St Stephen the Martyr's Church, Newtown Row

St Stephen the Martyr’s Church, Newtown Row
Coordinates: 52°29′42.6″N 1°53′43.5″W / 52.495167°N 1.895417°W
Location Birmingham
Country England
Denomination Church of England
History
Dedication St Stephen
Consecrated 24 July 1844
Architecture
Architect(s) Richard Cromwell Carpenter
Style Early English Gothic
Completed 1844
Construction cost £3,200
Closed 1950
Specifications
Capacity 1,150 people

St Stephen the Martyr's Church, Newtown Row is a former Church of England parish church in Birmingham.

History

The church was funded by the governors of King Edward's School, Birmingham and built by the Birmingham Church Building Society to designs by the architect Richard Cromwell Carpenter. It was consecrated by the Bishop of Worcester on 24 July 1844.[1]

In 1869 part of the parish was taken to form a new parish for St Nicolas' Church, Hockley.

In 1890 the vicar made liturgical changes to the service, replacing “Psalms and Hymns” with “Hymns Ancient and Modern”, put the choir in surplices, and set the church Ad orientem.[2] which caused a rift amongst some dissident members of the congregation. Some members left and formed an Evangelical Mission in Ormond Street.

A major restoration was undertaken in 1896, and the church was rebuilt in 1910 by William Bidlake.

In 1896, the parish purchased New John Street West Presbyterian church as a mission room, which two years later was consecrated as St Edward's Church, Hockley.

The church was closed in 1950 and demolished. The parish was united with that of St Mary's Church, Aston Brook. Some of the paneling was reused in Christ Church, Ward End.

References

  1. "Birmingham New Churches". Aris’s Birmingham Gazette (Birmingham). 22 July 1844. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  2. "Parochial Differences in St Stephen’s Newtown Row". Aris’s Birmingham Daily Post (Birmingham). 5 January 1891. Retrieved 7 March 2015.