St. Cyprian's Church, Hay Mills
Encyclopedia
St. Cyprian's Church, Hay Mills is a parish church
in the Church of England
in Hay Mills
, Birmingham
, England. It is situated on the southern side of the main Birmingham to Coventry Road A45
at the end of a lane called the Fordrough which leads to the factory of Webster & Horsfall Ltd. It has long been associated with the Horsfall family who built the church and continue to be its owners. Built in the 19th century of red brick in the Gothic Revival
style it is dedicated to St Cyprian the third century martyr
and Bishop
of Carthage
who although coming from a wealthy background gave away a portion of his wealth to the poor of Carthage, he was beheaded by the Romans
in 258. The church is now Grade II listed.
, rebuilding it as a steam-driven mill. The mill originally belonged to Hay Hall in Tyseley. In 1855 his company merged with Joseph Webster's of Penn Mill, Sutton Coldfield. He was a major manufacturer and exporter of the piano wire to Europe in 1824. In 1853 Horsfall had patented a heat treatment process which strengthened the wire. This led to improved piano wire (giving a near monopoly), wire for making needles in Redditch, fishhooks, and umbrella frames. The firm made the armoured wire for first successful transatlantic telegraph cable
in 1866, using 30,000 miles of wire (1600 tons), made by 250 workers over 11 months. The strengthened wire also made possible the construction of aeroplanes and automobiles. The company today also makes springs.
Horsfall built houses and, in 1860, a schoolroom for his workers’ children. This was subsequently converted into a Chapel
, the present school room which stands beside the church was built in 1863. The services for the chapel were conducted by the senior curate of Yardley and in 1866, Sunday evening services were held and a Sunday School started for the children. In the following year, six buttresses were erected and two stone crosses were fixed to the apex of the roof. In 1869 the organ and organ chamber were added. In 1873 the foundation stone was laid and work began to incorporate the former chapel as the present chancel
. To this, designed by Frank Barlow Osborn but often wrongly ascribed to Martin & Chamberlain
, and built by William Partridge was added the nave
, the side ailses, the gallery
, porch
, tower
, spire
and vestries. The church was consecrated in 1878 and the first Church Council was elected in 1899 consisting of twelve members of the church, in addition to the Vicar, Churchwardens and six Sidesmen. During the Second World War in 1940 the building was damaged by enemy action but not beyond repair.
The church, in the Gothic style
, is of red brick with a minimum use of black brick and stone dressings; it has a tile roof. It consists of a Nave
, with a hammer beam roof, large plate tracery
, clerestory
windows and low, narrow aisles to North and South, whose bays are demarcated each by buttresses with a single lancet window
, a chancel, with a barreled roof, at the West end, vestries with a gallery above. In the South West corner there is a porch tower with a slated broach spire
with 2 tiers of lucarnes it contains a bell bearing the date 1749. It was the former tannery bell, and was given to St Chad's, built by St Cyprian's and demolished in 1984, from where it went to St Cyprian's. In the South East corner is the Horsfall mortuary chapel, added in 1877 in memory of his daughter, Elizabeth Horsfall and now the resting place of James Horsfall and his family. This is in the tradition and position of a medieval chantry chapel for the saying of prayers or masses for the benefactor or founder of a church or abbey. In the tympanum
above the entrance there is a sculpture of the transfiguration
, or perhaps the Ascension.
who were also responsible for the stained glass in the Houses of Parliament.
Those in the North aisle are illuminated allowing them to viewed despite them having no natural light being enclosed as a security measure. The restoration was made possible by a donation from a late parishioner and the windows blessed at Easter 2010 with the following words; Almighty and eternal God, we give you thanks and praise for these stained glass images of your saints. For as often as we look on these images with our bodily eyes, As we look at them may we consider the actions of your saints and think about their sanctity for our inmitation. Bless and sanctify these windows made in honour and in memory of your only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ and of these saints. We also remember our faithful servant John Ellison in whose memory these lights were re-installed. May the light of Christ always shine in our hearts. Amen
By ascending to the galley the stained glass of the West front can be viewed near at hand. The top circular window shows a dove symbol of the Holy Spirit
which came to the disciples at Pentecost
.
There are then three large lancet windows.
The left window has at the top pictures of the birth of Christ and below the Annunciation
to Mary.
