Albrightons churches and their history

St Chads

Boningale is a small parish between Albrighton and the detached part of Albrighton i.e. the Pepper Hill area. It has gradually got closer to Albrighton over the years and is almost part of it.

The Church of St Chad dates back to Norman times but has had additions and changes over the centuries, particularly in Victorian times. It has a timbered belfry with three bells and a broach spire. The church restoration and the south aisle added in 1861, then further restoration in 1894 when the porch was added, the nave was re-tiled and the roof repaired.

There are interesting features within the church such as a Jacobean pulpit, a carved eagle lectern and a stained glass window depicting Homan Hunt’s Pre-raphaelite picture “The Light of the World”.

St Josephs

Roman Catholicism was not catered for in Albrighton until 1959 when 100 people attended a Roman Catholic Mass in the old library, High Street, the first in the village since the Reformation.

The Parish Priest in Shifnal, Father Lyons was appointed to serve Albrighton which became part of Shifnal Parish. The first mission took place in March 1960 with Father Lyons being replaced by Father Lynch. Weekday services were held at “The Croft”, Church Road.

A Church Hall was built in 1964 but this burnt down in 1972. A new Roman Catholic Church was built in 1974. During the interim time, St Mary’s Church was used as a venue for Mass.

The Wesleyan Chapel

Methodism in industrial areas flourished as a result of the 19th century workers’ feeling that the Anglican Church was indifferent to their harsh conditions. In country areas it was the employer who turned to Methodism with the farmers wishing to avoid the tithes put on them by the Church. A one off payment at the end of the Second World War finished all this but the influence of the farming community continued and still is considerable in the non conformist churches.

In 1878, a group of men headed by the Rev Weaver purchased the land and cottages next to what was the Post Office in the High Street for £500. hey intended to establish an Independent Chapel in Albrighton but it was not built. Then, in 1883, another group headed by the Rev John Harris of Ketley bought the site and cottages again for £500, in order to build a Wesleyan Chapel.
A penalty clause of five shillings per day for delays other than those caused by bad weather was entered into the contract of the builder, George Bullock of Wellington. The foundation stone was laid in September 1883 and the Chapel was completed in April 1884.

The sum of £562 was borrowed from Mr Alfred Selwyn, a local grocer, to build the Wesley Hall. The money was borrowed in 1909 and £566 was repaid by April 1915. The hall was built at a final cost of £672 and was completed in 1912. Mr Selwyn had a shop/bakery until 1917 at the premises now occupied by Mr Lockley’s garage. The three cottages mentioned above were sold to J C Lloyd in 1938 and the land later became the MEB showrooms and then offices for Whittingham, Accountants.

St Mary Magdalene Church

The Church of St Mary Magdalene dates back 800 years, the tower having been built in the 12th century. The height was raised in 1549 from just below the clock to accommodate the bells.

There was a low nave, the width of the tower. It is now much higher and the old roof level marks can be seen on the tower wall. The Chancel and south aisle were added in the 13th century and then later altered, the south aisle being rebuilt in the 1700s.

A big restoration took place in 1852-1853, when the nave and the south aisle were restored and the north aisle added. The building was restored in Decorated Gothic style. The windows, at a glance, all appear to be the same but are actually slightly different to each other. The Church had further restorations in 1902 and 1968 but these were in the way of repairs, not actually causing alterations.

The Lych-gate was erected by a bequest of Mrs Priestley in memory of the Rev Priestley (1894-1908) and their son who was killed in 1918. He was a Major in the RAMC.

In 1993, significant restorations were carried out with the floor being totally reconstructed. Alterations at this time were met with disappointment on the part of some parishioners. The new door, it was said, took away a symbol of refuge that the previous heavy door had signified. The removal of the Victorian pews changed the whole character of the building from a “country church” to something much larger, albeit the new chairs were both more comfortable and suited to modern trends, giving a more flexible seating arrangement for the many uses that churches have now come to offer.

The organ console moved to the centre of the south aisle which seemed rather unusual and the pulpit, which was of Elizabethan character, disappeared. The eagle lectern largely replaced the pulpit in practical terms. This was given by Mr Cottam in 1920 in memory of his wife (he lived at “Cloverleigh” prior to Dr Legge moving there).

The font was moved from the name of the church near the tower to a more traditional position near the door but tradition is often what people grow up with, hence the reason for older people being more resistant to change.

The Lady Chapel was moved from its place in the south aisle to the Chancel. This was erected after the Second World War as a memorial to the troops under the aegis of the Rev Wright. The screen associated with it was placed at the rear of the north aisle.

St Cuthbert’s Church, Donington

This is the oldest of the religious buildings in the area, dating back to 1085. In 1985 it celebrated its 900 year anniversary with such things as Commemoration mugs etc. The church had a restoration in 1879 when the galleries were removed, the old oak pews changed and the north aisle added, but a day before the reopening the tower fell down – this was rebuilt in a year.

The Church Registers date back to 1556. The Lych-gate was erected in memory of the Rector H G de Bunsen who dies in 1885.

St Bartholomews

There is much debate over the origin of the name “Tong”, which occurs at several places in England (Yorkshire, Leicestershire, Kent….). The simplest explanation is that it is derived from the word meaning “a fork in the river”; there are two streams that meet at the western end of the site of Tong Castle. In the Domesday Book the place is called “Tuange”.

The present building is probably the third church on the site and successive churches have always been intimately connected with the owners of Tong Castle. There have been several castles at Tong. The ruins of the last castle were demolished in 1954 and a motorway (M54) now passes through the site. At the time of the Norman Conquest the Manor of Tong came into the hands of Roger de Montgomery, cousin of William the Conqueror. He built the Abbey at Shrewsbury in 1083 and established a church at Tong.

The church is a fine example of Perpendicular Gothic Architecture. The church (with the exception of the Golden Chapel) was built between 1410 and 1430. The church has been described as a “treasure house of tombs and effigies, products of the Nottingham shops of alabaster workers”. It is certainly one of the finest collections in the country. A number of Tombs can be seen in the church, the oldest being that of Sir Fulke de Pembrugge and Dame Isabel, foundress of Tone Church. The Vernon family tombs are also laid in Tong Church.

The tower contains eight bells. The bottom chamber houses the Great Bell of Tong. This was given to the church by Sir Henry Vernon and a rent out of his manor of Norton for the tolling of it when any Vernon comes to Tong”.

The curious tale of Little Nell - outside the main south door of the church is a grave marked “The Reputed Grave of Little Nell”. The facts are that Charles Dickens set the closing chapters of The Old Curiosity Shop in Tong. However, the grave is entirely fictitious and is due to the work of a one-time verger who found that showing people Little Nell’s grave was a lucrative occupation! He even went so far as to forge an entry in the burial register. Readers of the novel will find within a description of the church that does fit this building but they will also note that Little Nell was buried inside the church, not outside.

Tong Church is one of the great centres of historic interest in Shropshire.

Words: Ernest Howells