For centuries, the Parish has been shaped not only by its landscapes and industry but also by the faith and spirituality of its people. Once home to two churches, various Methodist chapels, and a Roman Catholic priory, the village’s religious landscape reflects a tapestry of traditions, beliefs, and shared values that brought the community together in worship, celebration, and service. Today, only one Anglican church and a Methodist Chapel remain, yet the influence of all these spiritual centres endures in the memories, buildings, and stories of those who called them home.
This section explores the evolution of religious life in the Parish and its significance to the people who lived here, providing insights into the changes in faith practices and the national movements that influenced them.
Pre-Christian Beliefs
Ancient Britons practiced a form of polytheism, a complex and diverse religion with gods and spirits tied closely to nature, warfare, and the cycles of life. Their beliefs were highly local, with tribes worshipping deities specific to their region, often linked to natural features like rivers, mountains, and forests. River deities were particularly significant, as rivers were thought to be gateways to the spirit world.
In Armitage-with-Handsacre, the River Trent wound a tortuous path across the meadows, a ribbon of silvery green cutting through the landscape, its banks alive with reeds and wildflowers. Here, villagers would gather for rituals honouring Tarantus, the spirit believed to dwell within the flowing waters, a bridge between the seen and unseen worlds. They approached the river in reverent silence, feeling the chill of the morning mist rising from its surface, breathing in the earthy scent of damp soil and moss. The murmur of the water mingled with whispered prayers, a rhythmic, soothing pulse that seemed to echo the river god’s presence.
With the arrival of the Romans, this age-old worship adapted, blending Tarantus with Neptune, the imperial god of seas and rivers. Offerings were laid at the water’s edge: coins glinted in the dawn light, while garlands woven of river reeds and fresh flowers floated on the surface, carried away in the current. The priest, draped in simple white, poured a libation of wine into the river, watching as the liquid was lost in the green depths. The ritual was a fusion of old and new, of local reverence and Roman pomp, binding the people of Armitage-with-Handsacre to their land and waters with each carefully spoken prayer.
With the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons, the rites adapted once again to embrace their gods of land and water. Eostre, goddess of renewal, and Woden, god of wisdom and might, were also called upon in these riverside rituals, their names whispered alongside Tarantus, binding these deities to the land through prayers and offerings. Woven charms of ash and yew were cast into the river, believed to carry healing and strength, while figures carved from river stones were left on the banks as humble gestures to the gods. The rituals were earthy and powerful, rooted in the cycles of growth and decay, birth and death.
Early Christian influence
The riverine people of the village had worshipped a river god for hundreds and maybe thousands of years but this all changed with the arrival of Christianity which probably reached Staffordshire in the 7th century. King Penda of Mercia, who ruled Staffordshire as part of the larger kingdom of Mercia, was one of the last powerful pagan kings, and he resisted the spread of Christianity. After his death in 655 AD, his son, King Peada quickly converted to Christianity which then began to take root more firmly in Mercia.
Saint Chad, who arrived around 669 AD, established Lichfield as a centre for the spread of Christianity, and it became the seat of the diocese for Mercia. Handsacre was one of the five estates that provided all their tithes to the five canons of Lichfield who were mentioned in the Domesday Book. King Athelstan, who reigned in the early tenth century, had made it compulsory that one-tenth (a tithe) of agricultural produce (such as grains, livestock, and other goods) must be given to the church.
The first church in the parish was St. Magdelene and it was about 120 yards North of Handsacre Hall. Primarily it was for the Lord of the Manor and his household. Such churches were tied closely to the local manor and its lord, serving both as places of worship for the local community and as symbols of the lord’s influence. The lord of the manor often appointed the priest at St. Magdelene e.g. in 1287AD John de Handsacre, brother to the lord, William de Handsacre, was chaplain.
By the 12th century expectations had shifted toward a communal church available to all, not just a select household chapel. This shift was part of the Church’s larger vision to ensure that every community had dedicated spaces for worship and public religious life, rooted in the manorial system.
Roger de Clinton (Bishop of Lichfield 1139–1148) is known for his efforts to consolidate the diocese’s structure and promote the building of community churches. The church in Armitage is believed to date from about this time and it is stated that it was built on or near the place where a hermit lived and preached, on a rocky eminence overlooking the River Trent. The church is dedicated to St. John the Baptist. The Feast Day of St. John the Baptist is celebrated on 24th June and was often marked by bonfires – for this reason churches with this dedication are often on hilltops.
Medieval Catholicism
Both churches were Catholic Churches – originally, members of the Christian Church referred to themselves simply as “Catholic,” a term meaning “universal,” which was meant to indicate the church’s mission to all of humanity.
