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Subject: Re: Churches/Parishes/Districts - BirminghamDate: Mon, 25 Oct 1999 13:19:37 +0100
From: "Michael Bruff" mbruff@dircon.co.uk
To: WARWICK-L@rootsweb.com
Info on Birmingham's places of worship as of 1858 (Source,
'Cornish's Strangers' Guide to Birmingham')
ANGLICAN
St Martin's - earliest dated parts early 13thC, but certainly founded much
earlier. Capacity 2000+ worshippers.
St John's, Deritend - founded 1381, but seems to have fallen into decay by
the Tudor period. Rebuilt 1735. A chapel of ease for Aston. Capacity 700
worshippers.
St Philip's - consecrated 1715, completed 1719, capacity 1800 worshippers.
St Bartholomew's - Built 1749
St Mary's - built 1774
St Paul's - built 1779
St James', Ashted - formerly the residence of Dr Ash, a celebrated
physician. Converted into a chapel by an attorney in 1789. Purchased by C of
E in 1791 on said attorney's bankruptcy. Known as the 'Barrack Chapel' from
a special service for troops on Sunday mornings.
Christ Church - work begun 1805, but not completed until 1815 due to lack of
funds. Consecrated 1813. Catacombs beneath.
St George's - near Tower Street. Consecrated 1822. 'It contains 2000
sittings, of which 1400 are free'.
Holy Trinity Chapel - top of Bradford Street. Consecrated 1823. 'Contains
1821 sittings. The whole of the gallery is free.'
St Peter's - Dale End. Begun 1825, consecrated 1827, partially destroyed by
fire 25/1/?, re-opened 1837.
St Thomas' - Holloway Head. Begun 1826, consecrated 1829.
All Saints' - Birmingham Heath. Built and consecrated 1833.
Bishop Ryder's - Gosta Green. 'The dense and increasing population of this
part of town, which was not supplied with any place of worship, attracted
the attention of the late Bishop Ryder, by whose example and influence
subscriptions were raised for building the present church.' Consecrated
1838. 'Seats are provided for the poor'.
St Matthew's - East end of Great Lister Street. First of 10 churches built
by the Birmingham Church Building Society (formed 1838-9). Consecrated 1840.
'It accommodates about 1000, including free and children's seats.'
St Mark's - King Edward Street, Summer Hill. See above. Consecrated 1841.
St Luke's - Bristol Road. BCBS. Consecrated 1842. 1200 sittings, 600 free.
Day and Sunday Schools attached.
St Stephen's-Newtown Row. BCBS. Consecrated 1844. Still without steeple in
1858. 1000 sittings (500 free)
St Andrew's - Bordesley. BCBS. Consecrated 1846.
St Saviour's - Saltley. Consecrated 1850.
St Jude's - Tonk Street. Consecrated 1846. 'There are 1300 *kneelings*, 1000
of which are free.'
St John's, Ladywood - Consecrated 1854. Accommodation for 1100.
St Paul's, Balsall Heath - Work begun 1852, consecration date unknown. 1111
sittings (611 free)
St Silas', Lozells - Consecrated 1854. 1100 sittings (430 free)
St Matthias' - Farm Street. Chapel of ease for St George's parish. Begun
1855. 'It will accommodate 1151 adults, and 741 of the sittings will be free
and unappropriated for ever.'
In addition to the above - 3 churches at Edgbaston (see next), one at Soho
and another at Nechells (St Clement's) begun in 1857.
Also 8 licensed rooms where public worship was held on Sundays, and
occasionally weekdays:
Macdonald Street School Room; St George's School, Farm Street; Edward Street
School; Holliday Street School; Newhall Street; Well Lane School Room;
Ryland Street School Room; and Lozell's Institution, George Street.
Churches in what were still satellite villages in 1858.
Edgbaston
St Bartholomew's - the medieval parish church. Destroyed by Parliamentary
troops, rebuilt after the Restoration, rebuilt again 1810, repaired and
re-roofed 1843.
St George's - Calthorpe Street. Built 1838. A 'Commissioners' church.
St James'- Elvetham Road. Consecrated 1/6/1852.