The centre window has at the top St Cyprian engaged in preaching and below his martyrdom by being beheaded as a distraught clergyman holds his vestments.
The right window has at the top the presentation of Christ to the temple above and below the adoration
of the magi
.
, St Paul and St Peter.
, St Jude, St Thomas
, St Matthew, St Andrew, St James, son of Zebedee, St John
, and Virgin Mary the illumination of these windows was restored in 2009 and they can now be seen in all their splendour.
1st Window
Left St Alban, the first British Christian
martyr,
Centre St George, engaged in slaying the dragon,
Right St Edmund
King, King of the East Angles holding an arrow symbolic of his being shot for refusing to deny his Christian faith.
2nd Window
Left St Cuthbert, holding a head in his hands,
Centre St Benedict, holding a book probably containing his Monastic Rule followed by Benedictine monks.
Right St Germanus.
3rd Window
Left St Ethelbert,King who received Augustine and was converted by him,
Centre St Augustine
, consecrated as Archbishop of the English and established his see at Canterbury around 598,
Right St Bennet Biscop.
4th Window
Left St Cyprian, carrying the axe by which he was martyrd and is recognised,
Centre St Edward the Confessor,
Right St Chad, holding in his hands the Cathedral
at Lichfield
which he founded and where he died in 672.
5th Window
Left Venerable Bede, holding a book symbolic of his work Ecclesiastical History of the English People,
Centre St Oswald
, the first of the English royal saints,
Right St Dunstan, appointed Bishop of Worcester in 957.
6th Window
Left St Stephen, holding stones as a reminder that he was stoned to death in AD 34-35,
Centre St Gregory, wearing the triple crown of the Pope and holding open a book of chants as he reformed the services of the church. In 595 he sent Augustine to lead a mission, usually known as the Gregorian mission, to Britain to convert the pagan King Æthelberht of Kent to Christianity. Right St Laurence, with a grid iron symbolising his martyrdom by being burned to death.
Left St Bertha, Queen of Kent whose influence led to the introduction of Christianity
to Anglo-Saxon England
. She was canonized as a saint
for her role in its establishment during that period of English history. Augustine owed much of his favorable reception to the influence of Bertha
.
Centre St Helen, mother of the Emperor Constantine
Right St Margaret of Scotland wife of Malcolm III known for her goodness to the poor and orphans.
2nd Window
Left St Frideswide, holding a book as the Patron Saint
of Oxford University
Centre St Walburgh
,
Right St Winefride
. seen holding a head as a symbol of her martyrdom.
3rd Window
Left St Edith
crowned and holding a crook symbolic of her royal lineage but who chose to be a humble nun.
Centre St Hilda Abbess of Hartlepool but the glass mis-names her as St Chad, probably the result of repairs following wartime damage.
Right St Etheldreda again crowned and with a crook she was abbess of Ely.
4th Window
Left St Barbara crowned and with a chalice and a castle, the patron saints of artillery and dangerous trades. She was imprisoned in a tower which was broken open by a thunderbolt.
Centre St Lucy with a lamp and a dish of a pair of eyes. She consecrated her virginity to God, refused to marry a pagan, and had her dowry distributed to the poor. Her would-be husband denounced her as a Christian to the governor of Syracuse, Sicily. Miraculously unable to move her or burn her, the guards took out her eyes with a fork. Patron saint of the blind her name derives from Lux
meaning light.
Right St Faith
the grid iron symbolises her death by burning.
5th Window
Left St Cecilia Patron Saint of Music pictured with an organ
Centre St Catherine associated with the Catherine wheel on which she was tortured.
Right St Agnes with a lily the symbol of chastity.
6th Window (none of the names are preceded by the title St but all are).
Left St Dorcas
raised from the dead by St Peter.
Centre St Lydia
was the first recorded convert to Christianity in Europe.
Right St Lois the maternal grandmother of Timothy, she is commended by Paul for her faith here she is depicted carrying an open book in which are the words " Let thy saints rejoice in goodness".
7th Window
Left Santa Maria Mag (Mary Magdalene
) with the alabaster pot containing the oil with which she annoited the feet of Jesus.
Centre St Anne mother of Mary again incorrectly named St Hilda.
Right Santa St. Elizabeth
cousin of Mary and the mother of John the Baptist
.
of a white marble angel holding a large shell, by S, Ruddock, London the monument, dedicated to Horsfall's daughter, Mrs Mary Simms upon whom the face of the angel is believed to be modelled on.
