St Mary's Church was an

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), 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 com ...

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

, England.

History

The expanding population of Manchester, caused by the onset of the

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution, sometimes divided into the First Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution, was a transitional period of the global economy toward more widespread, efficient and stable manufacturing processes, succee ...

, led to the foundation of several new churches there during the 18th century, among which St Mary's was one. St Ann's Church had been

consecrated Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

in 1712 and was followed by St Mary's in 1756. Others, such as St John's, were constructed in the next few years. The church was sited at Parsonage Croft, an area of land between

Deansgate Deansgate is a main road (part of the A56) through Manchester City Centre, England. It runs roughly north–south in a near straight route through the western part of the city centre and is the longest road in the city centre at over one mil ...

and the

River Irwell The River Irwell ( ) is a tributary of the River Mersey in north-west England. It rises at Irwell Springs on Deerplay Moor, approximately north of Bacup and flows southwards for to meet the Mersey near Irlam Locks. The Irwell marks the bound ...

that had for centuries been the property of Manchester Collegiate Church. It was constructed by the warden and fellows of the Collegiate Church, who obtained an act of Parliament for the purpose in 1753. The foundation stone was laid in the same year and the church was consecrated in 1756,. The

living Living or The Living may refer to: Common meanings *Life, a condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic objects and dead organisms ** Living species, one that is not extinct *Personal life, the course of an individual human's life * ...

was presented by the Collegiate Church, who appointed Humphrey Owen as the first rector. The structure was a rather plain building in the Doric style and its architect received some criticism. It had a tower of around , topped with a

lantern A lantern is a source of lighting, often portable. It typically features a protective enclosure for the light sourcehistorically usually a candle, a oil lamp, wick in oil, or a thermoluminescence, thermoluminescent Gas mantle, mesh, and often a ...

comprising eight Ionic pillars on which stood a

spire A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spire ...

. This was the tallest structure in Manchester at the time and not without problems. The top of the spire was damaged in a storm in 1824 and truncated some time afterwards; in 1854, it was removed entirely. Initially within the parish of Manchester, St Mary's became a parish church in its own right on 29 March 1839. Affluent congregations generally dwindled as the centre of Manchester became increasingly a commercial area. The last regular service at the church was held in December 1887 and it was closed after a service on 4 October 1890, when the extent of dilapidation was such that the last rector, Richard Tonge, had to pause his service temporarily because the copy of the Bible that he was using was missing some pages. The building was demolished in 1891 and the adjacent Parsonage House, once home to Thomas La Warr, suffered a similar fate in 1897. The site of the two buildings is now an open space and designated

conservation area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewoo ...

in the city, known as Parsonage Gardens. Some of the church plate, including some

chalice A chalice (from Latin 'cup', taken from the Ancient Greek () 'cup') is a drinking cup raised on a stem with a foot or base. Although it is a technical archaeological term, in modern parlance the word is now used almost exclusively for the ...

paten A paten or diskos is a small plate used for the celebration of the Eucharist (as in a mass). It is generally used during the liturgy itself, while the reserved sacrament are stored in the tabernacle in a ciborium. Western usage In many Wes ...

s and an almsdish, was transferred to St Ann's.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Mary's Church, Manchester Churches in Manchester 1756 establishments in England 1890 disestablishments in England Former buildings and structures in Manchester

18th-century Church of England church buildings Buildings and structures demolished in 1891

History

See also

References