History of our church - The Rebuilding 1845-47
During the fifteen years from 1831 the population of the Parish had more than doubled to over 700, in addition troops began to be billeted in the Parish following the laying of the foundation stone of Horfield Barracks on 3rd june 1845, and the Parish church began to be used for Church Parades on which occasions it is recorded that the church was "inconveniently crowded"!
Rev'd Henry Richards considered that further enlargement was necessary and in 1845 engaged Mr William Butterfield - one of the foremost of the Victorian church architects, who had recently completed Highbury Chapel in Cotham and St Mary's Church in Coalpit Heath - top draw up proposals. In the event these envisaged removal of the Galleries and the Nave walls erected in 1831, to extend the Nave sideways to form North and South Aisles with the existing roof extended over both Aisles and supported internally with arches and columns.
In addition a vestry was to be erected on the outside of the North wall of the Chancel - the door to which still exists - and a Heating Chamber to the North side of the Tower - the South porch was also to be demolished and rebuilt on a new foundation.
This drawing from Lambeth Palace Library is undated but is believed to have been made by Mr William Butterfield in October 1846 to accompany the Petition presented to the Right Rev'd John Monk the Lord Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol for the faculty which was granted on 17th October 1846, for which work commenced in January 1847.
A second undated drawing found in the archives of the Incorporated Church Building Society, held at Lambeth Palace Library, is believed to have been produced by Mr William Butterfield to consider the layout of the pews to provide the optimum seating, which in this drawing shows 328 including a small number to be arranged in the Tower Porch.
A third drawing is a reverse of that preceding and shows a realignment of the seating to provide for 401 - this was presumably to accommodate the troops when they attended on Church Parade. Interestingly it appears that neither of these proposed layouts met with approval as the final drawing by Mr William Butterfield only shows a total of 344!
Records indicate that a Parish Rate was imposed on the parishioners to finance the enlargement of 1846-47, nevertheless it is believed that the Rev'd Henry Richards contributed a large amount from his own pocket. There is also a suggestion that there was some involvement with the Incorporated Church Building Society as these drawings were found in the archives of that Society, which are held in the Lambeth Palace Library.
The sketch shown here summarises the various changes made in the 1831 and the 1847 alterations.
