New Brighton
It was as early as 1839 when it was first suggested that a church should be built in New Brighton when William Rowson, son-in-law to the founder of New Brighton, James Atherton, recruited subscribers for the building of a place of worship for the new resort. Initially nothing came of the scheme and all monies were returned but in 1853 Rowson reopened the account with a generous donation of £700. Other donations followed and work began in the same year.
 |
 |
The foundation stone of St. James' Church, on Victoria Road, was laid by the Bishop of Chester, John Graham, D.D., on 16th February 1854.Designed by Sir Gilbert Scott (1811-1878) who also designed Albert Memorial, St. Pancras Station and Hotel and the Home Office and Colonial Buildings in London. Work progressed well but on 22nd November, 1854 a violent storm erupted which caused a great deal of damage to the half-built church. As a result, work upon the church was put back many months and further funds were required to repair the damage. The total cost raising to £13,000. The church is built in sandstone in a gothic style and was originally lit by oil lamps until 1860 when gas lamps were installed. On 28th March, 1896 a fire broke out in the heating apparatus chamber and was quickly extinguished by the Brigade. In 1900 the church was converted to electricity which was a gift from W.G Ellery.
St. James' Church was consecrated on 10th July, 1856 by Bishop Graham. The vicarage was added later on adjoining land. The first incumbent of St. James' was the Norfolk-born Revd. Richard Drake Fowell, M.A., who would go on to complete a 33 years of service at St. James' until his death on 19th March 1887. Fowell Road that runs nearby is named in his honour.
The first Wesleyan Methodist Society in Wallasey was established in 1860 and consisted of 14 members who met in rented rooms in Egerton Street. Robert Hurworth was in particular the core member of the Society and takes much credit in its early formative years. With members expanding and money raised it was decided to purchase land on the corner of Rowson Street and Egerton Street for £240 with the intention of building a church.
 |
 |
The New Brighton Methodist Chapel was designed by Henry V. Vale, F.R.I.B.A., President of the Liverpool Architectural Society, and the foundation stone was laid on Friday, 22nd April, 1870 by William Litherland of Liverpool. The Chapel was officially opened for worship on 23rd November, 1870 when the Revd. John Farrar, the President of the Wesleyan Conference, preached the sermon. Originally the Chapel seated 350 people but due to demand for extra seating the Chapel was enlarged with the building of an Eastern Aisle in 1893, which provided an extra 100 seats. A further extension was followed with the building of the Western Aisle in 1901 which provided an extra 83 seats for an ever increasing congregation. In December 1940 and again 12th March 1941 and 4th May 1941 the church suffered air-raid damage. For a time the services had to be held in the Sunday School room under the church. It was not until after the war that the damages could be repaired and on 1st December 1948 the church reopened. In 1986, the tower was in need of repair but due to costs, it was decided to reduce the tower by 25 feet and replace with a modern cap.
 |
The Presbyterians of Wallasey first met at the Assembly Rooms on Albion Street and in 1903 the Revd F.W Armstrong, a student of Cambridge, undertook the ministerial duties.
With increasing members it was decided in 1904 to build a new church hall which would serve the congregation until enough money could be raised to build a new church. Situated on the corner of Ennerdale Road and North Drive the site cost £1,045 but a further £1,635 would be required to build the church. A building fund was set and a grant from the Central Church was received. Work began on the church hall at once whilst fund raising went on at Concert Hall, Liscard which included a bazaar. Other fund raising ideas included sewing circles and drawing room concerts. Nearly £1,000 was raised but there was no furniture for the church hall but this was remedied by gifts from its members which included communion cups, a silver communion plate, communion cups and linen, an oak communion table but more appreciative was the gift of 150 bibles for use in the pews.
