St Jude's Church, Birmingham was a

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

in the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

History

The parish was formed in August 1846 from parts of the parishes of

St Martin in the Bull Ring St Martin in the Bull Ring is a Church of England parish church in the city of Birmingham, West Midlands, England. It is the original parish church of Birmingham and stands between the Bull Ring Shopping Centre and the markets. The church is ...

and St Philip's. Building of the church started in Hill Street in 1850 when

Henry Pepys Henry Pepys (; 18 April 1783 – 13 November 1860) was the Church of England Bishop of Sodor and Man in 1840–1841 and of Worcester in 1841–1860. He gave generously to the Three Choirs Festival, held in Worcester every third year. His daughter ...

Bishop of Worcester A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

laid the foundation stone on 14 August. He subsequently consecrated the church on 26 July 1851. The building was of brick in the Early English style designed by Orford and Nash, consisting of chancel, nave and aisles. In 1861, the church opened St Jude's Schools, also on Hill Street. A restoration project was undertaken in 1879. In 1905, the

Society of the Precious Blood The Society of the Precious Blood is an Anglican religious order of contemplative sisters with convents in England, Lesotho and South Africa. The sisters follow the Rule of St Augustine. History The Order dates its history from 1905 when Mother ...

was started when Mother Millicent Mary SPB (formerly Millicent Taylor) took her vows in the church. Depopulation of the city centre resulted in declining attendance. The church eventually closed and was subsequently demolished in 1971. The site on Hill Street is now occupied by the Birmingham Conference and Events Centre, built in 1975.

Organ

The church was equipped with a pipe organ by

Edward James Bossward Edward James Bossward (1825 – 18 September 1883) was an English organ builder based in Birmingham. Life He was born in Hayes in 1825 and baptised on 22 May 1825, the son of Thomas Bossward and Jane Collinridge. He married Eliza Gisborne in 18 ...

dating from 1867. It was opened on 19 May 1867 and had 13 stops. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register. For over 40 years, until the church closed in 1971, the organist was Lawrence Briggs, grandfather of the organist and composer David Briggs.David Briggs - Biography
Accessed on 24 November 2021. Upon closure, the organ was transferred to

Clayesmore School Clayesmore School is an independent school for boys and girls, aged 2 – 18 years, in the village of Iwerne Minster, Dorset, England. It is both a day and boarding school and is a member of The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HM ...

in Dorset, and then moved to

St Michael and All Angels Church, Exeter St Michael and All Angels Church, on Mount Dinham in Exeter is an Anglican church in Devon, England. It is a Grade I listed building. The church is Anglo-Catholic in tradition. The building in is the early Gothic style and was built to the desig ...

in 2013.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Birmingham Church of England church buildings in Birmingham, West Midlands Churches completed in 1851 Jude 1846 establishments in England Buildings and structures demolished in 1971