Salford Cathedral
Encyclopedia
The Cathedral Church of St. John the Evangelist, usually known as Salford Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the City of Salford
in Greater Manchester
, England
. Located on Chapel Street, Salford , not far from Manchester city centre
, it is the seat of the Bishop of Salford
and mother church
of the Diocese of Salford
. The architectural style is decorated neo-Gothic, and the Cathedral is a Grade II* listed building.
(1812–1885) of Weightman and Hadfield of Sheffield, by Benjamin Hollins of Manchester. Hadfield's design for St. John's, the first cruciform
Catholic church to be built in England after the Reformation, was closely modelled on a number of noted medieval churches. The 'west' (actually south) front is copied from Howden Minster in the East Riding of Yorkshire; the choir and sanctuary are a replica of those of Selby Abbey
in North Yorkshire; the decorations of the groined roof are copied from the church of St Jacques in Liege, Belgium; the tower and spire, the latter the tallest in Lancashire at the time of building, are derived from the church of St Mary Magdalene, Newark-on-Trent
, Nottinghamshire. Two notable local businessmen, Daniel Lee (d. 1858) and John Leeming (d. 1877), each donated £1,000 towards the cost of the church and furnishings; both benefactors are commemorated in chantries at the 'east' end of the choir. The Cathedral's 'east' window of 1856, by William Wailes
of Newcastle, depicts the history of Catholic Christianity in England, from the conversion of Ethelbert by St. Augustine in 597, to the restoration of the Catholic hierarchy in 1850. The total cost of building the Cathedral was £18,000.
The foundation stone was laid in 1844 by Bishop James Sharples, coadjutor
to Bishop George Brown, Vicar Apostolic of the Lancashire District
. The church was opened on 9 August, 1848: Bishop Brown celebrated a Solemn High Mass in the presence of the Bishops of the other Vicariates of England and Wales. St. John's was elevated to cathedral
status following the erection in September 1850 of the Diocese of Salford. On 25 July 1851 William Turner
was consecrated the first Bishop of Salford
in the Cathedral. In the same ceremony the Rector of St. John's, Dr George Errington
was consecrated first Bishop of Plymouth
.
Thirty years later in October 1881 a violent storm caused serious damage to the Cathedral's 240 ft. spire. Canon Beesley, then the administrator, succeeded in raising funds for repairs to the spire and generally refurbishing the fabric of the building. He also oversaw the furnishing of the new chapel of the blessed sacrament in the 'south' transept in 1884, to designs of Peter Paul Pugin
, third son of A.W.N. Pugin.
By early 1890 the last £1,000 was paid to settle the original debt for the building of the Cathedral, which led to the consecration of the Cathedral in the same year by the second Bishop of Salford, Herbert Vaughan, later to become Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster.
In 1919/20 the turrets on the 'west' front were found to be in danger of collapsing into the street below. They were taken down and rebuilt by the Sheffield firm of O'Neill & Son under the direction of Charles M. Hadfield, grandson of the Cathedral's original architect. In 1924 the War Memorial Chapel in the 'north' transept was opened, commemorating the fallen in World War I. By 1934 the Cathedral's spire was found to have strayed from the perpendicular and the Civic authorities ordered that some sixty feet be removed. Repairs were not completed until 1938. Restoration and repair of damage sustained in the Second World War was carried out in the immediate post-war years.
Further restoration and re-ordering were carried out in 1971/2 at a cost of £80,000. This included the erection of a new free-standing altar located under the crossing, following the Second Vatican Council
. A further re-ordering of the choir (chancel) took place in 1988, including the removal of the original stone High Altar and Reredos, installed in 1853-5 to designs by George Goldie
.
A new stained-glass west window was installed in 1990, to celebrate the centenary of the consecration of the building. Its title is When I am lifted up I shall draw all people to myself, and it depicts, in somewhat abstract form, the crucified Christ flanked by the Virgin Mary and the Cathedral's patron, St. John.
A new organ was installed by Makin in 2002. This 4-manual digital instrument replaced a 2-manual pipe organ by Jardine, installed in 1951. The Jardine instrument was itself a replacement for a short-lived experimental design by Compton of 1938, involving remote pipework relayed into the Cathedral by microphones and loudspeakers. Some of the Compton pipework was re-used in the Jardine instrument. The earliest instrument in Cathedral records was a four-manual instrument by W.E. Richardson sited in the north transept, installed in 1887.