The inscription upon it reads,
"Erected to the memory of Mary Elizabeth Simms the only and dearly beloved daughter of James and Elizabeth Horsfall - Sept-1879.
"In life beloved, in death lamented"
The pulpit
is supported by three figures. One is recognizable by the key symbol he holds as St Peter, one by his dress as a Bishop as St Cyprian and the last by the symbols of a book and a broken sword as St Paul
.
There are also two brass plate memorials here
Beneath the lancet window of St Jacobus (James, son of Alphaeus
)
Beneath the lancet window of St Paulus (St Paul)
Situated in the North aisle is a private First World War Memorial to Captain Joseph Arthur Brearley and his brother Norman Blackburn Brearley, son's of Harry and Annie Brearley, of 225, Charles Rd., Small Heath, Birmingham. Arthur, after being educated at King Edwards Grammar, Handsworth and Emmanuel College, Cambridge
, became a schoolteacher in Exeter and joined the 1/6th Cyclists Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment in April 1914. He became attached the Special Co N Royal Engineers
whose role was the firing of gas canisters onto enemy trenches. He was killed on 20 June 1917 during the Battle of Messines Ridge, and the Battalion War diary records, "Gas discharged on Jackdaw and Jam Avenue. Observations from the front line indicates that drums burst well and a good cloud was formed over enemy trenches. Considerable hostile artillery retaliation on front line and C.T.'s. Golden rain,double red and double green lights were used extensively by the enemy. Whole operation including preparation 3 killed 11 wounded." He was 27 and had been with N company just over a month.
His brother, Norman Blackburn Brearley was with A company, 9th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment and was killed in action on 19 April 1916. The battalion War Diary records at 0700 whilst attacking a Turkish Trench at Beit aiessa, on the right hand bank of the Tigris
. He was seen to be hit during the charge and fell in marshy ground, the water rose and he, and others with him, were drowned before aid could reach them. He was 22 and is commemorated on the Basra Memorial.
There is the following inscription on their memorial
They died that we might live in freedom. This tablet is erected by their parents
Also in the north aisle are three brass plate memorials to the Spawforth family.
The church formally contained an organ by Bryceson, the specifications of which can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register. However, this was replaced in the 1960s with an electronic organ by Compton.
It bears a plaque with the following inscription "To commemorate with grateful thanks the rebuilding of this organ through the generosity of church members and friends. Also the restoration of the woodwork by Alan Pipe and Albert Dixon."
Special events are organised throughout the year such as Bingo afternoons, concerts in the church, day retreat visits to a local convent and a history day organised in May saw over 100 hundred visitors to the church.
St Cyprians has a modern church hall, situated nearby available for hire, which is also used by religious groups of different faiths.
A small memorial garden in front of the church which was renovated and replanted by volunteers from the congregation during the summer of 2009 and blessed by the retiring vicar Tony Johnson in April 2010.
Please click on the achurchnearyou link for up to date events and contact details.
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
in Hay Mills
Hay Mills
Hay Mills is an area of Small Heath in east Birmingham, England. It developed around a Victorian steel wire mill.- James Horsfall and Joseph Webster:...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England. It is situated on the southern side of the main Birmingham to Coventry Road A45
A45 road
The A45 is a major road in England. It runs east from Birmingham past the National Exhibition Centre and the M42, then bypasses Coventry and Rugby, where it briefly merges with the M45 until it continues to Daventry...
at the end of a lane called the Fordrough which leads to the factory of Webster & Horsfall Ltd. It has long been associated with the Horsfall family who built the church and continue to be its owners. Built in the 19th century of red brick in the Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
style it is dedicated to St Cyprian the third century martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
and Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Carthage
Carthage
Carthage , implying it was a 'new Tyre') is a major urban centre that has existed for nearly 3,000 years on the Gulf of Tunis, developing from a Phoenician colony of the 1st millennium BC...
who although coming from a wealthy background gave away a portion of his wealth to the poor of Carthage, he was beheaded by the Romans
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
in 258. The church is now Grade II listed.
