The Growth of the Catholic
Community in Wolverhampton (part 2)
Bishop Milner and the
building of Ss Peter and Paul's church
In 1804, Wolverhampton became the headquarters of the midland District
of the Roman Catholic Church in England when the newly appointed Vicar
Apostolic, John Milner, moved from Longbirch to take up residence in
Giffard House. The Midland District stretched from the Welsh border to
East Anglia, spanning some 15 counties, where the spiritual needs of
15,000 Catholics were administered by 100 priests. [ibid]
Brass memorial to Bishop
Milner in Ss Peter
and Paul's church. |
The Catholic population of Wolverhampton continued
to grow steadily during the latter part of the eighteenth, and first
quarter of the nineteenth centuries. In fact, from a group of 346 in
1767 [Staffordshire Papist Return for 1767 [1977], the number of
recusants had almost doubled by the time of Milner's death in April
1826. [Rowlands op cit] The Bishop had been aware of the need to
extend the Wolverhampton chapel, but it was not until 1828 that this
aim was realized.
On Thursday 8 may 1828, the new Catholic chapel,
dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Paul, was officially opened by
the celebration of High Mass, which was attended by approximately 60
priests and by a congregation "composed of many of the most
respectable inhabitants of the town and neighbourhood, who though
differing from them [the Catholics] on points of doctrinal faith
could not fail to be deeply impressed with the solemnity of the
ceremonies they witnessed .... [Wolverhampton Chronicle [hereafter
WC] 14 May 1828] |
This was not a completely new church but a nave, measuring 92 feet by
24 feet, and two transepts, built on to the existing house. The erection
of this chapel, however, with its 636 sittings - and the interest shown
at its opening by non-Catholics in the locality, indicate that the
Catholic community was experiencing both a steady growth in numbers and
increasing general acceptance in the town at this time.
In its first full year of operation, the rented pews of the
Wolverhampton chapel yielded an income of £78-16-4 1/2 d, a figure which
increased by 22 per cent in the following year to £96-11-1 1/2 d. In
addition, the weekly collections were averaging £7 by 1830, while the
priest, Rev W. Benson, was drawing an annual salary of £120. [Accounts
for Wolverhampton Chapel 29th Sept 1830] To help pay for the
stipends of the ministers, foundations had been made, notably that of
Henry Arundel for £600 towards the first priest, which gave an annual
return of £24 interest. Bishop Giffard's endowment of £700 towards the
second priest produced an annual yield of only £21. [Letter from Cannon
Estcourt to Bishop Ullathorne 28th Oct 1864] The reliance on
the clergy to provide finance for church building can be seen from an
examination of the list of subscribers to the chapel. The largest
donations from the laity had been made by Mr Marsh [£50], Mr. Bamish
[£15], and Mr Gibbons [£15], while Rev Benson had subscribed £100 [List
of Subscribers to the Wolverhampton Chapel 1830] and Bishop Milner
£1,000. [WC 14th May 1828].
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