St Martin in the Bull Ring is a

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 Brit ...

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 city of

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 We ...

, West Midlands, England. It is the original parish church of Birmingham and stands between the

Bull Ring Shopping Centre The Bull Ring is a major shopping area in central Birmingham England, and has been an important feature of Birmingham since the Middle Ages, when its market was first held. Two shopping centres have been built in the area; in the 1960s, and the ...

and the markets. The

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chri ...

is a

Grade II* listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Ir ...

. The current rector is Jeremy Allcock.

History

Original church

The present Victorian church was built on the site of a 13th-century predecessor, which was documented in 1263. The church was enlarged in medieval times and the resulting structure consisted of a lofty nave and chancel, north and south aisles and a northwest tower with spire. Although no record indicates when the first clock appeared in Birmingham, in 1547 the King's Commissioners reported that the Guild of the Holy Cross were responsible "ffor keeping the Clocke and the Chyme" at a cost of four shillings and four pence a year at St Martin's Church. The next recorded mention of a clock is in 1613. The earliest known clock makers in the town arrived in 1667 from London. In 1690, the churchwardens "dressed the church in brick". All was cased in brick with the exception of the spire. St Martin in the Bull Ring circa 1809

John Cheshire rebuilt 40 feet of the spire in 1781, which was strengthened by an iron spindle running up its centre for a length of 105 feet. It was secured to the sidewalls at every ten feet by braces. In 1801, several metres from the top of the spire were replaced after they were found to have decayed. The tops of the four pinnacles surrounding the main spire were also rebuilt. By 1808, the spire had been struck by lightning three times. In 1853, the brick casing was removed from the tower by

Philip Charles Hardwick Philip Charles Hardwick ( London 1822–1892) was an English architect. Life Philip Charles Hardwick was born in Westminster in London, the son of the architect Philip Hardwick (1792–1870) and grandson of architect Thomas Hardwick (junior) ...

, who added the open-air pulpit. The church also contained an organ, the reedwork of which had been done by

John Snetzler John Snetzler (or Schnetzler) was an organ builder of Swiss origin, who worked mostly in England. Born in Schaffhausen in 1710, he trained with the firm of Egedacher in Passau and came to London about 1741. When he retired in 1781, his business ...

. However, the pipes were found to be ineffective due to their proximity to the church roof and walls. In 1875,

John Thackray Bunce John Thackray Bunce (11 April 1828 – 28 June 1899) was a British journalist and author. He served as editor of '' Aris's Birmingham Gazette'' from 1860 to 1862, and of the ''Birmingham Post'' from 1862 to 1898. Early years Bunce was bo ...

published a book, ''History of Old St. Martin's, Birmingham'', illustrated with paintings by Allen Edward Everitt.

Current church

In 1873, the church was demolished and rebuilt by architect J. A. Chatwin, preserving the earlier tower and spire. During the demolition, medieval wall paintings and decorations were discovered in the chancel, including one showing the charity of St Martin dividing his cloak with a beggar. Two painted beams were also found behind the plaster ceiling. The exterior is built of rockfaced

Grinshill Grinshill is a small village, and civil parish in Shropshire, England, United Kingdom. The parish is one of the smallest in the district. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 274. Grinshill Hill rises above the village to ...

stone. The interior is of sandstone with an open timber roof, which shows the influence of the great hammerbeam roof of

Westminster Hall The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parli ...

. The beams are decorated with fine tracery and end in large carvings of angels. The roof weighs 93 tons (94.5 tonnes), spans 22 ft (6.7m) over the 100 ft (30.4m) long nave and is 60 ft (18.2m) high.''St. Martin's in the Bull Ring''. Published by English Life Publications Ltd, 1991. The Victorian floor tiles are by Minton and display the quartered arms of the

de Bermingham The de Birmingham family (or de Bermingham) held the lordship of the manor of Birmingham in England for four hundred years and managed its growth from a small village into a thriving market town. They also assisted in the invasion of Ireland ...

family.

Dimensions

From east to west the length of the church is , including the chancel, the arch of which rises to ; the width, including nave () and north and south aisles, is ; at the transepts the width is .

Windows

The South Transept has a Burne-Jones window, made by

William Morris William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was a British textile designer, poet, artist, novelist, architectural conservationist, printer, translator and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts Movement. He w ...

in 1875. This window was taken down for safe keeping the day before a

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

bomb dropped beside the church on 10 April 1941, destroying all remaining windows.''St. Martin's in the Bull Ring'', Church Guide, 1991, The West window is a 1954 copy of the

Henry Hardman Sir Henry Hardman, KCB (15 December 1905 – 17 January 2001) was an English civil servant and, briefly, an academic economist. Early life Hardman was born in December 1905, the son of Harry Hardman of Old Trafford, Manchester, and Bertha Cook ...

