| AdminHistory | On a site donated by the 1st Earl of Dudley the Church of St. Andrew was erected in 1830, at a cost of £8,000. The English style building consists of a chancel, nave, aisles, and a castellated tower with pinnacles, containing a clock and 8 bells. Six of the bells were donated by Mrs. Skidmore, and the other two by Mr. D. Rolinson. There are memorial windows to Mrs. Skidmore, of Netherton Hill House, her husband, the father of Mr. J. Golding., Mrs. Marriott and her husband Reverend Canon S. J. Marriott the vicar 1878-1923. An alabaster pulpit was donated by Alderman and Mrs. Dunn as a memorial to their sons. In 1890 an ornamental screen was placed at the entrance, and in 1897 an eagle lectern was given by the congregation to commemorate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. In 1886 the church was thoroughly restored, and again in 1903. A reredos made of stone and marble was erected in 1883 as a memorial to the mother of Mr. H. P. Skidmore, depicting six of the apostles. The church was again renovated in 1913 at a cost of £1,000 and a side chapel was added in 1919. This contained an altar and reredos dedicated to the men of the parish who lost their lives in the First World War (1914-1918). The church seats about 1500 people. |