Our History|
CHURCH HISTORY Victoria Park, Manchester, was conceived in the 1830s as a private and exclusive housing estate for the wealthy of Manchester. The original plans of 1836 showed a church, but it was not until 1874 that work began on building the church. The parish was carved from local parishes, especially St James, Birch, and the curate of St James, William Marsden, became the first Vicar of St Chrysostom's. The Anson family were among the original benefactors of the church, and Archdeacon Anson was, at the time, Vicar of St James, Birch. The family are commemorated in the naming of the Anson Chapel. St Chrysostom's was consecrated on October 13th 1877 by Bishop Fraser of Manchester. In 1904 the church suffered a catastrophic fire, which left only a stone shell standing. For a while the congregation worshipped in a temporary buiding. John Ely, architect, and member of the congregation, was asked to restore the church. The restoration worked to retain as much as possible of the appearance of the building before the fire. Consequently much of the interior of the church resembles that of the 1877 building. The area which St Chrysostoms serves has changed considerably to be a multi-cultural area with many student dwellings. St Chrysostom's remains significant and prominent in the landscape and life of the parish. Through the years the church served the area faithfully, with a succession of dedicated clergy. Minor alterations have been made to the appearance of the church - including moving the main altar forward and removing some pews to provide a spacious social area. The vestry block was refurbished. In recent years the gardens at the side of the church, in Conyngham Road, have been developed and improved. They include a memorial garden, an indigenous plant garden and a small prayer labyrinth.
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PARISH RECORDS AND GENEALOGY Our Parish Records include original plans of the church by G. T. Redmayne and ink and watercolours and plans for the new church by John Ely. We also have photographs of the church at various times in its history. The Victoria Park Local History group has a small archive of material relevant to the history of the church and area and this is kept at St Chrysostom's. Booklets outlining the history of the Church are available from Church. Most of the older parish records are held in the Local Studies Unit of Manchester Central Library (0161 234 1980) Also in the Local studies unit are plans of the original parish school in Clarendon Road, and a school history. e-mail: Archives@libraries.manchester.gov.uk Registers Our Parish Registers date from 1878. The following are held at the Local Studies unit: Baptism Registers 22 July 1876 - 25 July 1948 Marriage Registers 1 July 1878 - 19 December 1969 Banns Books 6 January 1935 - 3 December 1961 Other registers (for example, Confirmation registers), and registers later than those listed are held at Church. For more information please contact the parish priest. Other resources All libraries in Manchester have some local history material. The Local Studies Unit in the Central Library has the largest collection, providing access to information in a variety of formats including books, cassettes, The Manchester and Lancashire Family History Society are a helpful genealogical society covering the area. They have a helpful web site. |
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