Kingston ( South Hams, Devon ) Parish Council
Kingston Parish Council - Working with the community

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St. James the Less  Parish Church in Kingston

St. James the Less is one of eight churches working together in the South Hams as the Modbury Team Ministry.  The Team Rector is the Revd. Neil Barker, who is based at Modbury, 01548 830260. The Revd. Mike Jeffries is based at Loddiswell, 01548 550841 and Michael Tagent, Team Reader in Ringmore, 01548  810520. The following links are available: All Hallows Church, Ringmore www.ringmore.info/churches.php and St Andrews Church, Aveton Gifford www.aveton-gifford.co.uk/index.php/church . For more information on what is happening round the team try www.modburyteam.blogspot.com

  Part of a royal manor in the 9^th century, Kingston was a daughter Church of Ermington until the 20^th century. Consecrated for baptisms, marriages and all sacramental rites, it was not until the beginning of the 15^th century that burials were permitted. Approval for this was granted after the parishioners had complained to the Bishop of Exeter that they had to carry the bodies for internment to Ermington ‘’with great inconvenience’’.

 The oldest part of the Grade II* listed building dates from the late 13^th century. Originally cruciform in plan, it was altered early in the 15^th century to incorporate the arcaded north aisle. Some windows date from this period. The south porch is of architectural interest and has the original heavy oak door, possibly erected in the 14th century when the tracery on some of the windows was created. The granite font is also of special interest as there are not many of this type to be found in Devon. It is reported to be late 15th century, but some suggest it is from an earlier period. The south aisle (now the vestry) may have been a chantry chapel of the Ashford and Wise families of Wonwell, as they were responsible for its upkeep. In the 17^th century it was divided from the nave by a wooden screen displaying the arms of both families.

The church originally had a peal of four bells, the oldest of which dates from 1553. In 1979 the bells were retuned and two new ones added. They were dedicated in 1980 by the Bishop of Totnes. The bells play an important role in the life of the village, rung on occasions for rejoicing and tolling for the dead. During the World War II they were silenced so they could be used for warning of invasion. Later they were used to summon the volunteers who manned the Kingston Branch of the Fire and Rescue Service.

During the 18^th centuries services were very irregular and the Church itself was in a dangerously neglected state. Despite extensive repairs during the 19^th century, it was decided in 1891 that a complete restoration was urgently needed. After major fund raising activities, work started the following year under the direction of the Plymouth architect Edmund Sedling. The builders were W. Triggs of Kingston and J. Lukecraft of Aveton Gifford. There was sufficient work completed for the Bishop of Exeter to re-open the Church amid great celebrations in 1893, although the restoration was not completed until 1914.

Then Church is open every day of the year from approximately 9am until dusk. Services are held regularly, see below, and there are many special events held around the church calendar.  We have a wonderful peal of six bells and a thriving bell ringing team.   Check under 'Clubs and Societies' for more details about the bell ringers and who to contact if you want to join in. Dedicated teams of volunteers keep our Church clean, well maintained and beautifully decorated with flowers.  See the latest edition of the 'Parish Newsletter' for their contact details. The majority of respondents to the Parish Plan consultation in 2007 felt that access to the church was poor.  Kingston Church Council now have a preliminary agreement with the Diocesan Advisory Committee,  English Heritage and the South Hams District Council to provide better access to the Church and are currently fund raising locally and seeking grants to pay for this.  

Information from the Church Registers and lists of other historical documents are available through the Kingston Local History Society, KLHS, as well as a detailed survey of the gravestones and memorials in the church by local resident, W. (Bill) Scarrett and documents relating to the church bells.  www.kingstonlocalhistory.co.uk or see under 'Clubs and Societies' for other contact details for KLHS.

 

From October 2009 there has no longer been a House-for-duty minister available. Sunday services now start at 9.30am . Neil Barker, Michael Tagent and Mike Jeffries each take one service every month and the fourth service is lay led.

First Sunday           Communion                 Neil Barker             Team Rector

Second Sunday       Family Service            Michael Tagent        Lay Reader

Third Sunday          Communion                Mike Jeffries            Minister at Loddiswell

Fourth Sunday         Morning Service                                        Lay Lead

 

 

The Churchwarden's Annual report for 2009-2010 can be found here.

