 It was opened in 1880.Among the early vicars posted in this benefice were two canons, Sydney Robert Elliston and Lindsay Shorland-Ball, and the Venerable Robert Collier, an Irish missionary who served in India and Africa.Before St Thomas' was built, the Anglicans of Killinghall were obliged to walk to Ripley church every Sunday, making attendance difficult for the elderly and infirm.