St Peter's Church was the

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

Pro-cathedral A pro-cathedral or procathedral is a parish church that temporarily serves as the cathedral or co-cathedral of a diocese, or a church that has the same function in a Catholic missionary jurisdiction (such as an apostolic prefecture or apostolic ...

and

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, ...

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

. It was erected in 1700,

consecrated Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...

on 29 Jun 1704 and demolished in 1922. It was located on Church Street. Its location is now marked by a bronze

Maltese cross The Maltese cross is a cross symbol, consisting of four " V" or arrowhead shaped concave quadrilaterals converging at a central vertex at right angles, two tips pointing outward symmetrically. It is a heraldic cross variant which developed f ...

on Church Street.

History

The first

Oratorio An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is mus ...

to be performed in Liverpool was

Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training i ...

's ''Messiah'' and was performed in St Peter's Church. On 1 July 1880,

J. C. Ryle John Charles Ryle (10 May 1816 – 10 June 1900) was an English evangelical Anglican bishop. He was the first Anglican bishop of Liverpool. Life He was the eldest son of John Ryle, private banker, of Park House, Macclesfield, M.P. for Maccles ...

was appointed as the first

Bishop of Liverpool The Bishop of Liverpool is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Liverpool in the Province of York.''Crockford's Clerical Directory'', 100th edition, (2007), Church House Publishing. . The diocese stretches from Southport in the no ...

at which point St Peter's became the pro-cathedral of Liverpool. The church was replaced as cathedral of Liverpool by the current

Liverpool Cathedral Liverpool Cathedral is the Cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of Liverpool, built on St James's Mount in Liverpool, and the seat of the Bishop of Liverpool. It may be referred to as the Cathedral Church of Christ in Liverpool (as recorded in the ...

. The church's records are stored in the Liverpool Records Office.

Architecture

The building was designed by John Moffat and was erected to the South of Church Street. The architecture of the pro-cathedral was criticised for being inconsistent; each of the doorways to the church were of different designs. The church had a single tower which measured 108 feet (33m) in height, the upper part of which was octagonal in shape and contained a peal of ten bells. The church contained an oak altar which was greatly admired. At the Eastern end was a stained glass window representing

Saint Peter Saint Peter; he, שמעון בר יונה, Šimʿōn bar Yōnāh; ar, سِمعَان بُطرُس, translit=Simʿa̅n Buṭrus; grc-gre, Πέτρος, Petros; cop, Ⲡⲉⲧⲣⲟⲥ, Petros; lat, Petrus; ar, شمعون الصفـا, Sham'un ...

and at the Western end was a large

organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...

. The environment surrounding the church was criticised for being muddy; Church Street was not paved until 1760 and was the site of a weekly cattle market.

Closure and demolition

St Peter's church marker, Church Street, Liverpool

By the early 20th century, it was felt that Liverpool deserved a more significant building as its cathedral. Construction on the new

commenced in 1904 and by 1922, St Peter's Church was obsolete. The building would be demolished, which would also allow for widening Church Street. The last service took place in the church in September 1919 before demolition commenced, which was completed on 23 October 1922. That same year, construction work in a new Woolworths store commenced, designed by William Priddle and opened in August 1923. Today, the only indications that a church was once at the site is the name of the street and a brass

set in the granite pavement, placed in the precise location of the doors of the former church.

References

Citations Sources * *

External links

Lancashire OnLine Parish Clerks
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Peter's Church, Liverpool Destroyed churches in England Demolished buildings and structures in Liverpool Churches completed in 1700 1700 establishments in England Buildings and structures demolished in 1922 1922 disestablishments in England