Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham eBook

Thomas Harman
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 737 pages of information about Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham.

Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham eBook

Thomas Harman
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 737 pages of information about Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham.

Free Christian Church, Fazeley Street—­Schoolrooms were opened here in 1865 by the Birmingham Free Christian Society, which were enlarged in 1868 at a cost of about L800.  Funds to build a church were gathered in succeeding years and the present edifice was opened April 1, 1877, the cost being L1,300.

Jews.—­The Hebrew Synagogue in Blucher Street was erected in 1856, at a cost of L10,000.

Methodists.—­The Primitive Methodists for some time after their first appearance here held, their meetings in the open air or in hired rooms, the first chapel they used being that in Bordesley Street (opened March 16, 1823, by the Wesleyans) which they entered upon in 1826.  Other chapels they had at various times in Allison Street, Balloon Street, Inge Street, &c.  Gooch Street Chapel was erected by them at a cost of over L2,000 (the first stone being laid August 23, 1852) and is now their principal place of worship, their services being also conducted in Chapels and Mission Rooms in Aston New Town, Garrison Lane, Long Acre, Lord Street, Morville Street, Wells Street, Whitmore Street, The Cape, Selly Oak, Perry Barr, Sparkbrook, and Stirchley Street.—­The Methodist New Connexion have chapels in Heath Street, Kyrwick’s Lane, Ladywood Lane, Moseley Street, and Unett Street—­The first stone of a chapel for the Methodist New Congregational body was placed July 13, 1873, in Icknield Street West.—­The Methodist Reformers commenced to build a chapel in Bishop Street, November 15, 1852.—­The Methodist Free Church has places of worship in Bath Street, Cuckoo Road, Muntz Street, Rocky Lane, and at Washwood Heath.

New Church.—­The denomination of professing Christians, who style themselves the “New Church,” sometimes known as “The New Jerusalem Church,” and more commonly as “Swedenborgians,” as early as 1774 had a meeting room in Great Charles Street, from whence they removed to a larger one in Temple Row.  Here they remained until 1791, when they took possession of Zion Chapel, Newhall Street, the ceremony of consecration taking place on the 19 of June.  This event was of more than usual interest, inasmuch as this edifice was the first ever erected in the world for New Church worship.  The rioters of 1791, who professed to support the National Church by demolishing the Dissenting places of worship, paid Zion Chapel a visit and threatened to burn it, but the eloquence of the minister, the Rev. J. Proud, aided by a judicious distribution of what cash he had in his pocket, prevailed over their burning desires, and they carried their torches elsewhere.  On the 10th of March, 1793, however, another incendiary attempt was made to suppress the New Church, but the fire was put out before much damage was done.  What fire and popular enmity could not do, however, was accomplished by a financial crisis, and the congregation had to leave their Zion, and put up with a less pretentious place of worship opposite the Wharf in Newhall Street. 

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Project Gutenberg
Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.