GENUKI: Willenhall St Stephen

Willenhall St Stephen

"The district parishes of St Stephen's and Holy Trinity, which each comprise about a third of the populous township of Willenhall, were formed under Sir Robert Peel's act in 1847, and are both vicarages, in the patronage of the Crown and Bishop of Lichfield, alternately. The Rev TW Fletcher, MA, is vicar of St Stephen's and the Rev J Lecky is vicar of Holy Trinity. Divine service is presently performed in licensed rooms but new churches will shortly be erected, St Stephen's at Portobello, and Holy Trinity at Lane Head."

[From History, Gazetteer and Directory of Staffordshire, William White, Sheffield, 1851]

Church History
Church Records

Church History

The district parish of St Stephen was formed in 1846 but the first incumbent of St Stephens was not appointed until June 1848. Initially services were held in a temporary premises in Portobello until the church, in Wolverhampton Street, was finally built in 1853-4.
The church was a building of stone, in the Gothic style, consisting of a chancel, nave, aisles, south porch, and a turret containing one bell. A lady chapel and chancel screen, added in 1933, were the gift of Mrs Catherine Fortnum.
The church structure became badly affected by dry rot and crumbling stonework and it was closed and demolished in 1978. Services continued in the parish hall and in 1979 a new brick and steel building was erected near to the old site.
The living is a vicarage, in the alternate gift of the Crown and the Bishop of Lichfield.
A mission church of St Stephen was erected in Portobello in 1891.

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Church Records

Church of England Registers The registers of St Stephen, Willenhall commence in 1848. The original registers for the period 1848-1981 (Bapts) & 1854-1974 (Mar) and Banns for the period 1854-1982 are deposited at Staffordshire Record Office.

The LDS Church have filmed the following St Stephen registers:
Parish Register : Bapts 1888-1904 & Mar 1888-1906. Film number 1517616

Nonconformist Church Registers
Records of Nonconformist churches in Willenhall can be found on the Willenhall page.