With the increasing rise of the population of New Brighton in the first decade of the 20th Century, due in large to the improvement in the Borough's transport system, it was decided at a meeting on 11th April 1907 to start plans for the building of the church. Money was raised by borrowing from a trust and the foundation stone was laid on 15th May, 1909 by Alexander Gunthrie Esq. The new church was opened on 7th July 1910 by the member of the 'Church Extension Committee of the Presbyterian', Mr Joseph Forrester, The Revd F.W Armstrong continued to minister at the new church until 1912.
 |
Before World War II had broke out the 'Congregational Church of England and Wales' and 'Presbyterian Church of England' were holding discussions about uniting these two denominations. The union eventually came about in 1972 and the Unified Reformed Church was instituted. 'The Reformed Association of the Church of Christ' joined in 1981 and the former 'Congregational Union of Scotland' joined in 1999. With decreasing numbers in members and the high cost of maintenance and repairs it was agreed in September 1979 that Ennerdale should unite with St. Andrews Church on Rowson Street. Ennerdale Road Church was soon demolished and new housing built on the site.
 |
The Catholics of New Brighton first met in a rented-room in Egerton Street, at a cost of £16 per annum, in 1879 and was established by Father William Stanton from St. Albans Church, Mill Lane and Canon Randolph Frith. The meeting place was actually the same room where the Wesleyan community met in the 1860s. The two men then began, with voluntary subscription, to look into the building of a church. the site of the church had been donated by Mr Walsh who also donated £500 towards the construction costs. The church was built in red brick in the Gothic Style and was consecrated by the Right Revd. Bishop Edmund Knight, M.D., of Shrewsbury, on 19th June, 1881.
It was also decided to establish a school nearby. The owner of 'The Palace' on New Brighton Promenade, Laurence Connolly, who was also a Liverpool Councillor and Fruit Broker, was the main benefactor. The school was opened 27th July, 1885 and was situated on the opposite side of Hope Street near its junction with Grosvenor Road.
 |
Canon Frith was the first parish priest of St. Peter & St. Paul until his retirement in 1887, age the age of 78. Father (later Canon) William Stanton replaced him. The last incumbent being Monsignor Canon Curran from 1925 to 1940. In December 1940, during the Second World War, the church suffered heavy air-raid damage and lay derelict for a time until being demolished. The parishioners all moving to SS Peter & Paul on Atherton Street. Today the former site is now a supermarket car park.
 |
Prior to the building of SS Peter & Paul there once stood an older building, 'Sandrock', that occupied the site. The history of 'Sandrock' has been covered in 'Mansions of Wallasey' so further reading can be found in that section.
With the increasing numbers of people living in New Brighton, Father Thomas Mullins, who came to the parish in 1909, decided it was time for a bigger church. Originally the new church was going to be built at the junction of Rowson Street and Seabank Road but the landowner decided not to sell the land so a different site had to be found.
High on top of St. George's Mount stood 'Sandrock', which had been erected on land which was once owned by James Atherton. After various tenants and becoming a Cenacle Convent for French Nuns, Father Mullins purchased the old building and land for £3,000. Father Mullins now had to raise £58,000 to build the church but this was in the days of the Great Depression during the 1920's. It took several years before any start could be made on the site - about 1930 when 'Sandrock' was demolished and the first foundations of the church was laid.
 |
The architect of SS Peter & Paul was E. Bower & Norris who designed the church in the style based on the Estrella or Basilca of the Sacred Heart in London which Father Mullins had studied there in the English College, It is built of concrete, with an outer casting of brick in the style of Renaissance, with a fine copper covered dome and a cross at the pinnacle. With years of wear it is now green. The church was built by James A Milerston & Son, whose firm had already built two Anglican Churches in the town, along with several other large buildings.
The first mass was on 2nd August, 1935 when the church was blessed by Father Mullins. In 1945 Father Mullins died at the age of 81 and is buried at Rake Lane Cemetery.
In August 2008 the SS Peter & Paul Church was closed and all services transferred to All Saints Anglican Church in Hose Side Road. In March 2011 it was announced the church was to reopen.
 |
Before the church was built services were held in a temporary building. The first service was held on Whitsunday 1919. The plans for a permanent church were submitted by Sir Giles Scott R.A in 1927 who also designed the Liverpool Anglican Church. He also designed many churches around the country as well as buildings such as the Library at Cambridge University.
