St. Saviour's Church
High Mount Street, Hednesford, Staffordshire
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click "REFRESH"The first sixty years of Witness and Worship (1888-1948)
The Church of Saint Saviour was built, so Kelly's Directory tells us, in the year 1888, at a cost of £567, and with a seating capacity of 250. The first entry in a register however, is that of the Dedication by The Lord Bishop of Lichfield, Bishop William Dalrymple Maclagan, on April 4th of the same year, being Wednesday in Easter Week. The "Hednesford Advertiser" of that year contains the following note of the proceedings:
"The new Green Heath Mission was dedicated at 3.0 p.m. on Wednesday, April 4th, 1888, by the Bishop of Lichfield. At 7.30 p.m. there was an opening service when the sermon was preached by the Reverend R. D. Cheetham, Curate of S. Matthew's Walsall. On the following Sunday, April 8th, the opening services were continued, the preacher in the morning being the Reverend Joseph Draper; in the afternoon The Reverend R. M. Grier, M.A., newly appointed Vicar of Hednesford, and in the evening The Reverend R. Dickenson The Mission was thus opened twenty years after the opening of S. Peter's Church, Hednesford (1868)".
The signatures of J. Draper, R. Dickenson, R. Brookes and A. Braddock seem to be most numerous amongst those of men taking services in S. Saviour's Church during the first few years of its life. Harvest Festival services on September 24th, 1893, were evidently very inspiring, for H. A. Colville, who appears to have been the preacher, was inspired to write in the "Remarks" column the words "Praise the Lord for a grand time". The Sunday School seems to have been closed for five weeks in April of 1896, owing to an epidemic of measles, a Te Deum was sung in the Church in July, 1897, in Com-memoration of the 60th Anniversary of the accession of Queen Victoria, and William Quibell, Vicar of Hednesford, first visited S. Saviour's on September 20th, 1899. About this time there appear many new names in the column of signatures, and those of R. C. Swayne, J. B. Pimblett and Bro. Bell are readily noticeable by their frequent appearances. The Church up to this time had no Chancel, and there are various notes in the registers during these years which show that work must have been going on steadily to build up a Fund sufficient to cover the addition of a chancel. Holy Communion at 8.0, Matins at 11.0, with Holy Communion at 11.0 on the third Sunday of the month seems to have been the order of the day, although the 8.0 Celebration of Holy Communion on Sundays does not seem always to have been regular, perhaps even in those days, due to staff difficulties!
S. Saviour's notes in the Parish Magazine for the year 1900 record that at a social evening given by the Sunday School Teachers, considerable amusement was caused. "Mr. F. Smith, as he is not a performer himself, brought us some music boxed up in a grammaphone, which he let loose into the room. The strains of a full orchestra, a cornet solo, and a tenor solo, were successfully enticed from their entrenchments". Similarly at a later date....."One of the chief centres of interest was an electric battery which successfully shocked most of the company". November 10th - December 8th 1901. "During this period, service was held in the West Hill Board School, hired at 5/- a week for the purpose. |  |
This was presumably while the new Chancel was being added, for although the Chancel was still unfinished on December 15th, when the services were held in the Church again, the Chancel was at last dedicated at Evensong on December 17th, by the Venerable Archdeacon Hodgson. In 1902, cassocks and surplices were used for the first time, and just over a year later, in February 1903, and still under the leadership of The Revd. J.B. Pimblett a new organ was installed, but it does not appear to have been dedicated until November 3rd, when A. Moncrief was the preacher, and a recital on the instrument was given by Mr. H. Boski with Miss Gilliver and Mr. T. Borton as soloists.
"Green Heath.
From a local paper of the year 1903:
The registers are intact and extremely well preserved, and tell clearly the story of the life of the Church during the early years of the Twentieth century. The names of E. Lindop, Mus. Bac, and G. Milton Whitehouse appear as Organists, while it is recorded that the Vicar of Hednesford preached at York Minster in 1908. In 1910 the name of J. B. Pimblett ceases to appear, and there was evidently a space of nearly 10 months before the next priest, The Reverend J. H. Darby became Curate-in-Charge at Christmas. A. Trubshaw, whose name is well remembered, and whose memorial is still in the Church, seems to have done yeoman's service during the interregnum. A New Altar was used for the first time in February of the next year, the Curate in Charge was ordained Priest early in 1912, and the first Sung Eucharist was held in June of the same year.
