Memorials, Windows, and Registers of
Church of St Andrew
The church contains a remarkable collection of memorial tablets, stained-glass windows, gravestones, and parish registers which together tell the story of Kildwick and its people across many centuries.
Memorial Tablets and Monuments
The walls and pillars of the church are lined with memorial tablets commemorating prominent local families and clergy from the 17th to the 19th centuries. Among the most significant are monuments to:
The Currer family, long-standing lords of the manor and major benefactors, whose memorials dominate the north choir (formerly the Chantry or Scarborough Chapel)
The Swire, Wainman, Garforth, Spencer, Heaton, Harper, and Netherwood families, many of whom played leading roles in local justice, landholding, and parish life
Clergy including Revd John Pering (Vicar 1806–1843) and Sir Mathew Wilson, Bart.
Several monuments were moved or repositioned during the major restoration of 1901–1903, though care was taken to preserve inscriptions and locations as accurately as possible.
Stained-Glass Windows
The church’s stained glass reflects both medieval heritage and Victorian renewal.
Earlier windows recorded by antiquarians such as Dr Whitaker included donor portraits and prayers dating from the early 16th century, many of which were lost during periods of iconoclasm.
The present windows, largely 19th-century, include:
A richly symbolic east window (1854) depicting Christ and the Evangelists
Memorial windows illustrating scenes such as The Ascension, The Transfiguration, The Good Shepherd, The Nativity, and Christ blessing children
Windows commemorating parish clergy and local families, including the Currer, Wainman, Garforth, Spencer, Marsden, and Fawcett families
Together they form a visual narrative of Christian faith, teaching, and remembrance.
Gravestones and Burials
Many notable parishioners are buried beneath the church floor, particularly within the chancel and sanctuary. These include members of the Currer, Wainman, Garforth, Spencer, Heaton, Smith, and Oates families.
During the 1901–03 restoration, several gravestones were relocated, and a small number were found to have been accidentally mis-positioned over earlier remains—an error carefully recorded in the historical account.
Parish Registers
The parish registers are among the church’s most valuable historical treasures.
Baptisms date from 1575
Marriages from 1576
Burials from 1572
There are 36 register volumes covering baptisms, marriages, and burials from 1572 to the early 20th century, along with nine banns registers. Many volumes are in excellent condition and record families still associated with the parish today.
The registers document national events as well as local life, including gaps during the English Civil War, Commonwealth-era marriages, and early records from Silsden chapel.
These are now stored in the archives at Northallerton.
A Living Record
Together, these memorials, windows, gravestones, and registers form a continuous record of faith, community, and local history spanning more than 400 years. They bear witness not only to prominent families and clergy, but also to generations of ordinary parishioners whose lives were shaped by worship at St Andrew’s.