Sir Frederick North's trustees gave a donation of £7,000 towards the cost of the new church on the proviso that it was built within seven years of his gift. The foundation stone of All Saints was laid on 9th July 1927. Dr Pagat, Bishop of Chester, consecrated the church on 15th December, 1928, and constituted a separate parish on 21st Match 1929. The first incumbent of the church was the Revd. W.J Philpin, B.A who had already been curate-in-charge since 1919. He retired after serving the parish for 27 years in 1956.
In 1937 it was felt that something more should be done towards the completion of the church and it was decided to add another bay, together with the Chancel Arch. The nave in the church was completed in 1939 but the sanctuary was not completed until after 1945 due to the outbreak of hostilities.
In March 2011 it was announced that the church was to close due to the high cost of keeping the building open.
The first reference of a church on the site that later became Emmanuel Church was in 1879 when an "iron building" was recorded in the annals of St. James' Church and was known as the Mission Chapel. The church was built of corrugated iron. The first minister was Revd. Edgar Stockdale from 1881 to 1889.
 |
The earliest mention of Emmanuel was in a report published in the 'Wallasey & Wirral Chronicle' in April 1889. The report noted the meeting at St. James' Church whereby those in attendance urged the Revd. J.F Howson that a regular Sunday service should be held at Emmanuel and that a clergyman should take charge but the population of the New Brighton Parish was not sufficiently numerous to justify morning services.
However, at a farewell speech to the parishioners of New Brighton in October 1889, the retiring Revd Howson pointed out the pressing need of a permanent building to replace the "iron building".
No further reference to the building of the new church is to be found until the year 1898 when a New Brighton parochial bazaar was held and £707 was raised towards furnishing of the new church. On 28th October, 1899, the foundation stone of the church was laid by the Duchess of Westminster, the building fund being opened by a gift of £1,000 from Mr and Mrs .North.of .New Brighton. Design of the new church was by the architect Charles Earnest Deacon (1844-1927).
Slow progress was made in the completion of the fabric of the church and it was not until 1st May, 1909, 10 years after the laying of the foundation stone, that the Church was completed. The Revd. F.E Sandys was appointed the first vicar of Emmanuel and ministered to the Parish until 1932.
 |
In May 1991, Merseyside Development Corporation (MDC) agreed to fund improvements to the Church Hall. A new roof was fitted, the exterior was re-pointed, emergency lighting was fitted, a new kitchen was re-sited and built, the toilets were updated and later a toilet for the disabled was installed as well as wheelchair access.
Due to the increasing instability of the church building, the church was demolished in 1998. The new foundation stone was laid on 21st January 2001 by the Bishop of Birkenhead. By 1st November the new church was opened costing £270,500.
 |
The old Liscard Congregational Church, which stood in Rake Lane near to Stroud Corner, was built by John Astley Marsden of Liscard Hall, in 1842. It was erected on a piece of land which he owned, in the Anglo-Gothic style with tower and lancet windows. When built he passed it over the the trustees. While the chapel was being built Mr Marsden saw an advertisement for the sale of a pulpit and memorial tablet of the famous preacher and hymn writer, Dr. Isaac Watts, in St. Mary Axe in London, which had been demolished some months earlier. He purchased them and had then placed in the in the new chapel. There were also fine bas-relief scenes in the chancel under the window.
The church cost in the region of £1,200 to build. This was met by Mr. Marsden. The church opened on 1st September 1842, when Revd. Dr. Thomas Raffles and Caleb Morris, of London, preached sermons. Alterations and extensions were made in 1888, so the church could hold a larger number of people - up to 700 people. The first pastor wa the Revd. H. Lawson Brown, who began his ministry in 1889. At the same time of the alterations a mission hall was built and opened in Field Road. This remained part of the church until 1955 when it was sold.
The first burial was in January 1848. Due to widening of Rake Lane in 1900 a number of graves were moved to a new plot next to the school. The last burial was recorded in September, 1964.
During the Second World War the church suffered damage during air-raids. The hall was destroyed, and the adjoining school, built in 1865, was also completely destroyed. The church and the hall was restored at the cost of over £20,00 during 1953-54. The Revd. Maurice Williams laid the foundation stone.
In 1970 the church had to be demolished due to the building becoming unsafe with dry rot. Marsden Court, which is now sheltered housing that comprises of 28 flats, was built on the site in 1978.