It is also the route to drop of foot passengers for the ferry. Popular with both visitors and residents'. |
St James Street and Bridge Road, became a green grocers. 'Only one Horse and Cart!!' |
Nothing laying in the road! |
to lay in this position now! |
Traffic has built up over the years. This is the route to the Pier and the Ferry terminal. |
This view has hardly changed in the last 100 years. |
The origin of the church in Yarmouth is a slightly obscure.
The earliest reference is when in 1135 Baldwin de Redvers, Lord of the Isle of Wight granted
Yarmouth its first charter. In 1614 work started on the present 'St James
Church' and was completed in 1626. There is one bell in the tower inscribed 'The Gyft of Sir
Richard Mason Knight 1679' ,and it still tolled today calling the residents to worship. In 1837 the tower was raised
by 30 feet to offer a distinguishing mark for sailors. On the north side of the church aisle
near the altar, there is a vault and a monument dedicated to a great local seaman 'Sir Robert Holmes',
1622-1692.
Over the past 3 centuries alterations have been carried out, the gallery was built to accomodate
a further 150 poor people.
There is a record that reports even before 1200 there were two
churches. The site of one dedicated to 'St. John the Baptist' is recorded as being at the east
end of Yarmouth at the top of the High Street.
The
church clock is of the same age having been installed in 1679.
The vault contains a white marble bust of of Sir Robert and legend rumours that
the bust was supposed to have portrayed Louis XIV until Sir Robert captured it and had his own head
substituted. The inscription states:- "A Professional in War and in Peace a Convivial Companion"
In 1837 the organ was moved up into the chancel, the pews were modernised,
all facing the same way. A new pulpit, lectern and font were installed.
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