St James' Church, Handsworth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St James' Church, Handsworth |
|
|---|---|
Postcard of St James' Church, before the new chancel was built in 1878
|
|
| 52°30′19″N 1°56′54″W / 52.5052°N 1.9484°W | |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Liberal High Church |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St James |
| Diocese | Birmingham |
St James' Church is a historic church located in Handsworth, Birmingham, England. It was built as an Anglican church between 1838 and 1840. At that time, Handsworth was part of the county of Staffordshire. The land for the church was generously donated by John Crockett, who owned the nearby New Inns Hotel.
The first architect for the church was Robert Ebbles from Wolverhampton. He was known for designing churches in the Gothic Revival style, which brought back features of medieval Gothic architecture. Over the years, the church was expanded and changed. In 1878, a new chancel (the area around the altar) was added. The entire building was rebuilt again in 1895, following new designs by J. A. Chatwin.
During these changes, the original chancel became the north chapel. The original main part of the church, called the nave, became the north aisle (a side section). The church's first tower, which was on the west side, was renamed the north-west tower. The additions included a brand new chancel, a larger nave, and a south aisle. Chatwin's designs used red brick and a style called Decorated style. This looked different from the original building's stonework, which was in the Early English style.
Contents
The Church's Parish and Community Role
The area that St James' Church serves, known as its parish, was created in 1854. It was formed from parts of the parish of Saint Mary's Church. Over time, parts of St James' parish were used to create new parishes for other churches. This happened for St Peter's in 1907 and St. Andrew's in 1914.
Notable People Connected to St James'
Many interesting people have been part of St James' Church's history.
Church Leaders
From 1883, the vicar (the main priest) of the church was the Reverend Thomas Smith Cave.
Talented Musicians
The famous composer Theodore Stephen Tearne (born in 1860) was the organist at St James' Church from 1904 to 1908. He was a very skilled musician before he moved to Australia.
The well-known tenor singer Leslie Webster Booth (born in 1902) was a chorister (a choir singer) at the church. He sang there from 1909 to 1911. After that, he was accepted as a chorister at the grand Lincoln Cathedral.
Preserving Church History
The church has kept important records from its past. These include early registers of baptisms (when people are welcomed into the church), marriages, and burials. There are also minutes from various parish meetings. These valuable historical documents are stored safely in the archives of the Library of Birmingham.
St James' Church Today
As of May 2014, the vicar of St James' Church is the Reverend Dr David Isiorho. He used to be a social worker and is also part of the team that edits the journal Black Theology. The church follows a "Liberal High Church" tradition for its worship. This means it has a focus on traditional worship styles but with a more open and inclusive approach.
The church building is located at the corner of Saint James Road and Crocketts Road. Saint James Road is actually named after the church itself! It's just off the main A41 Holyhead Road. St James' Church is part of the Anglican Diocese of Birmingham, which is the local church area it belongs to.
