Building record MDR11295 - Church of St Michael and All Saints, Brimington

One of the ancient chapelries of Chesterfield was that of the adjacent hamlet of Brimington, lying about two miles north-east of the mother church. However, few particulars of the old chapel are known beyond the bare fact of its existence and that it was probably dedicated to St Michael, which is the dedication of the present church. Nor are there any remains of the old building. It was pulled down in 1808 and completely rebuilt, with the exception of the tower which had been previously rebuilt by Joshua Jebb in 1796. On this tower there was an inscription "D.D.D. J. Jebb, 1796", D.D.D. possibly standing for 'Domino dono dedit, ie 'gave this gift to the Lord'. In 1846 application was made for a faculty to again pull down and rebuild the church, and this was carried out in the following year. The tower was at that time considerably raised, and probably then lost the inscription, which is not now extant. (1) A church is first known at Brimington in 1298-99, mentioned in a pipe roll. During the medieval period Brimington was a chapelry of Chesterfield. There are no visible remains of the medieval chapel and the only record of its appearance is a water colour of circa 1785. The painting shows a plain building with a chancel, nave, weatherboarded turret at the west end, and south porch. In 1796 a west tower was added by Joshua Jebb of Tapton Grove, then aged 97, using stone from his own quarry. In 1808 the chapel was demolished except for the tower, and a second chapel on the same site opened in 1809. It comprised chancel and nave with round-headed windows and south porch. In 1844 Brimington became a parish in its own right. In 1846 the church was pulled down apart from the tower, and replaced in 1847 by the present building in Gothic style. The tall nave with clerestory is on the same lines as the previous nave, but the addition of north and south aisles raised the seating capacity from 302 to 572. The tower was raised and strengthened, and four pinnacles and a clock added. A new chancel was built in 1891. (2) The bells of the Church of St Michael and All Saints are of historical significance as they are a small pair dating from 1720 by D Hedderly. (3)