Kendal Church: Paste-in Sketch by the Rev. Thomas Machell (1692)

Cumbria Record Office, Carlisle: MS D & C Thomas Machell vol. 2, page 30
Image © Dean and Chapter of Carlisle Cathedral

Compare with a modern view of the church, which shows how little it has changed externally:

Machell says of the church:

Kendal Parish Church a large church with four rows of pilars (eight in a range — three of which make up the chancel, whih has consisted of four) a high steeple with five noble bells in it: the greatest bell is called St. Michael’s. The rushbearing is still on St James’ day.

The church is dedicated to [the Holy Trinity] and is commonly known by the name of Kendal Church, from the town adjoining, but the houses thereabouts, separated by Blindbeck — a little rivulet that runs but sometimes — are of a distinct jurisdiction. By whom the church was founded I have not yet learned, but they say there was a chapel before the church was built, which stood North West of the church near the head of Well Sike in Kirkland, from which place a lane, called Cappelane, which leads down to the great street.

The church is very spacious, having two aisles on each of the side of the body and such like in the chancel where they obtain the name Quires — the furthest south is called Lord Parr’s, the inner Quire on the same side is Strickland Quire. The outermost on the North side is the Bellingham’s Quire and the inner on the same side is the Alderman’s Quire, because the Aldermen sat there (as they do now) before it became a Mayor’s town.

He goes on to describe the heraldry and monuments in detail.

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