St Chrysostom's Church, Hockley facts for kids

St Chrysostom's Church was once a Church of England church located in Hockley, a part of Birmingham, England.

History of the Church

St Chrysostom's Church started as a special project from another church called All Saints' Church, Hockley. It was built to serve the growing community in Hockley.

Building the Church

The very first stone of the church was put in place on June 4, 1887. A very important person named Thomas Henry Goodwin Newton, who was the High Sheriff of Warwickshire at the time, did this.

The church was designed by an architect named John Cotton from Birmingham. It officially opened its doors on April 10, 1888. The building had a main open area called a nave, with lower sections on the sides called aisles. It also featured double transepts (parts that stick out from the sides) and a baptistery, which is a place for baptisms. There were also plans for a tower in the northwest corner, but it was never fully built.

Some records suggest that the church might have been updated in 1891 by another architect, William Bidlake.

Changes Over Time

In 1904, a part of St Chrysostom's Church's area was used to create a new church community for the Bishop Latimer Memorial Church, Winson Green. This meant that the original church's area became smaller.

Closing and Demolition

By 1972, St Chrysostom's Church was combined with All Saints' Church, Hockley and Bishop Latimer Memorial Church, Winson Green. This meant it was no longer needed as a separate church. Sadly, the building was taken down in 1974.

The Church Organ

An organ was put into St Chrysostom's Church in 1897. It was made by a company called Eustace Ingram. You can find more details about this organ on the National Pipe Organ Register.

The wooden case around the organ was very old. It was made before 1749 and people thought it was carved by Justinian Morse. This organ case had been in other churches before coming to St Chrysostom's. It was first in St John the Baptist's Church in Barnet, Hertfordshire.

When St Chrysostom's Church closed, the old organ case was moved to St Philip's Cathedral, Birmingham. It is now located in the north gallery of the cathedral.

The organ case had quite a journey! It moved from Barnet to St. Neots. It stayed there until 1855 when it was traded for a new instrument. Before it arrived in Birmingham, the case was in the London area, possibly at St Andrew Westminster and a school in Forest Hill.