An article from the Wolverhampton Chronicle, Wednesday, 17th September, 1879 describing the new church and school, and the stone laying ceremony

On Saturday last, the foundation stone for the proposed new church of St. Stephen was laid in Springfields, Wolverhampton. At present the congregation worship in an iron building, which was erected during the time the Rev. J. Kitchingman was vicar of St. Mary's, which parish comprises the district of Springfields. The iron building has latterly become in a bad state of repair, and the worshippers occasionally suffer inconvenience from this cause.

Since the building was provided, the population in that locality has greatly increased, and being situated near to the land provided by the Corporation for the erection of artisan’s dwellings in place of those to be demolished in the centre of the town. Under the improvement scheme, it is anticipated that the population soon be largely augmented.

The iron building is in Grimstone Street, just below Messrs. Butler's brewery, in the direction of the Cannock Road, and the site of the new church is on the south side of the present one. The land was given by the Rev. J. Mitchell, formerly curate-in-charge of the parish, but is now abroad as a missionary, and he also contributed £100 towards the building fund. The Duke of Cleveland has likewise given £100, and £50 has been contributed by the Rev. E. Samson of Brereton, near Rugeley. The sum of £200 has been obtained from different ecclesiastical societies, and another £300 raised in various ways. Altogether about £700 have been given and promised, and to provide the balance between the amount and £1,150 (the estimated cost of the new church) arrangements are in progress for holding a bazaar next spring.

Moreover, the Rev. W. M. Edwards, the curate-in-charge, is working with earnest zeal in the matter with members of the congregation in obtaining donations to the fund. Saturday afternoon was selected for the ceremony of laying the foundation stone, as being the most suitable time for the attendance of artisans, who comprise a very large proportion of the inhabitants of that locality, though unfortunately, owing to the inclemency of the weather, there was only a limited attendance.

Mr. Robert P. Walker, whose firm (Danks and Walker) are among the largest employers of labour in St. Mary' s parish, had accepted the invitation to lay the stone. A heavy shower of rain descended the whole of the time the company were assembled to witness the ceremony. The Rev. W. J. Frere (vicar) and the following clergy assembled at the vestry:-

The Revs. W. M. Edwards; W. J. Price; L. H. Evans (St. Peter's), O. J. Dunn (St. James's);
E. Gloven and G. A. Blair (Christ Church, Wolverhampton); T. Roper (Holy Trinity, Smethwick); and R. N. Churchton (St. John's, West Bromwich), the latter and also the curate-in-charge wearing birettas.

The clergy and choir having formed in procession, preceded by a cross-bearer, then walked to the site of the new building, where they were joined by the Revs. J. T. Jeffcock (rector of St. Peter's) and Thomas Ridsdell of Sedgley. A short form of service, special for the occasion, having been gone through, Mr. Fleeming, the architect, presented Mr. Walker with a silver trowel, with ivory handle, enclosed in a neat morocco case, for the purpose of laying the stone, and a mallet and level was at the same time handed to him by Mr. George, Higham (of the firm of Messrs. G. and F. Higham, the builders). Beneath the stone was a cavity containing a glass bottle, with copies of local newspapers.

The ceremony of laying the stone having been well and duly performed, Mr. Walker then addressed those present. He said it was due to the building committee and also to the vicar, who had done him the honour of inviting him to lay the foundation stone that he should say a few words, though he should not detain them long because of the unpropitious state of the weather.

He wished to say that very great credit was due to the vicar and committee for venturing to erect such a building as that which had been commenced. There were many churchmen in Wolverhampton who seemed to think that the time had come when the Church of England should no longer build schools for the purpose of educating the children of this country. He did not believe that himself, and he was quite sure it was not the opinion either of the vicar of that parish or of the gentlemen who formed the building committee - (hear, hear).

He thought the time had not come when it would be prudent to hand over the entire education of the children to the School Boards, and for this reason: School Boards, he must say, gave a first-rate secular education, but owing to the divisions among the members of such Boards on religious questions they were not quite so unanimous on the kind of religious instruction that should be given in the Board Schools.