The declaration of War between England and Germany in August 1914 is recorded in the register for that year, and a daily Celebration of the Holy Communion was inaugurated for the duration of the war. In 1915 it is re-corded that "the occupation of the camp begins", presumably on the Chase, and also later in the year that "Miss Pope, after four years' service as voluntary organist, played for the last time prior to going to be organist at the Parish Church". Her place was apparently taken by Private Reed, and new pedals were fitted to the organ shortly afterwards. And so the account of the work and witness of the Church during the War years unfolds itself. Vespers of the Dead were said for W. P. killed at the front, Holy Communion celebrated for H.C.E. on departing for France, Vespers of the Dead for Charles Edward Vassie, killed in action, services held in commemoration of the anniversaries of the declaration of War, and Days of National Prayer. The services at S. Saviour's had to be curtailed when the Revd. H.C. Thursby-Pelham left the parish as Chaplain to the Forces, and The Revd. J.H. Darby took over sole charge of Hednesford. But on November 12th, 1918, Holy Communion was celebrated as a Thanksgiving for Peace, and a service of Commemoration of the Fallen was held. So ended another chapter in the history of the Church.
There are many references to the Success which attended the Green Heath Stall at Parish Church Bazaars in various years, and in March, 1909 after the S. Saviour's Stall had raised £64 the chronicler records in the Magazine "We cherish the hope that when the time comes, as indeed it must come, for work to extend in Green Heath, our Mother Church may remember her Big Daughter at High Mount, whose house is all too small for her large family."
In September 1919 the Revd. J. Reay was instituted to the benefice of S. Peter's, Hednesford, by the Lord Bishop of Lichfield, and first preached at S. Saviour's on October 5th.
The Church Army Pilgrims visited S. Saviour's in June of 1921, and addresses were given by Sister Walker and Sister Baker. This was not, however, the first time the Church Army had visited the Church, and they were to come certainly twice more before the present day. In 1922, the Church was closed from May 8th until May 25th for cleaning and re-painting, seven years after the work of renovation had previously been carried out, and in August the same year, the erection of the Church Room was begun. In August 1923, thirteen years after he had come to the parish, The Revd. J. H. Darby was offered the benefice of S. Mark's, Ocker Hill, by the Lord Bishop of Lichfield. Thus ended a long and successful ministry at S. Saviour's, and he was instituted to his new living on the 8th of November. The Bishop of Stafford preached at Evensong in S. Saviour's on September 23rd, 1923, and in December, the name of The Revd. F. Cobb appears for the first time, and was in charge of the Church when the Venerable Archdeacon Bright made this entry in the register on October 27th, 1924.
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"I visited this Church on October 27th, accompanied by the Rural
Dean. I was met by the Vicar and the Curate-in-Charge. I am very much
pleased with the building and its furniture. Everything is in good
order and carefully kept. The Insurance Policy is inadequate and
should be considerably increased. Considering the size of the district
to which this Church ministers, the accomodation afforded is very
small, and I think the question of extension should be gone into....
carefully".
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L. W. Humphries and W. J. Roe were elected Church Wardens in 1925 and re-elected in 1926 and 1927 and were thus in office when the Lord Bishop of Lichfield, Bishop John Augustine Kempthorne, visited the Church for a service on June 13th, 1926. In 1927 the name of F. Cobb gives place to that of W.C.B. Smith, who appears to have held office until The Revd. C. Ravizotti first signed the register on October 23rd of that year. The initials "C.R." show witness to his faithful service until the end of 1929 when the Revd. J.C. Pitman was appointed to the Charge. Ordained to the Priesthood at Lent, 1931, he remained in charge of the Church until 1934, when after a space of three months, The Revd. P. G. Green came into residence as Priest-in-Charge. The figure of Our Lady stands in the Church as a memorial to Caroline Mary Pitman.