Restoration of the external stonework to the spire and 'west' (i.e. south) front took place in the spring of 2007.
City of Salford
The City of Salford is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Salford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Eccles, Swinton-Pendlebury, Walkden and Irlam which apart from Irlam each have a population of over...
in Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Located on Chapel Street, Salford , not far from Manchester city centre
Manchester City Centre
Manchester city centre is the central business district of Manchester, England. It lies within the Manchester Inner Ring Road, next to the River Irwell...
, it is the seat of the Bishop of Salford
Bishop of Salford
The Bishop of Salford is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salford in the Province of Liverpool, England.With the gradual abolition of the legal restrictions on the activities of Catholics in England and Wales in the early 19th century, Rome decided to proceed to bridge the gap of the...
and mother church
Mother Church
In Christianity, the term mother church or Mother Church may have one of the following meanings:# The first mission church in an area, or a pioneer cathedral# A basilica or cathedral# The main chapel of a province of a religious order...
of the Diocese of Salford
Diocese of Salford
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Salford is a Latin Rite Roman Catholic diocese centred around Salford Cathedral in the City of Salford in Greater Manchester, England....
. The architectural style is decorated neo-Gothic, and the Cathedral is a Grade II* listed building.
History
St. John's Church, Salford, was built between 1844 and 1848 to designs of Matthew Ellison HadfieldMatthew Ellison Hadfield
Matthew Ellison Hadfield was an English architect of the Victorian Gothic revival. He is chiefly known for his work on Roman Catholic churches, including the cathedral churches of Salford and Sheffield.-Training:...
(1812–1885) of Weightman and Hadfield of Sheffield, by Benjamin Hollins of Manchester. Hadfield's design for St. John's, the first cruciform
Cruciform
Cruciform means having the shape of a cross or Christian cross.- Cruciform architectural plan :This is a common description of Christian churches. In Early Christian, Byzantine and other Eastern Orthodox forms of church architecture this is more likely to mean a tetraconch plan, a Greek cross,...
Catholic church to be built in England after the Reformation, was closely modelled on a number of noted medieval churches. The 'west' (actually south) front is copied from Howden Minster in the East Riding of Yorkshire; the choir and sanctuary are a replica of those of Selby Abbey
Selby Abbey
Selby Abbey is an Anglican parish church in the town of Selby, North Yorkshire.-Background:It is one of the relatively few surviving abbey churches of the medieval period, and, although not a cathedral, is one of the biggest...
in North Yorkshire; the decorations of the groined roof are copied from the church of St Jacques in Liege, Belgium; the tower and spire, the latter the tallest in Lancashire at the time of building, are derived from the church of St Mary Magdalene, Newark-on-Trent
Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Newark-on-Trent
The Church of St. Mary Magadalene, Newark-on-Trent is a parish church in the Church of England in Newark-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire.The church is Grade I listed by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport as a building of outstanding architectural or historic interest.-Building:It is notable for...
, Nottinghamshire. Two notable local businessmen, Daniel Lee (d. 1858) and John Leeming (d. 1877), each donated £1,000 towards the cost of the church and furnishings; both benefactors are commemorated in chantries at the 'east' end of the choir. The Cathedral's 'east' window of 1856, by William Wailes
William Wailes
William Wailes, , was the proprietor of one of England’s largest and most prolific stained glass workshops.- Biographical :Wailes was born and grew up in Newcastle on Tyne, England’s centre of domestic glass and bottle manufacturing. His first business was as a grocer and tea merchant...
of Newcastle, depicts the history of Catholic Christianity in England, from the conversion of Ethelbert by St. Augustine in 597, to the restoration of the Catholic hierarchy in 1850. The total cost of building the Cathedral was £18,000.
The foundation stone was laid in 1844 by Bishop James Sharples, coadjutor
Coadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...
to Bishop George Brown, Vicar Apostolic of the Lancashire District
Vicar Apostolic of the Lancashire District
The Vicar Apostolic of the Lancashire District was the title given to the bishop who headed an ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church in England...