History
James Horsfall was a wire drawer from Digbeth who invented high tensile steel wire. He moved to Hay Mill, a disused blade and sword factory at a water mill on the River ColeRiver Cole, West Midlands
The River Cole is a river in the English Midlands. It rises in Redhill, near Kings Norton, South of Birmingham. After flowing through Birmingham, it passes Coleshill, to which it gave its name. It joins the River Blythe, of which it is a tributary, near Ladywalk, shortly before the Blythe meets...
, rebuilding it as a steam-driven mill. The mill originally belonged to Hay Hall in Tyseley. In 1855 his company merged with Joseph Webster's of Penn Mill, Sutton Coldfield. He was a major manufacturer and exporter of the piano wire to Europe in 1824. In 1853 Horsfall had patented a heat treatment process which strengthened the wire. This led to improved piano wire (giving a near monopoly), wire for making needles in Redditch, fishhooks, and umbrella frames. The firm made the armoured wire for first successful transatlantic telegraph cable
Transatlantic telegraph cable
The transatlantic telegraph cable was the first cable used for telegraph communications laid across the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. It crossed from , Foilhommerum Bay, Valentia Island, in western Ireland to Heart's Content in eastern Newfoundland. The transatlantic cable connected North America...
in 1866, using 30,000 miles of wire (1600 tons), made by 250 workers over 11 months. The strengthened wire also made possible the construction of aeroplanes and automobiles. The company today also makes springs.
Horsfall built houses and, in 1860, a schoolroom for his workers’ children. This was subsequently converted into a Chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
, the present school room which stands beside the church was built in 1863. The services for the chapel were conducted by the senior curate of Yardley and in 1866, Sunday evening services were held and a Sunday School started for the children. In the following year, six buttresses were erected and two stone crosses were fixed to the apex of the roof. In 1869 the organ and organ chamber were added. In 1873 the foundation stone was laid and work began to incorporate the former chapel as the present chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
. To this, designed by Frank Barlow Osborn but often wrongly ascribed to Martin & Chamberlain
Martin & Chamberlain
John Henry Chamberlain, William Martin, and Frederick Martin were architects in Victorian Birmingham, England. Their names are attributed singly or pairs to many red brick and terracotta buildings, particularly 41 of the forty-odd Birmingham board schools made necessary by the Elementary Education...
, and built by William Partridge was added the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
, the side ailses, the gallery
Balcony
Balcony , a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade.-Types:The traditional Maltese balcony is a wooden closed balcony projecting from a...
, porch
Porch
A porch is external to the walls of the main building proper, but may be enclosed by screen, latticework, broad windows, or other light frame walls extending from the main structure.There are various styles of porches, all of which depend on the architectural tradition of its location...
, tower
Tower
A tower is a tall structure, usually taller than it is wide, often by a significant margin. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires....
, spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
and vestries. The church was consecrated in 1878 and the first Church Council was elected in 1899 consisting of twelve members of the church, in addition to the Vicar, Churchwardens and six Sidesmen. During the Second World War in 1940 the building was damaged by enemy action but not beyond repair.
Architecture
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
, is of red brick with a minimum use of black brick and stone dressings; it has a tile roof. It consists of a Nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
, with a hammer beam roof, large plate tracery
Tracery
In architecture, Tracery is the stonework elements that support the glass in a Gothic window. The term probably derives from the 'tracing floors' on which the complex patterns of late Gothic windows were laid out.-Plate tracery:...
, clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
windows and low, narrow aisles to North and South, whose bays are demarcated each by buttresses with a single lancet window
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
, a chancel, with a barreled roof, at the West end, vestries with a gallery above. In the South West corner there is a porch tower with a slated broach spire
Broach spire
A broach spire is a type of spire, a tall pyramidal or conical structure usually on the top of a tower or a turret. A broach spire starts on a square base and is carried up to a tapering octagonal spire by means of triangular faces....
with 2 tiers of lucarnes it contains a bell bearing the date 1749. It was the former tannery bell, and was given to St Chad's, built by St Cyprian's and demolished in 1984, from where it went to St Cyprian's. In the South East corner is the Horsfall mortuary chapel, added in 1877 in memory of his daughter, Elizabeth Horsfall and now the resting place of James Horsfall and his family. This is in the tradition and position of a medieval chantry chapel for the saying of prayers or masses for the benefactor or founder of a church or abbey. In the tympanum
Tympanum (architecture)
In architecture, a tympanum is the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, bounded by a lintel and arch. It often contains sculpture or other imagery or ornaments. Most architectural styles include this element....
above the entrance there is a sculpture of the transfiguration
Transfiguration of Jesus
The Transfiguration of Jesus is an event reported in the New Testament in which Jesus is transfigured and becomes radiant upon a mountain. The Synoptic Gospels describe it, and 2 Peter 1:16-18 refers to it....