The Reverend H.H. Goodin had by this time been appointed to the living of S. Peter's, Hednesford, and his name occurs in the register from time to time. In 1935, during the curacy of the Revd. P.G. Green, a purple Pulpit Fall, given by Miss Gallatley, an Alms Bag, green Altar frontal, superfrontal, hangings, and Pulpit Fall given by Miss Marland, and Purificators given by Miss Heath, were dedicated. His place as Priest in Charge was taken early in 1937 by the Revd. R.E. Jones, and on the 15th of July in that year The Venerable Robert L. Hodson, Archdeacon of Stafford (as he then was, before his consecration as Bishop of Shrewsbury) came to dedicate the oak Reredos and Panelling. There is no mention of the declaration of the Second World War in September 1939, until the day of National Prayer in 1940, but by this time the signature of "R.E.J." has given place to that of "C.L.C." and the Revd. C. L. Chatham is installed as Priest-in-Charge. The story of the life and work of S. Saviour's during the second war in its history is much more scanty than that of the first, and there is brief mention only of Days of National Prayer, and a series of prayers on Thursday evenings with special intention for the War. A Presentation was made to The Revd. C.L. Chatham on his departure in 1942, and the name of The Revd. J. Eric Evans first appears in October of that year, on the Harvest Festival. The Church had many beautiful gifts given to it during his curacy. Special services were held in Thanksgiving for the Allied Victory in N. Africa, and on May 8th, 1945, for the end of hostilities in Europe. A considerable amount of money was raised during the war years, chiefly from Dances and Whist Drives held in the Church Hall, and laid by for the restoration and redecoration of the Church at a future date. On May 5th, 1946, there appears for the first time the signature of Frances Lafford, Vicar of Hednesford in succession to the Revd. H.H. Goodin, by now instituted to the benefice of Colton.
October 20th, 1946 was the last Sunday of the ministry of the Revd. J. Eric Evans, and November 3rd the first of that of the present Priest in Charge, the Revd. Laurence E. H. Caller. In Lent 1947, there appears the mention of a lantern in the Church, first used in 1911, in order to show a series of slides on "The Men Who Crucified Christ." Stainer's "Crucifixion" was sung in full on Good Friday of that year with E. Lewis (bass) and J. Brookes (tenor) and E. P. Baldock at the organ. On June 1st, 1947, there is a note in the register which reads "The Church Army Lichfield I Van entered the District, in charge of Sister D. Petford, to conduct a Mission," while on June 13th "an open air meeting was held in Abbey Street. The congregation of S. Saviour's undertook the work of redecorating the Van, which was formally handed back by the Vicar of Hednesford on October 16th, and received by Sister Hawes of Headquarters, the day before it left the parish of Hednesford. On November 3rd, the work of restoring the Church was begun by Mr. F. Swingewood, builder, and completed on December 6th, at a cost of just over £200. The work of decorating the building was begun immediately by Mr. T. Bullock, and finished at the beginning of February, 1948, at a similar cost, just three months after the work had been started.
Thus, for the fourth time in its life of sixty years, the Church of Saint Saviour is looking forward to the visit of a Bishop, this time to add grandeur and episcopal blessing to the celebration of the Diamond Jubilee, a Festival which will be inspired by love for the Church, and gratitude to those who have laboured, ministered and worshipped in it, for the building up of Christ's Kingdom in Green Heath.
This information was taken from the souvenir booklet
produced for the Diamond Jubilee Festival, April 1948
St. Saviour's in more recent years
St. Saviour's was considered "High Church" for many years, with many of the offices being of an Anglo-Catholic nature, the Priest-in-Charge being referred to and addressed as "Father".
The vestry and organ loft were added to the chancel during the time of Revd David Thomas, (approximately 1958) giving more space to the body of the church. Floor covering and pews were acquired from ex-RAF camp & defunct churches.
The pulpit & lecturn came from another church closure, where Father Ravizotti had been vicar, when he died.
The old church hall was a relic of the army camp of WW1, and served the church well until its replacement by the present church hall. There is a plaque in the hall which records the opening and the main instigator; Mrs Mary Harris.
Various re-organisations have taken place in recent years, including the bringing forward of the altar & altar rail; the removal of the choir stalls, first to the knave and more recently disposed of altogether.
The church was redecorated and recarpeted during the early 1990's during the time of Revd Viv Aggett who also organised the refurbishment of the organ, sadly discontinued in recent times with the introduction of a "robot organ".
This information was kindly supplied by Bill
Harvey, licensed Reader in the parish, August 2001
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It is with sadness that we note the death of Bill Harvey in December 2003. May he rest in peace |  |
Clergy at St. Saviour's.
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The Parish Mission Statement
The family of Hednesford Parish love and worship God as they care for each other and the community and actively seek to bring others to know Jesus Christ.
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