St Margarets Church

Chapel Lane, Birmingham West Midlands, B43 7BA

"The chapel of Great Barr, founded by Mrs. Bromwich, is remarkable for the beauty and elegance of its architecture. At one end it is adorned by a very handsome spire, and the interior is fitted up in the most refined modern taste. On the east win ow is exhibited a painting on glass, not inferior in style and execution to many of the most approved productions of this art in more remote tlmes. It is the work of Mr. Eginton, who has not only happily borrowed from the Rev. Willlam Peter's Spirit of a Child, but has actually succeeded in improving the original design, chiefly by his having introduced some highly finished clouds, which finely relieve the splendid effect of the
supernatural light. The graceful and highly flowing hair, together with the delicately beautiful and interesting faces of the two figures, are exquisitely delineated and softened by a gradation of tints, and a simplicity of colouring, of which the ancient
painters were wholly ignorant." (The Beauties of England and Wales, J.Nightingale, 1813 )

"Great Barr Church, (St Margaret), is an elegant structure, standing on an eminence, shaded by a number of lofty elms. It was founded by a Mrs Bromwich, and the six bells were a gift of a Mrs Whitby, but it has since been nearly rebuilt, and ornamented with beautiful painted glass windows. The benefice is a perpetual curacy, or donative, in the patronage of Sir ED Scott, Bart, and incumbency of the Rev. Wm Hy Scott, MA."
[From History, Gazetteer and Directory of Staffordshire, William White, Sheffield, 1851)

The church was entirely rebuilt, with the exception of the tower and spire in 1860.

The church of St Margaret, Great Barr, was a chapelry of Aldridge parish

The register of St Margaret commences in 1654.

Ministers

• 1849- Revd William Henry Scott (first vicar of Great Barr Parish)
• ~1857-1858 - Rev J L Knight
• 1858-1866 - Rev H Bagnall
• 1866-1870 - Revd G. Vernon
• 1870-1897~ - Revd. H J Clarke
• ~1907~ -Revd J.Lane Hopkins
• 1930-1947 - Revd. Joseph Reaney
• 1947-2001 - Revd. Joseph Silvester Reaney (1913-2001)
• current Revd. Martin Rutter