Holy Trinity Church Wicker Sheffield
Holy Trinity Church
Photo taken Sunday 10th June 2007
Holy Trinity Church Centenary Booklet (1848-1948)
From the Sheffield & Rotherham Independent, 14th October,
1848
"The rite of Consecrating and Dedicating the Church of Holy Trinity, recently erected at the corner of Johnson Street and Nursery Street, Wicker was performed yesterday (Friday) by his Grace the Archbishop of York. The admission was by ticket, and so great was the interest excited that the applications was double the number the building would accommodate.
The Wicker district, for the dense population of which this Church has been erected, to provide a more ready and convenient access to the public ministrations of the Established Church, is one of the new parishes constituted by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. The Edifice, the first stone of which was laid by Joseph Wilson, Esq., on 30th June, 1847, and which, including the site, has cost six thousand pounds has been entirely built by the Christian bounty of the Misses Harrison of Weston, to whose piety and munificence Sheffield and the neighbourhood are indebted for the foundation and advancement of many pious and benevolent works.
The style and architecture is the plain early-English. The exterior is has little of novelty to commend it, the Misses Harrison having dictated to their architects, Messrs Flockton, Lee and Flockton, an exact copy of the church at Attercliffe. The area and galleries will accommodate one thousand persons. The internal dimensions are 65 feet by 47 feet 6 inches, height to the square of the roof 30 feet, from the floor to the roof 45 feet, chancel 20 feet by 10 feet 6 inches, besides staircase, vestry and entrance. The material of which the church is built is Wadsley gritstone for quoins, jambs and arches, filled with coursed wallstone from Green Moor quarries.
The building is endowed by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, who have vested the patronage in the hands of the Misses Harrison, the benevolent founders of the church. The living has been bestowed on the Rev. William Bruce, former incumbent of Wadsley, whose talent and zeal peculiarly fit him for the appointment. The books for the reading desk and pulpit were given by the S.P.C.K.
The pews have been extensively taken, and at present few sittings remain unoccupied, except those which are free.
The Archbishop arrived in Sheffield on Thursday and became the guest of the Misses Harrison, at whose residence at Weston several clergymen and gentry had the honour of dinning with His Grace. The 24th Psalm was repeated as the Archbishop, Archdeacon and Clergy proceeded up the aisle to the communion table. At the conclusion of the Service, an appropriate sermon was preached by Rev. W. Bruce from verses 16 and 17 of Psalm 90. The Service concluded, the Archbishop walked in procession to the grounds attached to the church, which was then consecrated by His Grace.
Afterwards, His Grace partook of some refreshment in the vestry and then walked, in company with the Rev. W. Bruce to the Midland Railway Station where he took his departure for Bishopthorpe Palace.
The morning collection amounted to sixty four pounds, eight shillings and ten pence.
From Sheffield Telegraph dated 9th May 1936
In May 2016 I was contacted by a current member member of the Church - it is now called The New Testament Church of God. I was asked if I could verify if there had been a graveyard and/or burials at the Church. I replied that I'm afraid I had no knowledge of any graveyard being on the site. I thought that it would be highly unlikely for two reasons. One it's very close proximity to the river and two, the "disquiet" about the state and condition of city churchyards at that time. Having said that there may have been special dispensation given for a person or family closely associated to the church to be buried either in the church or within its precincts. Again I have no knowledge of this happening at Holy Trinity.
However afterwards I was rather puzzled and so I did some research and found out that there had been a graveyard at the site but only for a short time. A total of nine burials took place in July and November 1859. It appears that the graveyard at Holy Trinity was opened and then closed after 9 burials because it was decided to use the land for a school building. There is no indication to date to say whether or not the graves were relocated elsewhere. If not they will still be under the school building
The names of the nine burials are
Surname Forename Title Day Mmonth Year Aged Abode
BROCKLEHURST
Joseph
06 Jul
1859 73 21 Johnson St
GREAVES
Septimus
21 Aug
1859 60 7 Nursery Lane
HILL
John
13 Nov
1859 6w Andrew St
KILNER
Thomas
04 Sep
1859 3
40 Marcus St
OSGATHORPE James
15 Jul
1859 43 23 Stone St
PRIDDON
James
29 Aug
1859 65 Walker St
SAMPSON
Jane
18 Oct
1859 8
26 Joiner Lane
SCOTT
Ann Elizabeth 5 Sep
1859 14m 11 Stockton St
TATUM
William
26 Aug
1859 48 20 Spital Fields
Sources
Holy Trinity Church Centenary Booklet (1848-1948)
Sheffield & Rotherham Independent, 14th October, 1848
Sheffield Telegraph dated 9th May 1936
This page was last updated on 11/05/16 17:27
