St Matthew's Church, Talbot Street facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Matthew's Church, Nottingham |
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|---|---|
| 52°57′22″N 1°9′33″W / 52.95611°N 1.15917°W | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Broad Church |
| History | |
| Dedication | St. Matthew |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Henry Roberts |
| Style | Early English Period |
| Groundbreaking | 1853 |
| Completed | 1856 |
| Construction cost | £6,000 |
| Closed | September 1953 |
| Demolished | 1956 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 700 (450 from 1881) |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Nottingham |
| Diocese | Diocese of Southwell |
| Province | York |
St. Matthew's Church, Talbot Street was a Church of England church located in Nottingham. It served the community for about 100 years, from 1856 to 1956.
History of St. Matthew's Church
Building the Church
St. Matthew's Church became its own separate parish in 1856. Before that, it was part of the St. Mary's Church, Nottingham parish. The land for the church, which was about 3,000 square yards, was bought in 1850. It cost £375, which would be worth a lot more money today (equivalent to £30,880 in 2021). This land was then given to the church.
Most of the money for building the church, £4,500, came from a group called the Church Extension Committee in Pall Mall.
The church was designed by an architect named Henry Roberts. He was from London. The church was built in a style called Early English, which is a type of Gothic style. It had narrow, pointed windows, a wide tower, and a tall, pointed spire. The total cost to build the church was £5,645 (equivalent to £366,070 in 2021).
The church was built under a special law passed by King William IV. A group of trustees, including Henry Kingscote and Francis Wright, were in charge. Fanny Brooks, the wife of Revd. Joshua William Brooks, even placed a special container with an inscription and coins under the foundation stone when construction began.
Changes Over Time
St. Matthew's Church was officially opened and blessed on January 15, 1856. The first priest in charge was Revd. George Dundas. He even created a special songbook for the church.
When it was first built, the church could hold 700 people. However, in 1881, some of the upper seating areas (galleries) were closed. This reduced the church's capacity to 450 people.
In 1878, there was a fire in the church's roof. The water used to put out the fire caused a lot of damage to the organ and the choir's seating area. Later, in 1887, the church was repaired and reorganized under the guidance of William Dymock Pratt.
In 1926, another local church, St. Thomas' Church, Nottingham, joined with St. Matthew's. This meant their parishes became one.
The Church Closes
St. Matthew's Church was torn down in 1956. However, the St. Matthew's School building, which was right next to the church, was not demolished and remained standing. Today, the site where the church once stood is being planned for a new church by the Christian Centre, Nottingham.