The interior of a medieval church during Mass was a sensory feast, designed to evoke awe and reverence. Sunlight filtered through stained glass windows, casting patches of jewel-toned reds, blues, and greens onto the flagstone floor, while statues of solemn-faced saints gazed down from their brackets. The walls were alive with colour, adorned with vivid murals of biblical scenes and saintly acts, their pigments rich with ochre, indigo, and gold. These images told stories that transcended words, their meaning absorbed in a glance by worshipers who could not read the Latin texts but knew each scene by heart.
At the heart of it all, the altar stood like a radiant jewel. Draped in sumptuous fabrics of crimson and ivory, embroidered with intricate patterns of vines and crosses, it was surrounded by a halo of beeswax candles, their flames flickering softly in the shadowed air. The dimness of the church drew all eyes to this focal point, a holy stage where the sacred rites unfolded.
The scent of incense thickened the atmosphere, rising in curls of sweet smoke that mingled with the faint earthy aroma of the damp stone walls. The fragrance clung to the clothes and skin of the congregation, who stood or knelt in reverent silence. The solemn Latin chants of the priests filled the air, their voices echoing through the nave, adding a haunting resonance that seemed to drift upward, as if reaching toward the heavens themselves.
The Reformation and Anglicanism
In 1534 Henry VIII declared himself the “Supreme Head of the Church of England,” primarily because the Pope refused to annul Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon. This act officially separated the English Church from papal authority, creating the established Church of England, the Anglican Church.
The Protestant Reformation had begun in Germany in 1517, but the English Church remained largely Catholic in practice during Henry’s lifetime. He did allow some reforms though – the Bible was translated into English, and its reading was encouraged in churches. Under his son, Edward VI, Protestantism became more influential.
Anglican churches, over time, became more austere – religious images were removed, and walls were whitewashed. The practice of praying to Mary and the saints was halted and elaborate decorations, processions and incense became a thing of the past. The Pope was no longer the ultimate authority but was replaced by the Bible itself and sermons were now given, in English, elaborating on parts of the bible. Until this point the only seating options were stone benches built into the walls to be used by the elderly, infirm or very young – the origin of the expression ‘the weakest go to the wall’. With the introduction of sermons the demand for pews dramatically increased.
The term “Roman Catholic” began to appear in the 16th century, during and after the Protestant Reformation, to distinguish members of the Catholic Church loyal to the Pope from Protestant reformers. This term was especially used by the Church of England, which sought to define itself in contrast to the “Roman” Church following its split with Rome.
Nonconformism and tolerance
Many religious groups found Anglicanism too similar to Catholicism and dissented from its approach i.e. became Dissenters, seeking the freedom to worship independently of Anglican doctrines and rituals. The Act of Uniformity 1558 in Queen Elizabeth’s reign set the order of prayer to be used in the English Book of Common Prayer and required all persons to go to church once a week or be fined. Further Acts of Parliament particularly targeted Roman Catholic priests and they or anyone who helped or sheltered them were liable to be fined, imprisoned or even executed. There were still Catholics in the village who were willing to risk such punishment given that at least one house, Lower Lodge Farm, still has a priest hole that was built to shelter priests.
Oliver Cromwell’s Commonwealth allowed greater religious diversity, but this was curtailed when the monarchy was restored in 1660 and the Rector in charge at St. John the Baptist was dismissed from his post. With the Restoration of Charles II, a series of laws (the Clarendon Code) were enacted to enforce religious conformity. Clergymen had to use the Book of Common Prayer in all services. Amongst other measures clergymen were required to renounce any other form of worship and comply strictly with Anglican rites. Nonconformists (those who refused to conform) faced ejection from their positions. Over 2,000 clergymen were ejected from their posts including Nathaniel Mansfield, rector of St. John the Baptist.
The Toleration Act of 1689 allowed freedom of worship to Protestant Dissenters from the Anglican Church who subscribed to the doctrine of the Trinity. All such dissenting or non-conformist congregations were required to register their meeting place with the clerk of the County. Just a few years later, in 1705, Joseph Lycett of the Parish of Hermitage, registered his house for worship by Protestant Dissenters. Given that a Joseph Lycett was also a churchwarden in 1727 as recorded on one of the church bells it may be that he was later reconciled to the Anglican Church.
With the influx of workers from the Potteries in the early 1800s the population of the Parish rose sharply and it brought with it a wave of non-conformism. In just a few years eight more houses were registered for nonconformist worship. Attendance at St. John the Baptist also boomed, so much so that there was insufficient seating and a gallery had to be built in 1837.
Towards the end of the 19th Century and particularly after the two World Wars of the 20th Century the secularisation of the village produced sharp declines in religious observance. The gradual change that allowed and encouraged school sports and other activities on Sundays also had a major impact on the church choir and resulted in the end of the choir at St. John the Baptist.
Today the higher attendances are for Christmas, Easter and Remembrance Sunday. Weddings, baptisms and funerals also brings people in as the desire for a traditional setting and meaningful rites for these occasions remain strong.