History
For centuries, Acocks Green was part of the Parish of Yardley, however the population had expanded throughout the 19th century, with the middle classes moving out of the town, and demand came for a separate parish church. The church was the outcome of meetings of local people in 1864. The site was given by Yardley Charity Trustees, and John Field Swinburn gave an endowment of £1,000, equivalent to £51,500 today. The foundation stone was laid on 13 October 1864 and, on 17 October 1866, a portion of the nave and two aisles were consecrated.Byrne p. 113 The church was a chapel-of-ease to St. Edburgha's, Yardley until 1867, when a parish was created. The church, designed in 1864 by J. G. Bland, was originally intended to have a tower and spire at the southwest corner. In 1894, a chancel, designed byPlan of the church
St Mary's Church has a typical three-cell arrangement of aisled nave, chancel and sanctuary. It is conventionally orientated, with the altar towards the east. It is built in aNave
Beneath the rose window on the west wall, there is a memorial to John Field Swinburn, the church benefactor. The nave is separated from the aisles by five arches with contrasting red and yellow stonework supported by columns ending in Corinthian capitals decorated with acanthus leaves of 13th century design. Bomb damage inflicted in December 1940 still remains. In old photographs, contrasting geometric patterns can be seen on the brickwork between the arches, but these are now painted white. Separating the nave from the chancel is the arch again constructed from contrasting red and yellow stonework. The roof trusses are wooden. The aisles contain windows based on 13th century geometric designs. These developed from earlier narrowChancel
The chancel has a wooden barrel vaulted ceiling, the trusses supported byVicars
*1867-1890 Frederick Thomas Swinburn, D.D. *1890-1907 James Alexander Balleine, M.A. *1907-1913 Llewellyn Theodore Dodd, M.A. *1913-1919 Percy Edward Lord, M.A. *1919-1925 Reginald William Dawson Stephenson, M.A. *1925-1931 George Herbert Harris, M.A. *1931-1953 Philip James Kelly, M.A. *1953-1970 Charles Herbert Iball, B.A. *1970-1979 Bert Tabraham *1980-1986 Joe Evans *1986-2002 Rev Canon Richard Postill *2002-2003 Interregnum *2003–2022 Revd. Andrew BullockChurchyard memorials
The churchyard is entered from the Warwick Road by way of a lychgate or Corpse gate. Historically, at the lychgate, the coffin was rested on a wooden or stone table while the priest said part of the burial service. It bears the carved legend: ''Enter into his altar with thanksgiving''. The graveyard contains some interesting memorials to the Victorian parish population, particularly those on the west side of the graveyard, which faces Warwick Road. A list of names of Monumental Inscriptions is published here by kind permission of the Birmingham and Midland Society for Genealogy and Heraldry. One of the tombs here is that of Charles Rabone who lived at Stockfield House, a large house which occupied the site just above where Douglas Road joins Stockfield Road, now occupied by a Bingo Hall. The 1881 census records him as a farmer and maltster, farming and employing six men. Here also is the grave of Dr. Cordley Bradford, churchwarden for 25 years who died on 8 December 1931, aged 82, and that of Thomas Kiss, a grocer on the Warwick Road. The large granite column surmounted by an urn with funereal draperies is to Emily Palmer, wife of Thomas Palmer, who died in 1885 aged 35. Thomas died three years later aged 42. There are also four Commonwealth War Graves Commission graves; each marked by the distinctive, simple and dignified headstone, to casualties of World War II in the cemetery.Sydney Basil Barber
In the north part of the cemetery is the grave of Sydney Basil Barber, Sergeant (Flt. Engr.) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve serving with 460 (R.A.A.F.) Sqdn. He was the 35-year-old son of Annie Barber; husband of Gladys May Barber, of Acock's Green, Birmingham, who died on 09/04/1944.Gordon Grant Helm
On the south side, there is the grave of Staff Sgt. Gordon Grant Helm, Royal Army Pay Corps. He was the 26-year-old son of William Frederick and Ethel Victoria Helm, of Acocks Green, and husband of Betsy May Helm, of Elmdon HeathVernon Leslie Priest
On the north side, is the grave of Aircraftman 1st Class, Vernon Leslie Priest,Albert Thomas Rew
In the west side is the grave of Lance Corporal Albert Thomas Rew of D Coy. 4th Bn, Royal Sussex Regiment. He was the 24-year-old son of David and L. Rew, of 266, Wharfdale Rd., Tyseley, Birmingham. He died on 24 February 1919.Wilfred Eric Wright
Also on the west side of the churchyard is the grave of Captain Wilfred Eric Wright, 5th Btn South Staffordshire Regt. who, though listed on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission site, lies beneath a private memorial with a stone cross bearing the Regimental badge of South Staffordshire Regiment. He was born in 1894 and died of wounds on 3 November 1918. He was the sixth son of Frank Wright, a button maker, and Alice Wright. He originally arrived in France on 2 March 1915 as a lieutenant and was made captain on 1 June 1916. He was wounded at Vermelles on 13 October 1915 during the attacks made by the Territorial Battalions of the North and South Staffordshire Regt. as part of the Battle of Loos. A medical report shows that he was wounded in three places: # A superficial wound to the left front of his head and ear # A flesh wound of the left forearm # A wound of the left leg the bullet passing through the calf. These wounds were classed as 'Severe' but did not attract a gratuity. He attended various medical boards whilst recuperating at home, and, although the head and arm wounds healed quickly, his leg did not, and was always weak. On 30 June 1917, a medical board declared him to be unfit for general service, as he could not march for long. He was, however, considered to be fit for duties behind the lines and was appointed as a Railway Transport Officer on 19 July 1917, before being returned to France. During the early morning of 11 August 1918, he was on duty at Heilly Station near Amiens supervising the loading of mules onto a train when one escaped, and in attempting to avoid it he fell into a disused gun-pit. He suffered a contusion of his right thigh with haemorrhage of lissures. He returned to England on the St Patrick travelling from Rouen to Southampton and returned home. He subsequently died of pneumonia at Scarborough on 3 November 1918, widowing Mrs. Marjorie Claire Wright of Westleigh, Acocks Green. She was sent a gratuity and backdated pay of £333.5s.0d. and, on 20 February 1920 received the memorial scroll and plaque for those who died.National Archive WO/374Organ
The original organ by Nicholson in 1905 was damaged in the Second World War; its specifications can be found here on thList of organists
*References
Sources
*'Religious History: Churches built since 1800', ''A History of the County of Warwick'': Volume 7: The City of Birmingham (1964), para 93. St, Mary the Virgin, Acock's Green pp. 379–396. * Acocks Green, the archive photographs series, Compiled by Michael Byrne. Chalford Publishing 1997 * Acocks Green, "Yesterdays Warwickshire Series No 8", John Marks * ''How to Study an Old Church'', A. Needham, FRSA, AMC, Batsford 1944 * National Archive WO/374 Service Record of Capt. Wilfred Eric Wright {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Mary the Virgin, Acocks Green Churches completed in 1868 19th-century Church of England church buildings