                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Young people trying out the bells                                                                                                      Easter gardens

                                                                                                                                                                   

 

 

CELEBRATE THE HARVEST

Come and join us at St James the Less on 26 September for the Harvest Festival Service from 11am and afterwards in the Kingston Reading Room from 12.30am for the Harvest Festival Lunch. Please book your tickets for the lunch from Gret on 810686, for details see attached.

BIGBURY, KINGSTON AND RINGMORE CHURCHES

 

Service Details: September 2010

 

Sunday	Bigbury 11 am	Kingston 9.30 am	Ringmore 9.30 am
5th September: Trinity 14
Service Leader Readings   Organist	Family Communion Neil Barker Philemon 1-21 Luke 14:25-33 Gill Miller-Williams	Family Communion Neil Barker Philemon 1-21 Luke 14:25-33 (Not yet fixed)	Family Service Michael Tagent Judges 6:11-24 Philemon 1-21 Hymnal machine
12th September: Trinity 15  (Battle of Britain Sunday)
Service Leader Readings   Organist	Family Service Michael Tagent Exodus 32:7-14 1 Timothy 1:12-17 John Tagent	Family Service Michael Tagent Exodus 32:7-14 1 Timothy 1:12-17 Irina Lunn	Family Service Mike Jefferies Exodus 32:7-14 Luke 15:1-10 Hymnal machine
15th September: (Wednesday)            2.30 pm
Service Leader	Korniloff Communion Mike Jefferies
19th September: Trinity 16
Service Leader Readings   Organist	Harvest Festival Mike Jefferies Deuteronomy 26:1-11 John 6:25-35 Cathy Heath	Holy Communion (BCP) Mike Jefferies 1 Timothy 2:1-7 Luke 16:1-13  Irina Lunn	Village Service Judy Bull Amos 8:4-7 1 Timothy 2:1-7 Hymnal machine
26th September: Trinity 17                                 11.00 am
Service Leader Readings   Organist	Holy Communion (BCP) Michael Hinton 1 Timothy 6:6-19 Luke 16:19-end David Reynolds	Harvest Festival Michael Wilkinson Deuteronomy 26:1-11 John 6:25-35 Irina Lunn	Family Communion Neil Barker 1 Timothy 6:6-19 Luke 16:19-end Hymnal machine
Service Leader Readings   Organist			3.00 pm Boundary Stones Service Michael Tagent Joshua 4:1-9* 2 Timothy 1:1-7* David Reynolds *These may be changed

 

 

 

LOST TREASURE

 

 

Listening to friends’ recent adventures reminded me of our own summer holidays when the children were young.  Part of the bedtime routine was reading them a story like “Caravan Holiday”.  I think it was more to get us in the mood rather than the children.  They didn’t need much persuading!

 

Recently our grandchildren, Lily and Charlie, were with us and the story was Enid Blyton’s “The Treasure Hunters”.  Three intrepid children (no, not the Famous Five this time) set out to find long lost family treasure whilst holidaying with their grandparents in their old country house.  Each day’s adventure seemed to bring them a step closer, but often they were frustrated by events they could not control. 

 

And I remembered how I was once struggling to find treasure, or at least something deeply hidden.  My search for faith was frequently frustrated by meeting others who seemed to have found it, a relationship with God, which meant a great deal to them; more than merely believing He existed.  And other people trying to explain didn’t seem to help very much.

 

Going back to treasure for a moment I suppose the nearest most of us get to finding it is actually when we’ve lost something valuable or very important to us.  Recovering a watch, a ring or even a pair of reading glasses can have us practically jumping for joy.  It’s funny, isn’t it, that’s exactly how God seems to respond when someone who was lost to Him is found.  In the story of the lost sheep it is the shepherd himself who goes out on the hillsides, finds the lamb, brings it home and throws a party to celebrate.  Maybe we can afford to relax a little in our search for faith and allow ourselves to believe that after all it is we who are the treasure and it is God who is seeking us.

 

Now I really must speak to Lily and Charlie about “The Treasure Hunters”.  You see, they took the book home before we finished the story.

 

 

 

Mike Jefferies