Harborne
St. Peter & St Paul - medieval
Handsworth
St. Mary - medieval
St James' - West Bromwich Road. Built about 1854
'A delighful walk through the fields from Handsworth church brings us to
Aston' (Just couldn't resist that!)
Aston
St Peter & St Paul - medieval (13thC?)
OTHER DENOMINATIONS
Unitarians
Birmingham, being non-corporate, afforded refuge to many clergy deprived of
their livings under the Act of Uniformity. Long before this, it was
thoroughly Puritan. The Presbyterians, as they were called after the
Restoration, worshipped in a little room in Digbeth (in 1858 a workshop,
location not given). in Charles II's reign. This was licensed in 1672. In
James II's reign they were forced to worship in secret. After the passing of
the Act of Toleration in 1689, the Old Meeting House was built.
The Presbyterians became known as Unitarians. In 1858, there were 5 Chapels
connected with this denomination.
The Old Meeting - Built in 1689. Had a street named after it. Set on fire in
the riots of 1715. Totally destroyed in the riots of 1791. Rebuilt 1794. Had
a graveyard attached, wherein were buried some of Brum's most notable
Nonconformists. School and library attached.
The New Meeting - the lower meeting-house in Digbeth, built 1692, was the
second Dissenting Chapel established in Brum. The site was inconvenient and
it was abandoned (in 1858 3 gables remained in a place called Meeting House
Yard (surprise!). The New Meeting House was opened for worship 19/4/1732. It
was apparently a very handsome building, but was burnt down in the 1791
riots. Its replacement was opened 22/7/1802. Schools and a library attached.
Other Unitarian chapels: Newhall Hill (schools attached); Hurst Street;
Lawrence Street
Society of Friends
Pror to 1703, had a meeting-house in Bull Lane (Monmouth Street). In 1703 a
meeting-house was erected in Bull Street. It was enlarged in 1778, and again
in 1844. The building was pulled down in 1856 and another built on more or
less the same site. Opened for worship 25/1/1857.
Independent Chapels
Carr's Lane - built in 1748 by worshippers seceding from the Unitarians.
Rebult in 1802, and again 1820.
Ebenezer Chapel - Steelhouse Lane. Opened 9/12/1818.
Highbury Chapel - Graham Street. Opend 1/5/1844
Edgbaston Congregational Church - Francis Street. Erected to commemorate the
jubilee of Rev. John Angell James, who'd been at Carr's Lane for 50 years.
Accommodation for 1000 worshippers. Opened 8/10/1856.
Other independent chapels at: Legge Street; Palmer Street; Bordesley Street;
Gooch Street; Crescent Wharf; Lozells; and Upper Trinity Street.
Baptists
Cannon Street Meeting House- built for Particular Baptists 1738, enlarged
1780, rebuilt 1806.
Bond Street - built 1786. 'Excellent' school rooms adjoining.
Newhall Street - built for Swedenborgians, purchased by Baptists
Mount Zion Chapel- Graham Street. Opened 24/3/1824. Occupied by Scotch
Presbyterian Church, then Independents, then Baptists (1829). Large
adjoining lecture-room built 1851.
Circus Chapel - Bradford Street. 'Formerly used as an amphitheatre, and
converted into a chapel at an expense of £1200.' Opened 24/10/1849.
Heneage Street - built 1840.
Lombard Street- belonged to General (Arminian) Baptists. Opened 1786,
enlarged 1807 and 1832. Room for 600. Attached school had room for 400-500
people.
Also: Great King Street; Albion Street; Hope Street; and Villa Street.
Methodists
John Wesley founded a congregation in 1745. They worshipped for some years
in a dwelling-house in Steelhouse Lane. In 1764, took the old theatre in
Moor Street. This was too small, and Cherry Street Chapel was built, and
opened by Wesley 7/7/1782.
Other large West Circuit chapels at: Constitution Hill; Martin Street;
Islington; Bristol Road. Smaller at Aston Villa; Summer Hill; Nineveh; and
Harborne.
East Circuit Chapels at: Belmont Row; Bradford Street; New Town Row; Lord
Street; Nechells Green; and Small Heath.
Methodist New Connection chapels at: Unett Street; Clark Street;Oxford
Street.
Wesleyan Methodists: Bath Street.
