| Church & Parish, Parish Records |
Most of the Parish records are now in the care of the County Council. Anyone can access these at the Family History Centre in the Trinity. We hope on this page to present some of the more important items.
Rearrangement of the ParishAt the turn of the 19th century, a decision was taken that a new Parish church should be built in London Road. The new church, which would be dedicated to St. Martin, seemed to spell the end of the church of St. Martin in the Corn Market. But things didn't quite work out like that. The new church was built as planned but, instead of heralding the end for the church in the Corn Market, the Parish was re-arranged and re-distributed. With the opening of the new church on London Road, the Corn Market church became known as "Old St. Martin's" assumed the role of a Chapel of Ease to St. Swithun's. The entries below are taken from St. Martin's Parish Records and tell the story of those years.Note 1It is here put on record that the changes in the Parish, by which with the Bishop's consent and the approval of the Dean & Chapter, the Patrons, the provision of the scheme promulgated by Commissioners, at the instigation of Bishop Perowne, was anticipated by arrangement with the Rector of St. Swithun's.By this charge the town part of the Parish is practically though not as yet legally transferred to St. Swithun's and the Parochial centre practically, though not as yet legally transferred to the temporary church in Victoria Avenue, London Road, pending the erection of the new permanent Parish Church. Robert R. Needham, Easter 1904 Note 2It is here put on record that the foundation stone of the new Parish Church of St. Martin was laid by the Countess Beauchamp on October 9th, 1909 on a site at the juncture of London Road and Victoria Avenue, The Lord Bishop of the Diocese being present.Chas. Howard Gough, Rector Francis Barnitt William M Neal Churchwardens Note 3It is here put on record that the new Parish Church of St. Martin at the junction of London Road & Victoria Avenue was consecrated by The Lord Bishop of the Diocese on June 8th, 1911 and dedicated to St. Martin.Charles Howard Gough, Rector William W. Neal H Maurice Webb, Church wardens Note 4By Order in Council dated October 19th, 1911 the new Parish Church as above was substituted for the old Parish Church situated in the Corn Market.Charles Howard Gough, Rector William W. Neal H Maurice Webb, Church wardens See London Gazette November 10th, 1911 Note 5It is here put on record that by an Order in Council dated 10th June, 1912 it was ordered that -All that portion of St. Martin's Parish bounded on the west by the Parish of St. Peter, on the north by the Parish of Holy Trinity and the remaining side by an imaginary line commencing at the point where the boundary which divides the Parish of Holy Trinity from the Parish of St. Martin crossed the middle of Midland Road, and extending thence southwards for a distance of ten chains or thereabouts to its junction with Wylds Lane and extending thence northwards along the middle of Wylds Lane for a distance of ten chairs or thereabouts to the boundary which divides the Parish of St. martin from the Parish of St. Peter should be dissevered from the Parish of St. Martin and be annexed to the Parish of Holy Trinity. Note 6It is here put on record that by an Order in Council dated 11th October, 1911, it was ordered that -(with the exception of a portion bounded on the south by the street called The Trinity, on the east by the street called Watercourse Alley, on the north by the Parish of St. Nicholas and on the west by Queen Street, such a portion being dissevered from the Parish of St. Martin and annexed to the Parish of St. Nicholas) all that portion of the Parish of St. Martin situated to the west of the Birmingham canal shall be severed from the Parish of St. Martin and unified with the Parish of St. Swithun and it was also ordered that the Chapel of Ease of St. Martin., which was formerly the Parish church of St. Martin, shall forthwith be vested with the incumbent of St. Swithun, as a Chapel of Ease to the Parish Church of St. Swithun. |