The Revd Johannes Nobel, Priest-in-Charge of Osbaldwick with Murton, writes about the congregation of St Thomas’s exploration of its local history.
Exploring Catholic and LGBTQ+ history may not be what some people would expect the Church of England to be doing, but this is exactly what is happening at St Thomas’s Church in Osbaldwick. The church has been awarded £15,236 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to work with the local community to celebrate its history of radical inclusion.
St Thomas’s has always been a place of welcome. One of my 17th century predecessors allowed for the burial of a Catholic woman in the churchyard, which was frowned upon in Protestant England. This woman was none other than the venerable Mary Ward, a visionary Yorkshire-born nun who spent much of her life championing education for girls and equality for women in the church. Her extraordinary story is celebrated in York at the Bar Convent, but anyone interested in her story will also want to visit Osbaldwick, to see Mary’s tomb stone (pictured below, left).
St Thomas’s churchyard holds more surprises: there are three historic LGBTQ+ graves – a male couple who lived in the 18th century, and Eliza Raine, the first girlfriend of Anne Lister – known as Gentleman Jack. An increasing number of people make the modern-day pilgrimage to visit Eliza’s grave, often leaving flowers and mementos (pictured below, right).
Catholics in 17th century England, and same-sex couples in the 18th and 19th centuries, each in their own way experienced tragic discrimination and exclusion from society. We are very grateful to have received this National Lottery Heritage Fund grant, to help us better understand the importance of our heritage in our world today. We will be consulting with the local community and stakeholders such as the LGBTQ+ community, as to how they would like us to share these stories and make them accessible to everyone in the future.
The church is also exploring its more recent history through an oral history project. Students from the University of York are interviewing older residents to capture a picture of Osbaldwick in the 20th century. The project is already revealing fascinating stories: During the Second World War, a bomb left a crater in Osbaldwick Lane. In more peaceful times, the village was on the ‘cattle drive’ to York market, with herds of cows passing through the otherwise quiet streets. And in the 1960s, the church was extended to provide room for people from the Osbaldwick housing estates which today connect Osbaldwick to York.
We see ourselves as ‘a church with a heart at the heart of our community’. Looking at our history, it’s clear that inclusivity and welcome are in our DNA. We try to be one family, inspired by God’s love for each and everyone of us.
The stories which will be discovered through the project are turned into a textile artwork for the parish. Volunteers will work with local artist Jen Dring to create a wall hanging for the Church entrance area. Local schools are getting involved too. Children will meet with the older generation and share stories, to finally create an exhibition together, celebrating Osbaldwick ‘then and now’.
If you would like to be involved with the project, perhaps sharing your memories of Osbaldwick, helping to create the artwork, or are interested in any other way then contact the church via its website: www.osbaldwickandmurtonchurches.org.uk.
