Shirley Parish Church facts for kids
St James' by the Park is an Anglican church in Shirley, Southampton. People sometimes call it Shirley Parish Church. It is a very old and important building. The church building, called St James', is a Grade II listed site. This means it has special historical importance.
A Long History
Records show there was a church in Shirley way back in 1085. This was around the time the Domesday Book was written. But in 1574, the Shirley church joined with a church in Millbrook. This happened because the small group of people at Shirley church could not afford to keep their building.
The old Shirley church was taken down in 1609. Stones from it were used to make St Nicholas' Church in Millbrook bigger.
Building a New Church
By 1836, many more people lived in the area. The old Millbrook church was too small for everyone. A man named Nathaniel Newman Jefferys gave land for a new church in Shirley. Money for the building came from a group called the Church Building Society and from private donations.
The new church was named St. James. A local architect, William Hinves, designed it. The church was officially opened on August 20, 1836. Many people came to the opening, even though the weather was bad. A newspaper at the time described the new church. It said the church had space for 600 people to sit. Behind the altar was a beautiful screen. It showed the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, and the Belief. There was also a painting of the crucifixion by an artist named Shayer. The newspaper called it a "first rate painting."
In 1848, the building was described as "handsome." It had a square tower with a fancy top.
Growing and Changing
The first vicar of Shirley was Reverend William Orger. He led the church for 25 years. During this time, the church grew very quickly. Just a few years after it opened, more parts were added. In 1840, balconies were put in. This made space for 1080 people. By 1848, about 600 people regularly attended church.
A church clock was added in 1875. In 1881, new pews and a new chancel (the part of the church where the altar is) were built.
St John's Church and Community
Another church, St John's, started keeping its records in 1912. Plans to rebuild St John's church were made in 1957 and approved in 1959. The new building's first stone was laid by Bishop Alwyn Williams. Later, this building became a community center called St John's Centre.
In 1994, the inside of the St James' church building was updated. The old pews were taken out. The floor was made flat and covered with carpet. On March 1, 2016, they got new blue, softer chairs for people to sit on.
In 2020, there were talks about taking down St John's Centre. The idea was to build houses there instead. Plans were sent in to replace the building with five houses. These plans were not approved. New plans were sent in 2021 for four houses. But these plans were later stopped in October 2022. The St John's building was then sold to another church group, The Church of Pentecost. They officially took over the building in early 2023.