Primitive Methodists: Gooch Street, Sparkbrook, Spring Hill, Islington, New
John Street West, Lord Street, Nechells Green.
Wesleyan Reformers: Moseley Street, Branston Street, Summer Hill, Balsall
Heath, Legge Street, Nechells Green, plus several preaching rooms.
Presbyterian Church
Broad Street - foundation laid 24/7/1848. Infant school at the end of
Cumberland Street.
A chapel in New Bond Street.
Church of the Saviour
New Street-opened 8/8/1847-cross-denominational. A very highly regarded
school attached evening classes for girls above 15 and women factory
workers. Noted in Dickens' 'Household Words'.
Synagogue
In Blucher Street, Singer's Hill. There was a synagogue in the Froggery
(don't ask!) at the start of the 18th century. Moved to Severn Street 1807,
synagogue there rebuilt 1827. Lord George Gordon (leader of the 1780
anti-Catholic riots) received his circumcision here after converting to
Judaism. A separate congregation erected another synagogue in Wrottesley
Street, consecrated 28/9/1853. The congregations reunited and the Blucher
Street synagogue was consecrated 24/9/1856.
Burial Grounds near Bath Row and the Worcester Canal
New Jerusalem Church-Summer Lane. Swedenborgian. Opened 1830.
Others
Lady Huntingdon's Connection - Wood Street (before that the old theatre in
King Street).
Welch Calvinistic Methodists - Wood Street, Bath Row.
Calvinists: Salem Chapel (1851), Frederick Street, Newhall Hill, and Trinity
Tabernacle, Parade.
Plymouth Brethren: Broad Street and Wynn Street.
One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church: Newhall Street.
Latter Day Saints: several places of worship, locations unspecified.
Catholic
Only St Martin's church and the Guild of the Holy Cross survived the
Reformation. A chapel with a convent was later built near Mass House Lane.
In 1689, they were destroyed.
St Peter's Chapel, Broad Street, was built in 1789.
St Chad's Cathedral - Bath Street. Consecrated 14/7/1838.
Also the Oratory of St Philip Neri, Edgbaston.
Subject:
St.Philips Cathedral, Birmingham
Resent-Date:
Sun, 27 Jun 1999 04:27:29 -0700 (PDT)
Resent-From:
WARWICK-L@rootsweb.com
Date:
Sun, 27 Jun 1999 12:28:22 +0100
From:
Colin Hickman colin.hickman@virgin.net
To:
WARWICK-L@rootsweb.com
Following recent enquiries about St. Philips and its origins, I have
looked in my local library for more information. They have several
books on the subject - the following are excerpts from some of them.
"Birmingham had grown enormously during the 17th century but had only
one Anglican Church, the old church of St. Martin's in the Bull Ring. It
was not only the needs of the living which demanded a new church - for
the preceding five hundred years the only Anglican burial place in
Birmingham had been less than half an acre of land at St. Martin's. as a
result, a considerable hill had arisen. William Hutton wrote that
without the new cemetery at St. Philip's
..... instead of the church burying the dead, the dead
would, in
time, have buried the church."
"The land on which St. Philip's was built was farm land on the edge of
town which had belonged to Robert Phillips, and was "transferred" to the
Church Commissioners after his death. This would explain why St. Philips
was chosen as the patron saint of the new church."
And, from another book -
"Early in the 18th century, as the towns population had increased to
some 15,000, and St. Martin's was the only established church, it was
felt that a second church should be provided. The Phillips family
generously gave the Church Commissioners four acres of ground on the
highest outskirts of town, 460 feet above sea level, and upon this the
new church of St. Philip, now our Cathedral, was built. Consecrated in
1715, it was not completed until several years later"
From : Georgina Fisher< suttonian1@aol.com>
To answer Roy's question on consecration of the Church:
From the leaflet I have:
"Thomas Archer presented his design in 1709, and the Church must
have been substantially built by 1715, when it was consecrated,
though the tower was not completed until 1725. The mason was .
Joseph Pedley of Warwick, and the stone came from the quarries at
Archer's Warwickshire seat of Umbslarde. It did not weather well,
however, and the exterior had to be refaced in 1865-9 by
J.A.Chatwin."
Georgina in Orange, Ca.