1875 window destroyed in

the Blitz The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term , the German word meaning 'lightning war'. The Germa ...

. File:West Window, St Martin's in the Bull Ring.jpg, West window by Hardman ca. 1954 File:East Window, St Martin's in the Bull Ring.jpg, East window by Hardman ca. 1954 File:South transept window, St Martin in the Bull Ring.jpg, South transept window designed by Burne-Jones, made by Morris & Co. File:North chapel east window, St Martin's in the Bull Ring.jpg, North chapel east window by Henry William Harvey 1956 File:South chapel east window, St Martin's in the Bull Ring.jpg, South chapel east window by Henry William Harvey 1958 File:South aisle westernmost window, St Martin's in the Bull Ring.jpg, South aisle westernmost window by

Lawrence Lee Lawrence Stanley Lee (18 September 1909 – 25 April 2011) was a British stained glass artist whose work spanned the latter half of the 20th century. He was best known for leading the project to create ten windows for the nave of t ...

1980

Gallery

File:St Martins In The Bullring.jpg, The nave 2016 File:St Martins In The Bullring The Burne Jones Window.jpg, The Burne Jones Window File:St Martin's church, Birmingham by Allen Edward Everitt - 06.jpg, The old, brick-clad, church, immediately prior to demolition, depicted by Allen Edward Everitt in 1875 File:St Martin's church, Birmingham by Allen Edward Everitt - 07.jpg, Wall painting, depicted by Everitt File:St Martins church and Bullring -Birmingham -England.jpg, The cleaned church, next to Selfridges File:St Martins Birmingham external pulpit.jpg, External pulpit File:The nave and chancel looking east, St Martin's in the Bull Ring.jpg, Nave and chancel from the east end File:High altar, St Martin's in the Bull Ring.jpg, High altar

Parish

The parish of St Martin’s was extensive, covering a large portion of modern Birmingham. As new churches were constructed, parts of the parish were reassigned as follows:

List of clergy

Bells

There were four bells in 1552, together with a clock and chime. Six bells were put up in 1682. It is known that in 1745 when

John Wesley John Wesley (; 2 March 1791) was an English cleric, theologian, and evangelist who was a leader of a revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The societies he founded became the dominant form of the independent Meth ...

preached in the Bull Ring the bells were rung in an attempt to drown his voice. In July 1758 the eight bells were replaced by a new peal of ten, tenor weight 35 long cwt (1778 kg), cast by the

Whitechapel Bell Foundry The Whitechapel Bell Foundry was a business in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. At the time of the closure of its Whitechapel premises, it was the oldest manufacturing company in Great Britain. The bell foundry primarily made church bells ...

. These were subsequently augmented to twelve in 1772. The first broadcast of church bells change ringing was of St Martin's.''St. Martin's in the Bull Ring – a story of seven centuries'', Rev Philip Crowe, 1975 This was broadcast before a Sunday evening service in May 1924. The bells were recast in 1928 and an additional semitone bell was added in 1953. The frame in which the bells were rehung dated from 1869 and trouble with the frame led to a scheme of total renovation in 1991. A new peal of sixteen

bells Bells may refer to: * Bell, a musical instrument Places * Bells, North Carolina * Bells, Tennessee * Bells, Texas * Bells Beach, Victoria, an internationally famous surf beach in Australia * Bells Corners, Ontario Music * Bells, directly st ...

(tenor weight ) hung for

ringing Ringing may mean: Vibrations * Ringing (signal), unwanted oscillation of a signal, leading to ringing artifacts * Vibration of a harmonic oscillator ** Bell ringing * Ringing (telephony), the sound of a telephone bell * Ringing (medicine), a ring ...

was installed, being the first time more than twelve bells had been installed as a change ringing instrument. Sixteen is an unusual number, five, six, eight, ten or at the most twelve would be typical: in 2008 only three rings of sixteen exist in the world.

Organ

The Guild of the Holy Cross at St. Martin's Church provided for an organist before the

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

. The church was presumably without an organ from the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I (" Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of r ...

as the churchwardens accounts read: An organ was duly erected by 1725 and the case was by

Thomas Swarbrick Thomas Swarbrick (c. 1675 – c. 1753) (sometime Schwarbrook) was an organ builder active in England in the eighteenth century. History He learned his trade as an apprentice to the famous builder Renatus Harris. He appears to be working on ...

