Page:Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham.djvu/240

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228
SHOWELL'S DICTIONARY OF BIRMINGHAM.

to increase and multiply rapidly after that time, it was found necessary to add a nave and aisle in 1857. There is now only accommodation for 670, and hut a hundred or so of the seats are free, so that possibly in a few more years the renovators and restorers will be busy providing another new old church for us. The patron is Lord Calthorpe, and the living is valued at £542, but the power of presenting has only been exercised three times during the last 124 years, the Rev. John Prynne Parkes Pixell, who was appointed vicar in 1760, being succeeded by his son in 1794, who held the living fifty-four years. At his death, in 1848, the Rev. Isaac Spooner, who had for the eleven previous years been the first incumbent of St. George's, Edgbaston, was inducted, and remained vicar till his death, July, 1884. In the Church there are several monuments to members of the Calthorpe family, and one in memory of Mr. Joshua Scholefield, the first M.P. for Birmingham, and alto some richly-coloured windows and ancient-dated tablets connected with the oldest families of the Middlemores and others.

Hall Green Church was built in Queen Anne's reign, and has seats for 475, half free. It is a vicarage (value £175), in the gift of trustees, and now held by the Rev. R. Jones, B.A.

Handsworth Church.—St. Mary's, the mother church of the parish, was probably erected in the twelfth century, but has undergone time's inevitable changes of enlargements, alterations, and rebuildings, until little, if any; of the original structure could possibly be shown. Great alterations were made during the 15th and 17th centuries, and again about 1759, and in 1820; the last of all being those of our own days. During the course of the "restoration," now completed, an oval tablet was taken down from the pediment over the south porch, bearing the inscription of "John Hall and John Hopkins, churchwardens, 1759," whose economising notions had led them to cut the said tablet out of an old gravestone, the side built into the wall having inscribed on its face, "The bodye of Thomas Lindon, who departed this life the 10 of April, 1675, and was yeares of age 88." The cost of the rebuilding has been nearly £11,000, the whole of which has been subscribed, the reopening taking place Sept. 28, 1878. There are several ancient monuments in fair preservation, and also Chantrey's celebrated statue of Watt. The living is valued at £1,500, the Rector, the Rev. W. Randall, M.A , being his own patron. The sittings in the church are (with a few exceptions only) all free and number over 1,000, Sunday and other services being also held in a Mission Room at Hamstead.

Holy Trinity.—The first stone of the Church of the Holy Trinity in Camp Hill, was placed in position Sept. 29, 1820. The building was consecrated Jan. 23, 1823, and opened for services March 16 following. The cost was £14,325, and the number of sittings provided 1,500, half to be free. The services have from the first been markedly of a Ritualistic character, and the ornate decorations of the church have been therefore most appropriate. The living (value £230) is a vicarage in the gift of trustees, and is at present held by the Rev. A. H. Watts, who succeeded the Rev. R. W. Enraght after the latter's suspension and imprisonment.—See "Ritualism."

Holy Trinity, Birchfields.—First stone placed May 26. 1863; consecrated May 17, 1864. Cost about £5,000. The living (value £320) is a vicarage in the gilt of the Rector of Handsworth, and is now held by the Rev. P. T. Maitland, who "lead himself in" May 16, 1875.

Holy Trinity, North Harborne, was built in 1838-39 at a cost of £3,750, and will seat 700, one half being free. The living (value £300) is in the gift of the Dean and Chapter of Lichfield.

Immanuel Church, Broad Street.—The foundation stone was laid July