The First
Church
Springfield formed part of the
Parish of St. Mary’s. The parish church stood on
Stafford Street until the ring road development of the
late 1960s. Even before the larger areas of housing were
built, the vicar, the Rev. J. Kitchingman and no doubt
the leading members of the congregation decided that
something needed to be done to satisfy the spiritual
needs of the growing Springfield population, especially
those of the children. As a result a Sunday school was
set up in the workshop of coffin maker, Mr. William
Jones, at his house in Field Street, in 1872.
By October of that year plans were
already in hand to build a church at Springfield and
fund raising began. On Thursday 31st October,
and on the two following days, a fund-raising bazaar was
held by St. Mary’s at the Exchange Building that stood
in Exchange Street opposite the retail market hall. The
Mayor, Joseph Ford opened the proceedings, which were
attended by several prominent members of local society
including Major Monckton and his family, and Mrs
Thorneycroft and her daughters from Wrottesley Hall.
There were six stalls in the
bazaar, one of which, described as the “Springfields
stall” displayed items that were provided by the
Springfield inhabitants. The entrance fee was reduced to
sixpence on the last day so that the less well-off could
attend.
A total of £370 was raised, and on
Thursday 27th March, 1873 a temporary church
made of corrugated iron and fitted internally with
varnished woodwork opened in Grimstone Street.
The Bishop of Lichfield opened the church which
seated 300 people and became known as St. Stephen’s Iron
Church. Although a further £130 still had to be raised
towards the £500 construction cost, this seems to have
quickly been done, because by the following year enough
money had been raised to purchase more land on which to
build a permanent church. |