. This organ was removed or replaced in 1822. The case was then transferred to St. Alphege's Church, Solihull by Rev Charles Curtis who was Rector of St. Martin's and Rector of St. Alphege, Solihull. In 1822 a new organ was installed by Thomas Elliot The organ was extended in 1855 by William Hill who provided pedal pipes of 2 octaves and 2 notes. He also revoiced the reeds and open diapason in the swell, and extended the swell organ to tenor c, enclosing it in a new Venetian swell-box. This organ was rebuilt by John Banfield & Son in 1875 and renovated and enlarged to 3 manuals and 40 stops by Banfield in 1883. In 1906 this was sold to

St John's Church, Deritend St John's Church, Deritend was a parish church in the Church of England in Birmingham, which stood from 1735 until it was demolished in 1947. History A church was established in 1380 when the villagers in Deritend were given the right to build ...

. The current pipe organ is by Harrison & Harrison and dates from 1906. Originally it was a three manual instrument on the north side of the chancel but in 1955 it was re-built as a four manual organ and moved to the north transept by John Compton. The opening recital was given by

George Thalben-Ball Sir George Thomas Thalben-Ball (18 June 1896 – 18 January 1987) was an Australian organist and composer who spent almost all his life in England. Early life George Thomas Ball (he later took the additional name of "Thalben") was born in Sydn ...

on 30 March 1955. The specification of the organ can be found at th
National Pipe Organ Register
Since around 2004, St Martin's has abandoned the use of the organ for the Sunday 11.00am Service (now called The Crossing service; a Music in Worship Group leads the Service). It is still played at the Sunday 9.30am Holy Communion and for 6.00pm Choral Services.

Organists

* Barnabas Gunn 1740 – 1753 (jointly with St. Philip's) * Richard Hobbs 1753 – 1771 (From St Martin's Church, Leicester) * Joseph Harris 1771 – 1802 (formerly organist of

St Laurence Church, Ludlow St Laurence's Church, Ludlow, is a Church of England parish church in Ludlow, Shropshire, England. It is a grade I listed building. The church is a member of the Greater Churches Group and is the largest parish church in Shropshire. It was one ...

) * William Bodell Taylor *

James Stimpson James Stimpson (29 February 1820 – 4 October 1886) was a British cathedral organist and Birmingham City Organist. Early life He was born in Lincoln, England, on 29 February 1820, the son of William Stimpson and Rebecca Dannett. William was la ...

1851 – 1857 * Walter Brooks 1857 – 1900 (formerly organist of St. Mary's Church, Atherstone) *

Williamson John Reynolds Dr. Williamson John Reynolds (b. 22 October 1861 d. 1922) was an English organist and composer. Education He was born on 22 October 1861 in Kentish Town, London. He was educated at Compton Place Road New College in Eastbourne, Sussex. He gradua ...

1900 – 1920 (formerly organist of

St Michael, Cornhill St Michael, Cornhill, is a medieval parish church in the City of London with pre- Norman Conquest parochial foundation. It lies in the ward of Cornhill. The medieval structure was lost in the Great Fire of London, and replaced by the present ...

, afterwards organist of

Church of the Holy Trinity, Stratford-upon-Avon The Collegiate Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, Stratford-upon-Avon, is a Grade I listed parish church of the Church of England in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. It is often known simply as Holy Trinity Church or as Shak ...

) * Richard Wassell 1920 – 1942 (afterwards organist of St. Alphege's Church, Solihull) *

Henry William Stubbington Henry William Stubbington FRCO LRAM ARCM LTCL (b. 1891) was an organist and composer based in England. Life He was born in Upham in Hampshire in 1891, the son of Edward Stubbington and Eliza Jane. He was educated at Durham University. He was d ...

1942 – 1947''Who's Who in Music''. First Post-war Edition: 1949/50 London: Shaw Publishing Co. Ltd. * Norman Blake 1947–1949 (also Director of Music, Handsworth Grammar School) * Geoffrey Fletcher ARCO 1949 -1982 (also Director of Music, George Dixon Grammar School) * David Griffiths 1982 – 1985 (also Director of Music,

King Edward VI Five Ways School King Edward VI Five Ways (KEFW) is a highly selective co-educational state grammar school for ages 11–18 in Bartley Green, Birmingham, England. One of the seven establishments of the Foundation of the Schools of King Edward VI, it is a volun ...

) * Richard Wardell 1986 – 1997 * Peter Churchill 1991 – 1997

References

External links

Church of St Martin in the Bull RingBirmingham City Council page on the churchBellringing at St Martin's in the Bull Ring
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Martin In The Bull Ring Grade II* listed buildings in Birmingham

Rebuilt churches in the United Kingdom Churches completed in 1873 19th-century Church of England church buildings