, or perhaps the Ascension.
Stained Glass
Inside, a set of excellent stained glass windows. being of good-quality, intact and an extensive scheme of stained glass, designed by Hardman & Co.Hardman & Co.
Hardman & Co., otherwise John Hardman Trading Co., Ltd., founded 1838, began manufacturing stained glass in 1844 and became one of the world's leading manufacturers of stained glass and ecclesiastical fittings...
who were also responsible for the stained glass in the Houses of Parliament.
Those in the North aisle are illuminated allowing them to viewed despite them having no natural light being enclosed as a security measure. The restoration was made possible by a donation from a late parishioner and the windows blessed at Easter 2010 with the following words; Almighty and eternal God, we give you thanks and praise for these stained glass images of your saints. For as often as we look on these images with our bodily eyes, As we look at them may we consider the actions of your saints and think about their sanctity for our inmitation. Bless and sanctify these windows made in honour and in memory of your only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ and of these saints. We also remember our faithful servant John Ellison in whose memory these lights were re-installed. May the light of Christ always shine in our hearts. Amen
West Front
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
which came to the disciples at Pentecost
Pentecost
Pentecost is a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai, and also later in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ after the Resurrection of Jesus...
.
There are then three large lancet windows.
The left window has at the top pictures of the birth of Christ and below the Annunciation
Annunciation
The Annunciation, also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary or Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the announcement by the angel Gabriel to Virgin Mary, that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus the Son of God. Gabriel told Mary to name her...
to Mary.
The centre window has at the top St Cyprian engaged in preaching and below his martyrdom by being beheaded as a distraught clergyman holds his vestments.
The right window has at the top the presentation of Christ to the temple above and below the adoration
Adoration
Adoration is love given with deep affection. The term comes from the Latin adōrātiō, meaning "to give homage or worship to someone or something."-Ancient Middle East:...
of the magi
Magi
Magi is a term, used since at least the 4th century BC, to denote a follower of Zoroaster, or rather, a follower of what the Hellenistic world associated Zoroaster with, which...
.
South Aisle
Moving towards the Horsfall Chapel there are 5 lancet windows with depictions of five of the apostles St Bartholomew, St Philip, St James, son of AlphaeusJames, son of Alphaeus
Saint James, son of Alphaeus was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. He is often identified with James the Less and commonly known by that name in church tradition....
, St Paul and St Peter.
North Aisle
Here in the lancet windows are depictions of the other 7 apostles and the Virgin Mary St SimonSimon the Zealot
The apostle called Simon Zelotes, Simon the Zealot, in Luke 6:15 and Acts 1:13; and Simon Kananaios or Simon Cananeus , was one of the most obscure among the apostles of Jesus. Little is recorded of him aside from his name...
, St Jude, St Thomas
Thomas the Apostle
Thomas the Apostle, also called Doubting Thomas or Didymus was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He is best known for questioning Jesus' resurrection when first told of it, then proclaiming "My Lord and my God" on seeing Jesus in . He was perhaps the only Apostle who went outside the Roman...
, St Matthew, St Andrew, St James, son of Zebedee, St John
John the Apostle
John the Apostle, John the Apostle, John the Apostle, (Aramaic Yoħanna, (c. 6 - c. 100) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of James, another of the Twelve Apostles...
, and Virgin Mary the illumination of these windows was restored in 2009 and they can now be seen in all their splendour.
Clerestory Windows
The North clerestory windows contain representaions of female saints, while those on the South side contain their male counterparts.South Clerestory
From the rear, West to East, front.1st Window
Left St Alban, the first British Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
martyr,
Centre St George, engaged in slaying the dragon,
Right St Edmund
Edmund the Martyr
St Edmund the Martyr was a king of East Anglia, an Anglo-Saxon kingdom which today includes the English counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.D'Evelyn, Charlotte, and Mill, Anna J., , 1956. Reprinted 1967...
