St James Church parsonage and schools Teignmouth Street, Collyhurst

A parish formed out of part of the parish of the Albert Memorial Church. The initially constituted parish had a population of around 7,000, which in the final decade of the nineteenth century had increased to just over 8,000. However, the district suffered from the decision in 1886 of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company to build a new works at Horwich, taking many of the skilled workers living in the district with them. The church was built on the site of Collyhurst Old Hall, between the Albert Memorial Church and St George's, Oldham Road. Early English style with north-west tower and spire totalling 168 feet in height. Above the belfry and visible for a considerable distance was a clock with four illuminated dials. The land, church and other buildings were the gift of Charles P. Stewart of Atlas Iron Works, Oxford Street, Manchester and cost £12,000. It contained  806 sittings of which 396 were free.

NEW CHURCH IN COLLYHURST - A new church with parsonage and schools is about to be built at Collyhurst by Mr Charles P Stewart of the Atlas Works at a cost of £12,000, exclusive of the land, which he has also purchased. For these buildings six architects of Manchester and London were invited to submit designs in competition. The gentlemen who were selected to compete were Messrs Hansom, London; Paley and Austin, Lancaster; Holden, Brakspear, Lowe, and Dawes of Manchester. After a close contest, the designs submitted by Mr Lowe were selected conditionally that they can be carried out for the stipulated sum; and those submitted by Mr Dawes were awarded the second premium of 50 guineas. [Manchester Guardian 1 May 1871 page 7]

COLLYHURST.-On Wednesday week the new church of S. James, Collyhurst, near Manchester, was consecrated. The church is accompanied by three schoolhouses and a parsonage. The church is in the Early English style. The nave and side aisles, 93ft. by 59ft., are separated by five pointed arches on each side, surmounted by a lofty clerestory with coupled windows. The tower and spire at the north-west angle are 168ft high, and above the belfry is an illuminated clock, with four dials, made by Messrs. Gillett and Bland, of Croydon. The outlay on land and buildings has amounted to £26,000 or £27,000. The church affords accommodation for upwards of 800 persons. The architect is Mr. J. Lowe, of Manchester, and the execution of the work has been superintended by Mr. R. L. Corbett. The contractors for the church and parsonage were Messrs. Ellis and Hinchliffe, and those for the schools and dwelling-houses were Messrs. Crellin and Bailey, both of Manchester. [Building News 29 May 1874 page 600]

ST. JAMES’S CHURCH, COLLYHURST, MANCHESTER. - This church is to form one of a group of buildings consisting of church, parsonage, infants’ school, boys’ and girls’ schools, and schoolmaster’s house. The church stands at the corner of Richardson Street and Teignmouth Street, its west front facing the latter; it is 120 feet long by 59 wide (inside measurements), and the ridge of the open timber roof will be 75 feet from the floor. Accommodation is provided for about 800 persons. The plan consists of nave, north and south aisles, transepts, chancel, organ-chamber, and vestry. A tower and spire are placed at the south-west angle, the apex of the spire being intended to rise 160 feet above the ground. The chancel terminates with a seven-sided apse, five sides of which have a two-light window in each. The church has three public entrances. It is faced with stone throughout, and all the arches and the columns of have and chancel are of stone also. The style is the Early Decorated, freely treated. All the pews in the nave are to be of pitch-pine, and the choir stalls and chancel fittings of oak. At the other extremity of the Teignmouth Street frontage the parsonage is placed, having some garden ground betwixt it and the church. The parsonage is also faced with stone, and the finishings of both exterior and interior will be of the same substantial nature as the church. Adjoining the parsonage an infants' school will be built, while on the west side will be the schools for boys and girls, with house for the master. The church has been erected at the cost of Mr. C. P. Stewart, of the Atlas Works, Manchester. The architect is Mr. John Lowe, of Manchester, and the contract is being carried out by Messrs. Ellis & Hinchliffe. The con- tractors for the schools are Messrs. Crellin and Bailey, of Chorlton-cum-Hardy. The cost of the church and parsonage will be  £16,000, and the boys‘ and girls' schools will cost £3,400, in both cases exclusive of the land. [The Architect 22 March 1873 page 161]

