SLHS Churches Master Page

As with so many countries of of Europe England had a significant number of churches. Under the Catholic system their priests were to be maintained by income from the parishioners. They supplemented this income by leasing land owned by them, by conducting birth, marriage, death and special services and by producing many types of food and beverages.

Many priests were pious. However their status gave them great power. Throughout Christendom, in the late middle ages, there was dissatisfaction with their behaviour and accusations of corruption in their means of extraction of money from ordinary people.

In Europe with Martin Luther’s re-analysis of the Bible this became acute. The circumstances of British Henry VIII’s marriages are well known and he seized upon this dissatisfaction with his Act of Supremacy in 1534. He declared himself to be the Supreme Head of the Church of England thus separating it from papal authority. He used this authority to disband monasteries in England, Wales and Ireland and confiscate their significant assets.

A split remains to this day. Whilst Stratford’s churches were significantly affected they were not as marred as some and many deaths were avoided in the scramble.

The following are under separate listings:

Churches

1. Baptist Church
   

2. Holy Trinity Church
   

3. Guild Chapel Master Page
   

4. Methodist Church
   

5. St James The Great
   

6. St Peter’s Chapel, Bishopton
   

7. United Reformed Church
   

8. Wesleyan Church
   

Other Religious Buildings

1. Stratford Monastery
   

2. Stratford Ecclesiastical College
   

Religious People

1. John de Stratford
   

● These items have aspects that uniquely contribute to national or world history.

Churches