King, King of the East Angles holding an arrow symbolic of his being shot for refusing to deny his Christian faith.
Left St Cuthbert, holding a head in his hands,
Centre St Benedict, holding a book probably containing his Monastic Rule followed by Benedictine monks.
Right St Germanus.
3rd Window
Left St Ethelbert,King who received Augustine and was converted by him,
Centre St Augustine
Augustine of Canterbury
Augustine of Canterbury was a Benedictine monk who became the first Archbishop of Canterbury in the year 597...
, consecrated as Archbishop of the English and established his see at Canterbury around 598,
Right St Bennet Biscop.
4th Window
Left St Cyprian, carrying the axe by which he was martyrd and is recognised,
Centre St Edward the Confessor,
Right St Chad, holding in his hands the Cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
at Lichfield
Lichfield
Lichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham...
which he founded and where he died in 672.
5th Window
Left Venerable Bede, holding a book symbolic of his work Ecclesiastical History of the English People,
Centre St Oswald
Oswald of Northumbria
Oswald was King of Northumbria from 634 until his death, and is now venerated as a Christian saint.Oswald was the son of Æthelfrith of Bernicia and came to rule after spending a period in exile; after defeating the British ruler Cadwallon ap Cadfan, Oswald brought the two Northumbrian kingdoms of...
, the first of the English royal saints,
Right St Dunstan, appointed Bishop of Worcester in 957.
6th Window
Left St Stephen, holding stones as a reminder that he was stoned to death in AD 34-35,
Centre St Gregory, wearing the triple crown of the Pope and holding open a book of chants as he reformed the services of the church. In 595 he sent Augustine to lead a mission, usually known as the Gregorian mission, to Britain to convert the pagan King Æthelberht of Kent to Christianity. Right St Laurence, with a grid iron symbolising his martyrdom by being burned to death.
North Clerestory
1st WindowLeft St Bertha, Queen of Kent whose influence led to the introduction of Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
to Anglo-Saxon England
History of Anglo-Saxon England
Anglo-Saxon England refers to the period of the history of that part of Britain, that became known as England, lasting from the end of Roman occupation and establishment of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in the 5th century until the Norman conquest of England in 1066 by William the Conqueror...
. She was canonized as a saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
for her role in its establishment during that period of English history. Augustine owed much of his favorable reception to the influence of Bertha
.
Centre St Helen, mother of the Emperor Constantine
Right St Margaret of Scotland wife of Malcolm III known for her goodness to the poor and orphans.
2nd Window
Left St Frideswide, holding a book as the Patron Saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of Oxford University
Centre St Walburgh
Saint Walpurga
Saint Walpurga or Walburga , also spelled Valderburg or Guibor, was an English missionary to the Frankish Empire. She was canonized on 1 May ca. 870 by Pope Adrian II...
,
Right St Winefride
Winefride
thumb|right|300px|St Winifred's Well, [[Woolston, north Shropshire|Woolston]], ShropshireSaint Winefride was a legendary 7th-century Welsh noblewoman who was canonized after dying for the sake of her chastity...
. seen holding a head as a symbol of her martyrdom.
3rd Window
Left St Edith
Saint Editha
Saint Edith of Polesworth is an obscure Anglo-Saxon abbess associated with Polesworth and Tamworth in Mercia. Her historical identity and floruit are uncertain. Some late sources make her a daughter of King Edward the Elder, but there are differing opinions as regards her actual ancestry...
crowned and holding a crook symbolic of her royal lineage but who chose to be a humble nun.
Centre St Hilda Abbess of Hartlepool but the glass mis-names her as St Chad, probably the result of repairs following wartime damage.
Right St Etheldreda again crowned and with a crook she was abbess of Ely.
4th Window
Left St Barbara crowned and with a chalice and a castle, the patron saints of artillery and dangerous trades. She was imprisoned in a tower which was broken open by a thunderbolt.
Centre St Lucy with a lamp and a dish of a pair of eyes. She consecrated her virginity to God, refused to marry a pagan, and had her dowry distributed to the poor. Her would-be husband denounced her as a Christian to the governor of Syracuse, Sicily. Miraculously unable to move her or burn her, the guards took out her eyes with a fork. Patron saint of the blind her name derives from Lux
Lux
The lux is the SI unit of illuminance and luminous emittance, measuring luminous flux per unit area. It is used in photometry as a measure of the intensity, as perceived by the human eye, of light that hits or passes through a surface...
meaning light.