The Church of England had spent enormous sums of money in the past, and devoted great energy in building and carrying on schools for the education of children, because she thought they required religious as well as secular instruction. Moreover, she considered a secular education only be comparatively worthless. Therefore, he was glad to think there was still a body of men who were willing to make great exertions in order to erect schools like those which were to be built in that locality. He thought for those exertions it behoved the people living in the parish to support the schools, because the children would not only get a first class secular education, but they would also receive what was more important - viz. a first rate religious education - (hear, hear).

Therefore, he thought the people of that neighbourhood could not do better than support the new schools when finished, and cause them to be filled with their children. There were a great many houses being erected in that district, and he supposed the number would, after a while, be increased by three or four times; consequently there would be a larger population around there. This being so, there ought to be no lack of children to fill the schools, indeed, he hoped the attendance of children at them would be so good that the schools would soon have to be enlarged. There was another feature in connection with the laying of that foundation stone. In addition to the new building being used for a school, it would also be used for the worship of Almighty God. The time would come, he hoped, when they would require a better and larger place of worship.

If parents thought it necessary and wise to send their children to those schools in order that they might obtain religious instruction, he should say they would deem it still more important to set a good example to their children by attending public worship. He was not going to dictate to them as to where they should go for divine worship, but he would tell them that they could not do better than attend the worship of God in the Church of England. He did not want to say one word against any other body of Christians, who, he believed, were doing their best to induce the people to love their God, but being a Churchman himself he did not think there was anything that could excel the services of the Church of England, and they would find everything in them necessary to lead them to salvation.

He hoped everyone around attended some place of worship, but he would not promise that by doing so it would remove many of this world's evils out of their way, though he would tell them that by loving their Saviour they would be able to bear the evils and difficulties of this world much better. Therefore, he hoped the inhabitants of that locality would encourage the clergy of the parish by attending the services at the new church, for all the seats would be free - (hear, hear) - which he considered was the proper course to adopt in all new churches. He thought the seats should all be free, and for it to be left to the liberality of those who attended the services to provide the necessary funds for carrying on the work of the church.

In conclusion, Mr. Walker said he thought there was great credit due to Mr. Frere and the committee for undertaking to erect that new church. He wished them every success in the work, and hoped it would be beneficial to all around – (hear, hear). A collection was then made on behalf of the building fund, which realised the sum of £6.2s.3d., after which the clergy and choir and others present walked back to the iron church, where evensong was held.

The following is a description of the intended new building:-

The new school-church will be 80 feet long by 27 feet wide, the side walls 17 feet. high, and the total height to ceiling 25 feet. The chancel is formed by partitioning off a part of the building at the east end by a screen, which will by a simple arrangement of curtains or shutters, be effectually cut off from the schoolroom during the week. The steps up into this part will also be used as a gallery for the younger children in the school. An additional room, 17 ft, by 14 ft will be placed at the south west corner, to be used as a vestry on Sundays, with access to the entrance lobby, and as a classroom on week days, opening direct into the schoolroom. The room will be lighted by a row of windows in both side walls, the sills of which are kept 9ft. 6in. above the floor. This will admit of plenty of ventilation without draught, and leave the wall space clear for suitable pictures or illustrations. A large window will be placed in the west gable over the entrance lobby, while the east end will be left plain, so as to admit future decorations or hangings. All the walls are faced externally and internally with patent pressed red bricks, relieved by moulded and white brick bands, no stone whatever being used except for the sills under the windows. The floors throughout are boarded, and the principal timbers of the roof will be wrought, stained and varnished. A simple bell turret will be placed on the west gable, and the roof will be covered with tiles. The tile cresting over the chancel will be ornamental, so as to distinguish it externally from the main school, and this, together with the introduction of cathedral-tinted glazing to the windows, and a simple ornament in the roof timbers, will give a more ecclesiastical character to this part. The work is being carried out by Messrs. G. and P. Higham, builders, at a cost of about £1,500, from the designs and under the superintendence of Mr. T. H. Fleeming, architect, all of this town.