The Foundation Archive recently gained an exciting new item for its collections, thanks to the eagle eye of Assistant Clerk to the Trustees and former Foundation Bursar, Eddie Tolcher. Eddie spotted this wonderful print for sale online and passed the details on to the Archive. 

The print is a very high-quality copy of a drawing which originally appeared in The Building News, 23 December 1892. It depicts the new oak stalls, screen and gallery designed by architect Joseph Stanislaus Hansom for the first chapel of St Mary’s Priory; the work was carried out by Jones & Willis, a well-established Birmingham firm who had provided furniture and fittings for churches around the country and even for Christ Church Cathedral in New Zealand.

The accompanying article in The Building News, accessed during our recent research visit to Birmingham (see article on Hardman & Co records), records the changes made to the chapel, including ‘the removal of a dark and clumsy antechapel […] and a deep gallery where the organ formerly stood’, which were replaced by the ornately carved screen and smaller gallery. The organ was moved to a new side gallery, and ‘by this rearrangement seats have been obtained for twenty-five more students from the high-class school conducted by the nuns’.

1892 was a particularly significant year for the nuns of St Mary’s Priory, as it marked the centenary of their community’s arrival in England after escaping the perils of the French Revolution. It is likely that this special anniversary influenced their decision to improve upon the chapel’s original design and embellish it with the beautiful details seen in the drawing.

Following the purchase of St Mary’s Priory by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, the first chapel was deconsecrated in 1968 and divided to form the College Gymnasium downstairs and Study Hall upstairs, which later became the Theatre and Library respectively. However, the stalls in the drawing will no doubt look familiar to OPs of all ages, as these were moved into the new chapel before it opened in 1901 (another wonderful example of sustainable practices in our Foundation’s heritage!)

This print gives us a fascinating insight into the care and craftsmanship that went into designing and building the sacred spaces of the Priory, and we very much look forward to using it in future displays to help uncover the hidden history of our College buildings.

Images

Cover Image: Print from The Building News, 23 December 1892, depicting recently completed work on the first chapel of St Mary’s Priory.

Below Image: Interior of the first chapel, c. late 1890s; by this time, the Pippet mural had also been added (archive ref. SMP.24.2.96)