867.<ref>[http://www.indfy.com/places-to-see-in-delhi/old-delhi/st-stephens-church.html St. Stephens' Church]</ref>
Behind the church is the bungalow of British Commissioners of Delhi, [[William Fraser (British India civil servant)|
William Fraser]], who is also buried in the church graveyard.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=Ee1HTcplZS0C&pg=PA91&lpg=PA91&dq=St.James%27+Church,+Delhi&source=bl&ots=xvVdoJP6BY&sig=P0rRStPyw8n_bp8E_Z37vEBbVkQ&hl=en&ei=dki9SfTDKtW4kAXiz-icCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=10&ct=result William Frazer's Bungalow] ''Delhi'', by Patrick Horton, Richard Plunkett, Hugh Finlay. Published by Lonely Planet, 2002. {{ISBN|1-86450-297-5}}. ''Page 91''.</ref>

==History==
[[File:Colonel James Skinner CB, 1st Regiment of Local Horse, 1836.jpg|right|thumb|200px|[[James Skinner (East India Company officer)|James Skinner]] (''Sikandar Sahib''), founder of the church.]]
Subsequently, he built the edifice at his own expense of 95,000 Rupees, under the design of Major Robert Smith. The construction started in 1826, and was completed in 1836. The basic design of [[Renaissance Revival]] style church is on a [[Cruciform#Cruciform Plan|cruciform plan]] ([[Greek Cross]]), with three porticoed porches, elaborate stained glass windows and a central octagonal dome, similar to that of the [[Florence Cathedral]] in [[Italy]].<ref>[http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/photocoll/n/019pho000000032u00003000.html No.3. Skinner's Church, Delhi.] ''[[British Library]]''.</ref><ref>[http://www.tourism-delhi.com/temples-in-delhi.html Sightseeing in Delhi]</ref> It was consecrated on 21 November 1836 by the [[Anglican Diocese of Calcutta|bishop of Calcutta]] [[Daniel Wilson (bishop)|Daniel Wilson]].<ref name=skin/>

John Mitchley Jennings took over the edifice after Skinner.
[[File:Skinner's church.jpg|left|thumb|Skinner's Church c. 1858 photographed by Harriet and [[Robert Christopher Tytler]]]]
The copper ball and cross on the top, which are said to be replica of a church in Venice, were damaged during the [[1857 revolt]], and were later replaced.<ref>[http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/photocoll/other/019pho000000052u00011000.html St.James's Church, Delhi, showing damage caused by the Mutiny fighting] ''[[British Library]]''.</ref> A special service was held in 2003, to commemorate 200 years of [[Skinner's Horse]], the cavalry regiment raised by Skinner in 1803.<ref>[https://www.flickr.com/photos/markbowyer/1422633648/ Bicentennial plaque at St James' Church]</ref> Amongst those present were Margaret Skinner, great great granddaughter-in-law of Skinner, Admiral [[Sushil Kumar (admiral)|Sushil Kumar]], retired [[Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy|Chief of Naval Staff]], Col. Douglas Gray who commanded Skinner's Horse from 1935 to 1947, and several former British officers.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20040225010349/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2003/11/24/stories/2003112400430200.htm Skinner's Horse... the memory lives on] ''[[The Hindu]]'', Monday, 24 November 2003.</ref>
{{Christianity in India sidebar}}

==Service timings==
Winter Timings (October - March): Worship at 9 a.m.

Summer Timings (April - September): Worship at 8:30 a.m.

==Graves==
[[File:William Fraser Tomb.jpg|thumb|140px| Tomb of [[William Fraser (British India civil servant)|William Fraser]] at St. James' Church, near Kashmiri Gate, Delhi]]
The church houses several tombs. One houses the remains of the British Commissioners of Delhi, William Fraser, near the large Memorial Cross erected in memory of the victims of [[1857 revolt]]. At the rear is the tomb of [[Sir Thomas Theophilus Metcalfe, 4th Baronet|Thomas Metcalfe]], who lived in Delhi from 1813 to 1853, serving as Agent to [[Governor General of India]] and a Commissioner.
[[File:Colonel James Skinner's grave.jpg|thumb|140px| Colonel James Skinner's grave at St. James' Church, near Kashmiri Gate, Delhi]]
Skinner died at [[Hansi]] on 4 December 1841 at the age of 64, and was first buried there. Later he was disinterred, and buried in Skinner's Church on 19 January 1842 in a vault of white marble immediately below the [[Communion Table]].<ref name=skin>[http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/addorimss/s/019addor0005475u00008vrb.html Skinner's Tomb, St. Jame's Church, Delhi] ''[[British Library]]''.</ref><ref>[http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/addorimss/s/019addor0005475u00007vrb.html St Jame's Church, with tomb of William Fraser] ''[[British Library]]''.</ref><ref>[https://www.flickr.com/photos/markbowyer/1422651840/ Gravestone of James Skinner]</ref> North of the church lies the family plot, Skinner family, where many of his fourteen wives and many children, are buried, the burial in this place was that of a lady who died in England, but wished that her ashes be interred here.<ref>[http://www.indian-cemeteries.org/cemetery_details.asp?town=Delhi&cem=St%20James%20Church Cemetery Details - St. James' Church, Delhi] ''indian-cemeteries.org''.</ref>

The parish of St. James's also owns and manages the nearby [[Nicholson Cemetery, New Delhi|Nicholson Cemetery]].

==Relics==
The church boasts of relics such as; "original European stained-glass windows depicting the crucifixion, ascension of Christ and his resurrection, a painting titled 'The Prodigal Son', original work of Italian painter [[Pompeo Batoni]], a processional cross gifted by [[Edward Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax]], a rare pipe organ gifted by [[Ralph T. Coe]] in 1899, and the church bell". All are in the process of restoration, including the church itself, scheduled for 2017, as the church due to its historical significance, falls under Grade II heritage buildings category.<ref>[http://www.dnaindia.com/delhi/report-st-james-delhi-s-oldest-church-set-to-get-a-facelift-2345902 St James, Delhi's oldest church set to get a facelift]</ref>

==Sources==
* ''St. James' Church, Kashmere Gate, Delhi, 1836-1986, 21st November commemoration of the 150th anniversary of consecration''. Published in 1986, The Church, Delhi. [https://openlibrary.org/b/OL2003087M]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.indian-cemeteries.org/cemetery_details.asp?town=Delhi&cem=St%20James%20Church Graves in the Cemetery]
* [http://wikimapia.org/#lat=28.66559&lon=77.2308&z=18&l=0&m=a&v=2&show=/279467/St-James-Church-Kashmere-Gate St. James' Church, Delhi and surrounding locales]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint James Church, Delhi}}
[[Category:Churches in Delhi|James]]
[[Category:1836 establishments in India]]
[[Category:Church of North India church buildings]]
[[Category:Church buildings with domes]]
[[Category:Renaissance Revival architecture]]

St. James' Church, Delhi - Revision history

imported>Billjones94: /* History */