. The church was opened on 9 August, 1848: Bishop Brown celebrated a Solemn High Mass in the presence of the Bishops of the other Vicariates of England and Wales. St. John's was elevated to cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
status following the erection in September 1850 of the Diocese of Salford. On 25 July 1851 William Turner
William Turner (Bishop of Salford)
William Turner was the first Bishop of Salford, a Roman Catholic diocese in the north-west of England.Before 1850 he was the Vicar General for the Hundreds of Salford and Blackburn, and when these areas were formed into the Salford Diocese, he became its first bishop in 1851...
was consecrated the first Bishop of Salford
Bishop of Salford
The Bishop of Salford is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salford in the Province of Liverpool, England.With the gradual abolition of the legal restrictions on the activities of Catholics in England and Wales in the early 19th century, Rome decided to proceed to bridge the gap of the...
in the Cathedral. In the same ceremony the Rector of St. John's, Dr George Errington
George Errington
George Errington , the second son of Thomas Errington and Katherine of Clints Hall, Richmond, Yorkshire, was a Roman Catholic churchman....
was consecrated first Bishop of Plymouth
Bishop of Plymouth
The Bishop of Plymouth is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Plymouth in the Province of Southwark, England.The diocese covers an area of and consists of the counties of Cornwall, Devon and Dorset...
.
Thirty years later in October 1881 a violent storm caused serious damage to the Cathedral's 240 ft. spire. Canon Beesley, then the administrator, succeeded in raising funds for repairs to the spire and generally refurbishing the fabric of the building. He also oversaw the furnishing of the new chapel of the blessed sacrament in the 'south' transept in 1884, to designs of Peter Paul Pugin
Peter Paul Pugin
Peter Paul Pugin was an English architect, son of Augustus Welby Pugin by his third wife Jane Knill. He was the half-brother of architect and designer Edward Welby Pugin....
, third son of A.W.N. Pugin.
By early 1890 the last £1,000 was paid to settle the original debt for the building of the Cathedral, which led to the consecration of the Cathedral in the same year by the second Bishop of Salford, Herbert Vaughan, later to become Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster.
In 1919/20 the turrets on the 'west' front were found to be in danger of collapsing into the street below. They were taken down and rebuilt by the Sheffield firm of O'Neill & Son under the direction of Charles M. Hadfield, grandson of the Cathedral's original architect. In 1924 the War Memorial Chapel in the 'north' transept was opened, commemorating the fallen in World War I. By 1934 the Cathedral's spire was found to have strayed from the perpendicular and the Civic authorities ordered that some sixty feet be removed. Repairs were not completed until 1938. Restoration and repair of damage sustained in the Second World War was carried out in the immediate post-war years.
Further restoration and re-ordering were carried out in 1971/2 at a cost of £80,000. This included the erection of a new free-standing altar located under the crossing, following the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
. A further re-ordering of the choir (chancel) took place in 1988, including the removal of the original stone High Altar and Reredos, installed in 1853-5 to designs by George Goldie
George Goldie (architect)
George Goldie was a nineteenth century ecclesiastical architect who specialised in Roman Catholic churches.Goldie was born in York and was the grandson of the architect Joseph Bonomi the Elder...
.
A new stained-glass west window was installed in 1990, to celebrate the centenary of the consecration of the building. Its title is When I am lifted up I shall draw all people to myself, and it depicts, in somewhat abstract form, the crucified Christ flanked by the Virgin Mary and the Cathedral's patron, St. John.
A new organ was installed by Makin in 2002. This 4-manual digital instrument replaced a 2-manual pipe organ by Jardine, installed in 1951. The Jardine instrument was itself a replacement for a short-lived experimental design by Compton of 1938, involving remote pipework relayed into the Cathedral by microphones and loudspeakers. Some of the Compton pipework was re-used in the Jardine instrument. The earliest instrument in Cathedral records was a four-manual instrument by W.E. Richardson sited in the north transept, installed in 1887.
Restoration of the external stonework to the spire and 'west' (i.e. south) front took place in the spring of 2007.
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in Greater Manchester
- List of tallest buildings and structures in Salford