Wednesbury St James
"St James's Church was built in 1845, for a new ecclesiastical parish, in the Early English style, with an embattled tower.
The perpetual curacy is in the alternate patronage of the Bishop of Lichfield and the Crown, and incumbency of the Rev WG Cole, BA.
"
[From History, Gazetteer and Directory of Staffordshire, William White, Sheffield, 1851]
Church History
St James's ecclesiastical parish was formed on 3rd June 1844. Services were initially held in the parish school, before the church was built in 1847-8 and consecrated on 31st May 1848. The church, in St James Street, is a building of stone in the Early English style, consisting of apsidal chancel, nave, aisles, vestry, south porch, and a western tower containing a clock with chimes and one bell.
A chapel of ashlar stone from the Codsall quarries in the Gothic style was added in 1887 as a memorial to Lt Col Bagnall. It forms a north aisle to the chancel, to which it opens by an arcade of three arches. The chancel apse was built in 1865 as a memorial to Mrs Twigg, the remaining portion being completed in memory of the Rev Richard Twigg, rector from 1856-1879. A memorial chapel at the south side of the chancel was added to the memory of George Silas Guy and Henrietta Maria Guy by their daughter. The carved oak lectern is a memorial to the wife of the Rev William Graham Cole who was rector from 1846-1856.
The living is a rectory, in the gift of Trustees.
Church Records
Church of England Registers
The register of the church of St James commences in 1845. The original registers for the period 1845-1955 (Bapts), 1848-1961 (Mar) & 1849-1936 (Bur) are deposited at Staffordshire Record Office.
Nonconformist Church Registers
Records of Nonconformist churches in Wednesbury can be found on the Wednesbury page.
[Last updated: 10th April 2001, Mike Harbach. © 2001]