Right St Faith
St Faith
Saint Faith is a saint who is said to have been a girl or young woman of Agen in Aquitaine. Her legend recounts how she was arrested during persecution of Christians by the Roman Empire and refused to make pagan sacrifices even under torture. Saint Faith was tortured to death with a red-hot brazier...
the grid iron symbolises her death by burning.
5th Window
Left St Cecilia Patron Saint of Music pictured with an organ
Centre St Catherine associated with the Catherine wheel on which she was tortured.
Right St Agnes with a lily the symbol of chastity.
6th Window (none of the names are preceded by the title St but all are).
Left St Dorcas
Dorcas
Dorcas was a disciple who lived in Joppa, referenced in the Book of Acts of the Bible. Acts recounts that when she died, she was mourned by "all the widows ... crying and showing the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them."...
raised from the dead by St Peter.
Centre St Lydia
Lydia of Thyatira
Lydia of Thyatira is a character in the New Testament. She is regarded as the first recorded convert to Christianity in Europe.-Name:The name, "Lydia", meaning "the Lydian woman", by which she was known indicates that she was from Lydia in Asia Minor. Though she is commonly known as “St...
was the first recorded convert to Christianity in Europe.
Right St Lois the maternal grandmother of Timothy, she is commended by Paul for her faith here she is depicted carrying an open book in which are the words " Let thy saints rejoice in goodness".
7th Window
Left Santa Maria Mag (Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
) with the alabaster pot containing the oil with which she annoited the feet of Jesus.
Centre St Anne mother of Mary again incorrectly named St Hilda.
Right Santa St. Elizabeth
Elizabeth (Biblical person)
Elizabeth is also spelled Elisabeth or Elisheva...
cousin of Mary and the mother of John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
.
Font and Pulpit
There is also a lovely fontBaptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
of a white marble angel holding a large shell, by S, Ruddock, London the monument, dedicated to Horsfall's daughter, Mrs Mary Simms upon whom the face of the angel is believed to be modelled on.
The inscription upon it reads,
"Erected to the memory of Mary Elizabeth Simms the only and dearly beloved daughter of James and Elizabeth Horsfall - Sept-1879.
"In life beloved, in death lamented"
The pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
is supported by three figures. One is recognizable by the key symbol he holds as St Peter, one by his dress as a Bishop as St Cyprian and the last by the symbols of a book and a broken sword as St Paul
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
.
Memorials
In the South aisle, a plain oak memorial contains 111 names, dedicated To the memory of the men of this church and Parish who laid down their lives in the Great War 1914-1918, Faithful Unto Death, another to six members of the 23rd Birmingham Company The Boys Brigade killed during the Second World War and two memorials for members of the Horsfall family who died on military service. One to James Andrew Coldwell Horsfall, Lance Corporal Royal Irish Rangers who died in a military accident saving the lives of 9 comrades in 1973. Another to Flying Officer, George David Coldwell Horsfall, Royal Air Force, who went missing from operations over the French coast on the night of 15 May 1944.There are also two brass plate memorials here
Beneath the lancet window of St Jacobus (James, son of Alphaeus
James, son of Alphaeus
Saint James, son of Alphaeus was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. He is often identified with James the Less and commonly known by that name in church tradition....
)
- In remembrance of William George Gray died February 2, 1860 aged 55 and of Hannah relict of the above died March 21, 1871. May they rest in peace.
Beneath the lancet window of St Paulus (St Paul)
- In memory of James Evans died January 5, 1870, Honara his first wife died March 8, 1863 and Mary Ann his second wife died March 3, 1870.
Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay on the site of a Dominican friary...
, became a schoolteacher in Exeter and joined the 1/6th Cyclists Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment in April 1914. He became attached the Special Co N Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
whose role was the firing of gas canisters onto enemy trenches. He was killed on 20 June 1917 during the Battle of Messines Ridge, and the Battalion War diary records, "Gas discharged on Jackdaw and Jam Avenue. Observations from the front line indicates that drums burst well and a good cloud was formed over enemy trenches. Considerable hostile artillery retaliation on front line and C.T.'s. Golden rain,double red and double green lights were used extensively by the enemy. Whole operation including preparation 3 killed 11 wounded." He was 27 and had been with N company just over a month.