ST. JAMES'S CHURCH, PARSONAGE, AND SCHOOLS, COLLYHURST - St. James's church was consecrated on the 20th ult. by the bishop of the diocese. The site of the church and parsonage is at the junction of Richardson-street and Teignmouth-street. The church is in the Early Pointed style of architecture. The principal entrance to the church is from Richardson-street; the plan comprises a nave with side aisles, total length about 93 ft. by 59 ft. wide, and transepts additional. The height to the ridge is 75 ft. The pointed arches on each side separate the nave from the aisles and transepts; those to the transepts and chancel being of noble proportions. The nave is terminated by a chancel, about 25 ft. by 28 ft., and is approached from the nave by five steps; the nave has a lofty clearstory with coupled windows. The organ-chamber, minister's and choir vestries adjoin the chancel. The tower is at the corner of Richardson-street, and on the ground floor forms one of the principal entrances to the church. The external walls are faced with Yorkshire parpoints and ashlar dressings. The pillars of the nave are of red Mansfield stone, with moulded and carved caps of Bath stone. The roofs are of high pitch, with open framed and moulded principals, supported by carved corbels, with granite shafts to each; those to the chancel being more elaborate than those of the nave. The church has accommodation for 806 persons; 384 sittings will be unappropriated. The clock has been provided by Messrs. Gillett & Bland, of Croydon, and is intended to be illuminated. The organ has been built by Messrs. W. Hill & Son, of London. The parsonage in Teignmouth-street adjoins the church and is faced externally with masonry similar to that of the church. It comprises dining and drawing rooms, study, kitchen, and other offices, six bed-rooms, etc. The internal woodwork is of pitch pine; and Messrs. Ellis & Hinchliffe were the contractors for the church and parsonage. The boys' and girls' schools are situate opposite the church and parsonage. The plan comprises boys' and girls' schools, 48 ft. by 22 ft. and 52 ft. by 22 ft. respectively, with classrooms, lavatories, etc, to each, adjoining also are residences for the master and mistress. The building is faced externally with white headers, dressed off, pointed and relieved with masonry. Internally the walls are of brick, pre- pared for painting. Each of the schools has a separate playground. The site of the infants' school is in Ryder- street, adjoining the parsonage, and comprises one school, 55 ft. by 26 ft.; classroom, 20 ft. by 18 ft., under which is a cellar, fitted with boiler, etc, adapted for tea parties. Messrs. Crellin & Bailey are the builders of the schools. The total cost of the church, parsonage, and schools, including the land, will be about £26,500, and is the gift of Mr. C. P. Stewart, of the Atlas Works, Manchester. Mr. R. L. Corlett acted as clerk of the works throughout, and the whole were executed from the designs of Mr. John Lowe, architect, Manchester. [The Builder 13 June 1874. Page 510]

ST. JAMES'S CHURCH AND PARSONAGE, COLLYHURST, MANCHESTER - This church, which was consecrated in May last, was noticed in this journal at that time. The site of the church and parsonage is at the junction of Richardson and Teignmouth-streets. The plan of the church comprises a nave, with aisles and transepts. The width is 59ft., and the height to the ridge 75ft. Five pointed arches separate the nave from the aisles and transepts. The organ chamber, minister's and choir vestries adjoin the church. The tower is at the west end, and forms one of the principal entrances to the church. The spire is 168ft. high. The external walls are faced with parpoints, and finished with dressings of Yorkshire stone. The internal arches are of masonry in varied colored stones. The pillars are of Mansfield stone with moulded and carved caps of Bath stone. The roof has open- framed principals, and is covered with slates of three tints, with enriched cresting. All the windows (except those of the chancel, which represent Scriptural subjects) are glazed with cathedral glass in geometrical patterns. The seats are of pitch pine, and the choir stalls of oak. The chancel and several entrances are laid with encaustic tiles. The church has accommodation for 806 persons. The clock has illuminated dials, and is by Messrs. Gillett and Bland. The parsonage is faced externally with masonry similar to the church, and contains dining and drawing rooms, study, and six bedrooms, &c. The whole of the site is enclosed with stone wall, with handsome wrought-iron railing. The church and parsonage have cost about £17,000, and have been built by Messrs. Ellis and Hinchliffe, of Manchester. The infants' school adjoins the parsonage in Ryder-street, and comprises a schoolroom 53ft. by 26ft., with spacious classroom, cloak-room, and lavatory, a cellar, and store-room. The boys’ and girls' school, with teachers' residences, are in Teignmouth-street, opposite the church. The schools have cost about £5,200. The whole of the buildings have been erected under the superintendence of the architect, Mr. John Lowe, F.R.I.B.A., Manchester. [British Architect 6 November 1874 page 295]

Reference    Manchester Guardian 1 May 1871 page 7
Reference    Building News 5 January 1872 page 21
Reference    Building News 21 March 1873 Page 349
Reference    Building News 29 May 1874 page 600
Reference    The Architect 22 March 1873 page 161
Reference    The Builder 13 June 1874. Page 510
Reference    British Architect 6 November 1874 page 295
Reference    Pevsner South Lancashire
Reference    Dobb, Like a Mighty Tortoise, 150 51; Manchester Diocesan Yearbooks