Roos, All Saints

Roos, All Saints

The Church

The Church lies to the extreme South of the Parish and is approached from the West through an avenue of yew trees. The presence of mass clocks on the exterior South walls of the Church suggest that a Saxon building was incorporated into the present building. There was certainly a Church in existence at the time of the Domesday taxation survey (1086).

In the present building the nave pillars and arches are Early English in style, the clerestory is fifteenth century and the chancel was added between 1400 and 1500. A tower was added in 1447. The porch and side aisles were added in 1842. An interesting feature of the Church is the two storey vestry and round watch tower on the North side of the building. This contains a spiral staircase up to former priest's room and ultimately the roof.

The interior was reordered by the renowned architect, Temple Moore in the early 20th century. He designed the striking chancel screen and rood figures which were given by the Revd. E. Milsom (Rector 1891 -1921) in thanksgiving for his rescue from a dangerous situation whilst climbing in the Alps.

Adjacent to the church is the moated site of Roos castle and associated fishponds which is a scheduled monument. The castle belonged to the Baron de Ros. The Barony de Ros is the Premier Barony in England, established by William shortly after the conquest. The original male line died out in 1508. Notable members of the de Ros family are Peter de Ros (12th Century) who married the daughter of Walter d'Espec, the founder of Rievaulx and Kirkham Abbeys. The de Ros family long held the castle and land at Helmsley which was part of the Baronial title. Robert de Ros (13th Century) married a daughter of William the Lion, King of Scotland, but there has been no successful family claim to the Crown of Scotland. This Robert was one of the signatories of the Magna Carta.

The Patronage

The Patronage of the living passed to the Manners family (Rutland) from the Prior and Con. de Kirkham in 1563, and then to the Cecils (Exeter) in the reign of James I after a brief period mostly under Elizabeth I (1571-1609). The Patronage remained with the Cecils until 1726. In 1709, the Manor was sold to Mark Kirbye of Hull and Sledmere and then later, by marriage, the Sledmere and Roos estates came to the Sykes family. Members of the Sykes family were patrons of the living from 1783 - 1921 . Edward, Caroline and Cecil Milsom, the former Rector of the Parish were the Patrons from 1921 to 1946 whereafter the Patrons have been, for long periods, The Society for the Maintenance of the Faith.

The Bells

The three 17th century bells were augmented in 1911 by Taylors of Loughborough with the addition of a treble and tenor. They were hung on plain bearings in a steel frame and rung from a newly constructed gallery.

In 2012 the five bells were re-hung with new gudgeons and bearings and other refurbished fittings in the existing refurbished frame by Whites of Appleton Ltd. A new upper framework was installed to house what became the third bell (old second) and the ring augmented to six. The new treble being the gift of the Beverley and District Ringing Society. The bells were dedicated by Right Rev. Dr John Sentamu, Archbishop of York.

Framework provision had been made for a possible augmentation to eight. This took place in 2014 again by Whites of Appleton Ltd

The Eight Bells are in the key of F. Details as follows:

1 2014 3-3-22 J Taylor & Co (Loughborough) Helen J Audley Gave Me
2 2014 4-0-10 J Taylor & Co (Loughborough) Gary J Audley Gave Me
3 2011 4-0-13 J Taylor & Co (Loughborough) This bell was presented by the Beverley and district Ring society 2011 Whites of Appleton Church Bellhangers
4 1911 4-3-21 J Taylor & Co (Loughborough) Luciae Elizabeth Hotham Que de Hac Parochia Bene Merit Est MCMX1
5 1665 5-0-11 Abraham Smith (York) Venite Exvitemvs Domino 1665
6 1700 6-2-16 Samuel I Smith (York) Gloria in Altissimis Deo 1700
7 1676 6-1-8 Andrew Gurney (Hull) Pacio Crventos Andreas Gurney me Fecit
8 1911 12-3-11 J Taylor & Co (Loughborough) Edwardi V11. R. ET. I (Bust of King’s Head)

Lucy Hotham (4th bell) was the daughter of Christopher Sykes (Rector of Roos 1819-1841). She married Charles Hotham who succeeded her father as Rector of Roos. Lucy Hotham was highly regarded and did much to support the education of children in the Parish.

There is reference in the Churchwardens accounts for 1697 to the sum of £17 12s 0d for the bell casting; this is thought to be for bell number 6 (1700).

A small Sanctus bell in a turret above the chancel arch bears the inscription I.H.S. 1897. This was hung to commemorate Queen Victoria's Jubilee.

The first peal on the bells was on 4th May 1935. This peal consisted of 42 sixscores (5040 changes) of Grandsire Doubles by 10 callings conducted from the tenor by Walter M. Goddard. Ringers of bells 1,2,3 and 4 were George Dowling (from the local band), Derek M. Sharp, Joseph Atkinson and Arthur E. West respectively.

Roos has had at least three periods of ringing activity A lot of method ringing took place in the 1930s, just before World War II. A second period started in the 1960s during which a regular service and practice band flourished for about six years until members started to drift away from the village. A third band started in the 1980s but sadly, this too broke up. However, ringing resumed at Roos, with members of the previous bands returning, augmented by ‘incomers’ moving to the village. Strong links have been forged with Roos C of E Primary School and there has been a determined effort to recruit and teach new ringers, especially children. In 2018, this achievement was recognised by a national award from the ‘Association of Ringing Teachers’. The young Roos band featured on national TV as they were preparing to ring for Armistice Day as part of the ‘Ringing Remembers’ campaign and we are therefore hoping that the bells will continue to ring out for future generations.

Helen Audley

Bibliography

History and Antiquities of the Seignory of Holderness. George Poulson, 1840.

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