St Mary the Virgin, Brighton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Kemptown, Brighton |
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The church from the southeast
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| 50°49′13″N 0°7′46″W / 50.82028°N 0.12944°W | |
| Location | St James's Street/Upper Rock Gardens, Kemptown, Brighton and Hove BN2 1PR |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | www.stmaryschurchbrighton.org.uk/ |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Founded | 1826 |
| Founder(s) | Charles Elliott |
| Dedication | The Virgin Mary |
| Dedicated | 18 January 1827 |
| Consecrated | 15 October 1878 (present building) |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 20 August 1971 |
| Architect(s) | William Emerson |
| Style | Early English Gothic Revival |
| Completed | 1878 |
| Construction cost | £10,000 (£729 thousand |
in 2021)
| events = 1876: collapsed during reconstruction
1877: rebuilt in Early English style | capacity = 1,000 | width nave = 40 feet (12 m) | height = 60 feet (18 m) | materials = Red brick | parish = Brighton, Kemp Town: St Mary | deanery = Rural Deanery of Brighton | archdeaconry = Chichester | diocese = Chichester | province = Canterbury | priest = Revd Andrew Woodward }} St Mary's Church is an Anglican church located in the Kemptown area of Brighton, England. The building you see today was finished in the late 1870s. It replaced an older church that collapsed during repairs. This beautiful red-brick church is built in a Gothic style. It is considered a very important historical building, known as a Grade II* listed building. St Mary's Church is still open and holds regular services today.
Contents
History of St Mary's Church
Building the First Church
In the early 1800s, Brighton became a very popular place, especially for wealthy people. This led to the building of "proprietary chapels." These were private churches that did not belong to a specific parish. Instead, they were owned by individuals who hired an Anglican minister.
The first St Mary's Church was one of four such chapels built in the 1820s. A man named Barnard Gregory got permission in 1825 to build churches, including one on St James's Street. In 1826, he sold this right to Charles Elliott. Charles Elliott was a merchant who spent time in both London and Brighton. He was part of a group called the Clapham Sect, who were Anglican social reformers. His daughter, Charlotte, became famous for writing hymns. The Elliott family was very important in Brighton's religious life during the 1800s.
The 3rd Earl of Egremont owned land near St James's Street. He gave some of his land to Barnard Gregory for the church. Gregory hired Amon Henry Wilds, a well-known architect from that time. Wilds designed the church in a Neoclassical style. It looked like a temple, similar to other buildings he had designed. The church was inspired by ancient Greek temples.
The Elliott Family and the Church
The law for proprietary chapels allowed the owner to choose a minister for 40 years. Charles Elliott chose his oldest son, Henry Venn Elliott, to be the first minister of St Mary's Chapel in August 1826. Henry had become a priest in 1824.
The church was officially opened by the Bishop of Chichester on January 18, 1827. It cost about £10,000 to build. The outside of the church was covered in stucco and had four large columns. Inside, there were balconies on three sides. One balcony had a special private seating area for the Earl of Egremont. The church could hold 947 people. Many seats were offered for free, which was unusual at a time when people usually paid to sit in church.
Henry Venn Elliott served as the minister until he passed away in 1865. His youngest son, Julius Marshall Elliott, took over after him.
The Church Becomes a Parish Church
In 1873, St Mary's became a proper parish church for the first time. This happened when Brighton's church areas were reorganized. The Elliott family no longer owned the building. Instead, it was given to the Church Commissioners. From then on, all the seats in the church were free.
By this time, the church building was in poor condition. In June 1876, while some repairs were being done, parts of the church collapsed. The roof fell in, and the building was ruined. Instead of trying to fix it, people decided to build a brand new church. They chose the Gothic style, which was very popular for churches in England at that time. William Emerson, a famous architect, was asked to design the new building.
Building the New Church
While the new church was being built, the congregation worshipped in the Royal Pavilion. The first stone for the new church was laid on May 29, 1877. The building took two years to complete and cost about £15,231. A building company from nearby Hove did the construction work. The new church was officially opened on October 15, 1878, by the new Bishop of Chichester.
Changes and Challenges
In 1948, St Mary's parish became larger when a nearby church, St James's Church, closed. When St James's was torn down in 1975, some of its memorials and items were moved to St Mary's.
Later, St Mary's Church itself faced the possibility of closing. This happened after a review of churches in Brighton and Hove between 2002 and 2003. The report said the building needed a lot of repairs. It also noted that the church had a small congregation and struggled financially. Another church nearby, St George's Church, had become the main church for the Kemptown area. The report suggested either closing St Mary's completely or using most of the building for community projects, leaving a small area for church services. However, no plans for closure have been put forward, and the church is still open and holds services regularly.
Architecture of St Mary's Church
The design of St Mary's Church is often described as Early English Gothic Revival or French Gothic Revival. It is built from red brick with some sandstone and terracotta decorations on the outside. Inside, there is Bath stonework.
The church has a main area called the chancel with a rounded end called an apse. It also has transepts, which are like arms extending from the main body of the church. The main part of the church, called the nave, is very long and has aisles on both sides. There is also a semicircular baptistery where baptisms take place. A tower was planned next to the baptistery but was never fully built. The church also has two entrance porches, an area for the organ, and two vestries (rooms for clergy). The nave is on two levels, with the baptistery on the higher level. The apse and organ area have tall, narrow windows called lancet windows. The transepts have larger windows with six-lobed shapes.
St Mary's Church Today
St Mary's Church was officially recognized as a Grade II* listed building on August 20, 1971. This means it is a very important historical building that needs to be protected. As of February 2001, it was one of 70 Grade II*-listed buildings in Brighton and Hove.
The church's parish covers an area of Brighton located just behind the seafront and to the east of the city center. Its boundaries include the seafront, Old Steine, White Street, Sussex Street, the top of Queen's Park, Sutherland Road, and Bedford Street. The church continues to be an active place of worship for the community.
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in Brighton and Hove
- List of places of worship in Brighton and Hove
