Lichfield Churches in 1872

Churches: St. Mary's church stands on the S side of the Market-place; was erected in 1721, on the site of a very ancient church, which Leland describes as "right beautiful;" is a plain but neat edifice, with a short tower; and contains monuments of the Dyott family. St. Chad's church stands at Stow, a little to the E; is a small and very ancient structure, with a fine early English S door, and a square tower; and took its name from being on or near the site of St. Chad's cell or hermitage. A spring, called St. Chad's well, is in its neighbourhood, under a small temple wreathed with sculptured roses, and bearing the initials of St. Chad on the arch; and is visited by children, and adorned with live garlands, on Ascension day. St. Michael's church stands on Greenhill, at the SE side of the city; was erected in the time of Henry VIII., and partially rebuilt in 1644; has a fine spire; and contains a good font, an effigies of William de Watton of the time of Edward III., and many handsome monuments. A cemetery connected with it covers seven acres, is the chief cemetery of the city, contains the grave of Dr. Johnson's father, and is intersected by a noble avenue of elm trees. Christ Church was built in 1847, is in the decorated English style, and has a square tower. St. John's chapel stands in St. John's street; is annexed to St. John's hospital, but serves as a chapel of ease; and is a singular structure, with curiously formed windows and a fine open roof. There are an Independent chapel, two Wesleyan chapels, a New Connexion Methodist chapel, and a Roman Catholic chapel. A vicar's choral college was founded, in 1240, by Bishop Pateshall; and a friary was founded, in 1229, by Bishop Stavenby, was burnt in 1291, was rebuilt in 1545, and was made the head-quarters of the Duke of Cumberland in 1745.

Parishes:. St. Mary's parish is wholly within the city. Real property, in 1860, £9,429. Pop. in 1861, 2,683. Houses, 532. St. Chad's parish contains also the township of Curborough and Elmhurst, comprising 2,080 acres. Real property of the whole, £12,022; of which £525 are in gas-works. Pop. of the whole, 2,145. Houses, 487. Pop. of the part within the city, 1,920. Houses, 440. St. Michael's parish includes also the hamlet of Freeford, the chapelry of Hammerwich, and the townships of Pipehill, Wall, Burntwood, Fisherwick, and Streethay, comprising 11,906 acres, and containing, within Hammerwich and Burntwood, recently opened coal-mines. Real property of the city portion, £10,196. Pop. of the whole, 5,112. Houses, 1,034. Pop. of the city portion, 1,986. Houses, 414. The ecclesiastical parish of Christchurch was formed, in 1848, out of the parishes of St. Chad and St. Michael. Pop. of the whole, 726. Houses, 163. Pop. of the St. Chad portion, 486. Houses, 105. The extraparochial places of the Close, the Friary, and Fulfen, within the city, had a pop., in 1861, of respectively 235, 8, and 10. houses, 58, 2, and 1. The living of St. Mary is a vicarage, and the livings of St. Chad, St. Michael, and Christchurch are perpetual curacies, in the diocese of Lichfield. Value of St. Mary, £458; of St. Chad, £250; of St. Michael, £368: of Christchurch, £300. Patrons of St. Mary, the Dean and Chapter of Lichfield; of St. Chad and St. Michael, the Vicar of St. Mary; of Christchurch, the Bishop of Lichfield. The perpetual curacies of Wall and Burntwood, within St. Michael's parish, also are separate benefices.

[Description(s) from The Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72) - Transcribed by Mike Harbach ©2020]