ST PETER'S CHURCH
INFORMATION
Once a month on a Tuesday at 2.30 pm the church hosts an Afternoon Tea for older members of the local community. Please contact St Peter’s Church in advance for full details.
Room Hire
Flexible room layout and seating configurations for anything from a private interview room to a boardroom setting for up to 12 delegates to theatre style for up to 150 delegates.
HISTORY
St Peter’s Church, the jewel in the crown of St Peter’s Quarter is the oldest in Derby and still contains some Saxon fabric. Precisely when St Peter’s was founded is uncertain, but it was recorded in the Domesday Book and may go back much further. On the pillar at the north side of the chancel arch, and on the wall of the south aisle, are capital letters carved by Norman craftsmen. Much of the church dates back to medieval times, the arches, and between the central and side aisles, together with the windows in the south and north walls, all relate to that period. An ancient carved stone in the south wall is claimed to be an old Saxon cross which used to stand in the old churchyard. The squint does not have anything to do with lepers as may have been first thought but was used by the clergy to see the high altar from the first-floor vestry. The Flemish chest, which stands in the south aisle, is reputedly a product of the 14th century.
The church celebrates its birthday every year on St Peter’s Day and according to present-day church thinking, it was founded in 1042. In 1349, St Peter’s Parish was badly hit by the Black Death, and victims were buried vertically in the churchyard to save space.
Both the vicar of St. Peter’s and his chaplain of the Blessed Virgin were among those who lost their lives to the Black Death. Over 200 years later during a further outbreak of the plague, St Peter’s Parish once again was severely hit. As a consequence, the churchyard could no longer handle all the burials, and some were diverted for interment at Boulton Chapel.
Rich parishioners, Robert Liversage and his wife who died childlessly left a will intended to benefit St Peter’s Parish. In the will, provision was made for a chapel to be built at the east end of the north aisle. It was also arranged in the early 1530s that thirteen poor people should attend divine worship in the chapel every Friday and receive a silver shilling. There was never any difficulty in attracting the required numbers; in fact, the reverse was the case. The problem was in stopping the fights that broke out over who was to receive a silver shilling.
Fortunately, the majority of the Liversage bequest was carefully managed and grew considerably in value when the old Liversage Cottages in St Peter’s Churchyard were demolished. They were replaced with the Liversage Almshouses on London Road, which still house pensioners from St Peter’s Parish to this day.
In 2010, St Peter’s Church raised the required money to re-house the Florence Nightingale window from the chapel at the old Derbyshire Royal Infirmary. This move became necessary as the hospital combined with the former Derby City General Hospital at Mickleover, now the Royal Derby Hospital, making the chapel surplus to requirements. The newly installed widow has attracted a substantial number of visitors to the church.