A Singapore Story to be Remembered John Leonard Wilson 1941-1949

By Sue Ann Mak a DPhil candidate in Theology (New Testament) at Mansfield College, University of Oxford.   John Leonard Wilson, more commonly known by his middle name, was born in County Durham, England, on November 23rd, 1897. After receiving theological training in Queen's College and Wycliffe Hall, both in Oxford University, he was ordained …

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Memorial to PETER OLIVER (1713-1791)

Introduction – Short Synopsis The monument to Peter Oliver, the former Chief Justice of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, is situated on the left-hand side of the nave, second monument from the front. Its presence in the Cathedral reminds us of both the turbulence of the eighteenth century and the universal plight of refugees. In …

Memorial to FRANCIS ROGERS M.D. (1765-1804)

Introduction – Short Synopsis Further to the article on Edmund Hector, I was interested to discover that the Cathedral memorials include an eighteenth-century physician as well as a surgeon and was delighted at the fact that Francis Rogers had an early place in the history of the Birmingham Dispensary. The memorial to Francis Rogers is …

Matthew Boulton and James Watt: The Beginnings of Industrialisation and the People

By: Emily Jones, Placement Student from the University of Birmingham The Beginnings of Revolution: Boulton and Watt’s Foundation Birmingham-born Matthew Boulton was baptised at St. Philip’s in 1728 (see Fig. 1). His partnership with technical innovator James Watt in the late eighteenth century would go on to revolutionise every aspect of manufacturing and transport in …

Memorial to Nanette Stocker: The real-life case of The Greatest Showman

By: Emily Jones, Placement Student from the University of Birmingham. Nineteenth-century Britain can very much be described as the age of spectacle. During this time, Britons could pay to see foreign peoples performing in local theatres and galleries where adults and children performed songs, dances and ceremonies. Initially, these performances were restricted to the wealthier …

Memorial to Edmund Hector

EDMUND HECTOR (1708 - 1794)   The memorial to Edmund Hector is situated on the left hand side of the central aisle of the Cathedral near the back, and a rough translation of the Latin reads: Edmund Hector, born in Lichfield on 30th January 1708. He practised the art of a surgeon in Birmingham for …

MEMORIAL TO WILLIAM WESTLEY RICHARDS

WILLIAM WESTLEY RICHARDS (1789 – 1865) “To be the maker of as good a gun as can be made”   Introduction In 1849 the visit of Prince Albert to the Exhibition of Manufactures at Bingley House in Birmingham was covered extensively by the press; the exhibition preceded the famous Great Exhibition of 1851 in London …

Memorial to James Bayley 1755-1834

JAMES BAYLEY (1755 – 1834) BUSINESS The monument to James Bayley is situated on the corner by the entrance door to the Cathedral and is executed in the same design as that of Theophilus Richards on the other side of the corner, thought to be by William Hollins, a well-known Birmingham funerary sculptor. I was …

Theophilus Richards 1747-1828

Theophilus Richards (1747-1828)   The unadorned monument to Theophilus Richards can be seen on the left of the south exit door of the Cathedral, which names himself and his wife, Mary Bingham. Both of them were people who were baptised, married and buried in St. Philip’s, and all of their children were baptised here. Theophilus, …

Cathedral Square by Anne French

The feeling of being in Cathedral Square will stay with me for a long time. As a newcomer to Birmingham, volunteering for the In:Site Festival, I was excited by the vibe around the Cathedral, which was by turns intense, serene, and something in between the two. I will take away memories of lovely conversations with …