St. Mary's Church Brymbo
St. Mary's 1872-Present
St. Mary's church replaced an earlier church that stood a little distance away called St. Johns. The first church, which was consecrated on 31 July 1838 (St. Johns), unfortunately, collapsed because of subsidence, and it was closed in 1869. The well-known local historian, Alfred Neobard Palmer, stated that the subsidence was caused by construction work on the nearby Great Western Railway; but other authorities blame it on extensive coal-mining operations. Services were temporarily transferred to the nearby school, but this also became unsafe - for the same reason.
The Marquis of Westminster laid the foundation stone for St. Mary's a little distance away (Ordnance Survey reference SJ 295543), on August 15th, 1871 and the consecration took place on September 10th, 1872. The central window of the chancel was the gift of the architect, T. H. Wyatt; his widow, Mary, placed the other four in memory of Robert Roy of Brymbo Hall. The congregation and friends of the Reverend presented the lectern, an eagle carved in oak to William Jones commemorating the completion of twenty-five years as vicar of the parish on Easter 1882. The contractor, Mr. J. Roberts of Chester, presented the font, which is wrought in stone from the Moss Quarry. The total cost of ground and building was £3,600.
A gentleman from Stratford upon Avon built the organ in 1870. It had two manuals and sixteen stops. Thomas Douglas Glyn Rogers, spoke that his great-grandfather, Thomas Rogers, who was a joiner and builder, put the semi-circular roof over the chancel Sarah Ann Taylor of the Queen's Head, Brymbo, was the first person laid to rest in the churchyard, just inside the gates of St. Mary's, on the left hand side and by the same coincidence Thomas Alfred Rogers, is buried just inside the church gates, on the right hand side.
(Graham Rodgers, "Brymbo and its neighborhood book")
Churches in Brymbo
St. Johns church was the first church to be built in Brymbo in 1837-8. It was built on a fault, and due to the mining operations in the area, subsidence took place and it fell into ruin. To replace it St. Mary's was built in 1871 and St. John's Welsh Church in 1891.
The new parish of Brymbo was created on 6 December 1844. It contained the township of Brymbo and part of the township of Broughton, both of which had previously been in the parish of Wrexham.
On 5 March 1880, the western part of the parish went to the new parish of Bwlchgwyn; on 15 February 1909, part went to the new parish of Broughton; and on 7 May 1921, part went to the new parish of Southsea.
The church was in Denbighshire until 1974; and in Clwyd from 1974 until 1996.
It is now in Wrexham County Borough.
Churches in Brymbo
Gyfynys Church
1802-? Harwt/Wern Cae-plenty (Capeleeca /Ridings) Nr. Ffrwd
1890-1972 BrymboWelsh Wesleyan Chapel
Engedi 1820-2003 BrymboCalvinistic Methodists
Bethania ?-? Brymbo Calvinistic Methodists
Can anyone shed more light on the first church or any of the other churches in Brymbo? Please email me at brymbolad@hotmail.com.
Jan 2006
I note with interest your item on St Mary's church,particularly the photograph of the choir. The person sitting two to the right of the tall vicar is my grandfather, James Jones who was at this time living with his wife and family in 6 Coedyfelin Rd. The younger man sitting to his right is I believe his son Bob( My uncle) who became sales manager in th Steel Works and remained so until his retirement in the 1950s. James daughter Eveline was for many years head mistress in the Church School. My grandfather died in the flu epidemic in 1918/19 and I think this photograph was taken shortly before his death in March 1919. I suggest that as there are a number of relatively young men in this photograph it could have been taken after the war but prior to March 1919.
Regards Mike Jones another Brymbolad!!
