The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-12-18 00:00:00

BRIERLEY HILL PARISH CHURCH.

The corn letion of the work of renovating the
tower of tee parish church, Brierley Hill, and of
aiding a new peal of bells and cluck thereto, was
ce'ebrated on 'Thursday by an inaugural ceremeny,
which caused quite a air in the usually quiet towe.
The first steps to,vards carrying out the alterations
were taken in the early part of the present year,
consequent upon a visit which Mr. J. Corbett,
M.P., tor Droitwich, p iiel t Brierley Hill, on which
occasion he offered to present a new clock for the
church tower, to replace the one which had then
become. through lapse of time, elm ,st useless. The
offer was accepted, and at the same time a corn-
mitee was formed to carry out the renovation of
the tower, and the hanging therein of a new peal of
bells. Subscriptions were invited, and among the
earliest subscribers were the Earl of Dudley, who,
with his usual munificence, gave £l5O, and Mr.
Charles Horton, Brierley Hill, who subsequently
carried out the alterations to the tower, also sub-
scribed £5O. The tower. which, like the church, is
of red brick, has been much strengthened and in-
creased in height, and its appearance has been
further improved by the addition of stone borders
te the windows, and four stone pinnacles whieh
surmount it at each corner. The new bells are six
in number, and were supplied by Mr. James Bar.
well, bellfounder. of Birmingham On Thursday
they were ece?aled by the ringers from Wordsley
Church. Previous to their erection the tower only
centained three bells. The total cost of work to
the tower and of the bells is about £B5O. of which
sum a considerable amount has yet to be raised
before the debt will be liquidated. The clock, which
was supplied by Mr. W. Leeson, clock manufacturer,
Coleshill, has two dials, each eight feet in diameter,
one faces the main street leading from Brierley
Hill to Stourbridge, and the other overlooks the
road leading te Wordsley. The cost of the clock is
estimated at .£4OO, The inaugural ceremony was
marked by a display of bunting here and there
aeing the High-street, and the erection of several
arches of evergreens, which spanned the street at
various points, each bearing a motto appropriate to
the occasion. The Interior of the church was
decorated with much ta,t?. At eleven o'clock the
Lord Biseop of the Diocesse, accompanied by
Archdeacon Iles and other surpliced clergymen,
walked in procession from the vestry to the chancel.
Among those present were the Revs. Josiah Stone
.
(rector of Brierley J, W. NV &sham (curate of
the parish church), Dr. Dixon and F. Boyer
(Quarry Bank), J. J. Slade (Wordsley), C. H. Cole-
Wt.bb (Pensnett), E. H. Streeton (Kings winford),
F. W. Haines (Lye), T. G. Swindell Holly Hall), J.
Hartley (Harts Hill), J. W. Dunk (Cannock Chase),
W. Hairs, H. .Sherrard (Stourbridg), F. Stevens
(Brockinoor), E. A. Jeffree, and J. B. Wynn
Griffiths. There was a large congregation. Prayers
were read by the Rev. Josi th Stone, the first lesson
by the Rev. J. J. S'ade, and the second lesson by
the Rev. tr. Dixon. The sermon was preached by
the Right Rev. Bishop Maclagan, who chose his
text from th-2 sth verse of the 50th Psalm, "Gather
my sons together unto me." In the course of his
sermon his lordship referring to the object for
which they were met together, urged uson the con-
gregation the necessity of rousing themselves and
'endeavouring to speedily remove thee debt—amount-
ing te between £lOO and .2200—which was still
due on the renovation fund. He had been inquiring
into the circumstances of Brierley Hill, and he
found that the population wee no less than between
eleven thousand and twelve thousand inhabitants,
which was certainly far too large a number to
remain attached to one parish church, or at least
remain without any further provisioe made for
their attending public worship. There was a part
of the parish known as the Delph, which was
separated in some rneasere from the rest, and con-
tained a population of nearly 4,000 souls, all living
at the foot of a steel) hill, up which it was in vain
to think the aged or Mien, or the little children,
could find their way to teat parish church. Was it
not manifest then, that what God would have them
i
do n His own good time, was that they should
previde a church for that Delph 'district ?—At the
cl ee of the service there was a luncheon in the
Town Hall, at which Mr. J. Corbett, M.P., pre-
sided —ln the evening Archdeaeon Iles preached.