Queen Victoria took to the throne in a prosperous period following the Napoleonic Wars.

The population both of the country and of Alveston was increasing rapidly. Alveston had some half-dozen affluent families. The old church with some 120 seats was not large enough. Furthermore there were several applications for family pews which could not all be accommodated. The answer: build a new church. The new St James was completed in 1839 at what seems the extraordinarily low cost of £2300. (This equates to £168,000 in today’s money)