His brother, Norman Blackburn Brearley was with A company, 9th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment and was killed in action on 19 April 1916. The battalion War Diary records at 0700 whilst attacking a Turkish Trench at Beit aiessa, on the right hand bank of the Tigris
Tigris
The Tigris River is the eastern member of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of southeastern Turkey through Iraq.-Geography:...
. He was seen to be hit during the charge and fell in marshy ground, the water rose and he, and others with him, were drowned before aid could reach them. He was 22 and is commemorated on the Basra Memorial.
There is the following inscription on their memorial
They died that we might live in freedom. This tablet is erected by their parents
Also in the north aisle are three brass plate memorials to the Spawforth family.
- Edward Spawforth died August 1, 1853 aged 75 beneath the lancet window of the St Jacobus maj (James the JustJames the JustJames , first Bishop of Jerusalem, who died in 62 AD, was an important figure in Early Christianity...
) - John Spawforth died October 28, 1865 aged 58 beneath the lancet window of St Joannes (St John)
- Mary the wife of Edward Spawforth died September 17, 1859 aged 60 placed beneath the lancet window of the Virgin Mary.
List Of Vicars
To the rear of the church there is a wooden board containing a list of the vicars of St Cyprian's placed there in 1973 to mark the centenary of the church.- 1866-1903 G.H. Simms (Husband of the Horsfalls daughter Mary, interred in the mortuary chapel)
- 1904-1910 W.H. Wilson Carriss (There is also a brass tablet in his memory on the left pillar of the chancel arch.)
- 1911-1912 W.F. Clarke
- 1913-1923 R.B. Price
- 1924-1927 H.E. Key
- 1928-1934 T.H.W. Maxfield
- 1935-1945 R.C. Tait
- 1946-1951 C.G. Challenger
- 1953-1964 E.F.S. Wilmot
- 1965-1980 A.C.D. Fennell
- 1988-1988 C.S. Simms
- 1988-1994 R.C. Simpson
- 1994-1996 R.E. Chamberlain
- 1996-2001 M. Alderson (First female minister)
- Interregnum, a Lay Pastoral Team was commissioned, the first Parish in the diocese to achieve this
- 2005-2010 A.P. Johnson
- 2010- Second Interregnum with a Lay Pastoral Team
Organ
It bears a plaque with the following inscription "To commemorate with grateful thanks the rebuilding of this organ through the generosity of church members and friends. Also the restoration of the woodwork by Alan Pipe and Albert Dixon."
List of organists
- Samuel Simms ???? - 1885
- Samuel Simms 1885 - ???? (succeeded his father) (afterwards organist of St. John's Church, LadywoodSt. John's Church, LadywoodThe Church of St. John the Evangelist and St. Peter is a Grade II listed Church of England church of Ladywood, Birmingham, England.-History:...
) - F.G. Ashmore 1935
- F.W. Grove 1952
- H. Summerton 1965 (Deputy Mrs F. Cooper)
- Derek Hulley 1970-2005 (a memorial plate on right side of the organ reads) "In loving memory of Derek Hulley Organist and Choirmaster of St Cyprians 1970-2005 and wife Joyce, Rest in Peace Dear Friends"
- Margaret Croucher 2000-to present
Present activities
St Cyprian's remains open and has an active congregation contributing to missions in Africa and elsewhere. Following the retirement of the vicar in April 2010 there will be an interegnum and services will be conducted by the lay team. Anglican services of Holy Communion will be at 10:30 am on Sunday with other regular events throughout the week including the "Grapevine" Ladies Group, Bible Study Group and Morning prayers.Special events are organised throughout the year such as Bingo afternoons, concerts in the church, day retreat visits to a local convent and a history day organised in May saw over 100 hundred visitors to the church.
St Cyprians has a modern church hall, situated nearby available for hire, which is also used by religious groups of different faiths.
A small memorial garden in front of the church which was renovated and replanted by volunteers from the congregation during the summer of 2009 and blessed by the retiring vicar Tony Johnson in April 2010.
Please click on the achurchnearyou link for up to date events and contact details.
Sources
- National Archives:
- (WO/95/402) Royal Engineers Battalion War Diary
- (WO374/8744) Service Record Capt. Arthur Brearley
- (WO/374)Service Record of Lt Norman Blackburn Brearley