- Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Bridgnorth
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St. Mary Magdalene, Bridgnorth 
St. Mary Magdalene, BridgnorthDenomination Church of England Churchmanship Broad Church Website www.bridgnorth-anglican.org History Dedication St. Mary Magdalene Administration Diocese Hereford Province Canterbury Clergy Rector Preb Andy Roberts Vicar(s) Revd Angela Rogers Curate(s) Revd Helen Greenham Laity Organist/Director of music John Turnock The Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Bridgnorth, is a Parish Church in the Church of England.
Contents
Early history
The College of St. Mary Magdalen, Bridgnorth was founded as a royal free chapel, and its church was in the royal castle at Bridgnorth.
The nave, chancel and western tower were probably built c. 1238, and a north aisle was added, presumably after 1294, when a chantry service was founded in St. Mary's by Richard Dammas. As a Collegiate church it was originally intended as a private chapel for the castle, but by the later 15th century it was being used as a parish church.
The college of canons was dissolved in 1548.
The Deans of Bridgnorth
- Alexander, occurs c. 1161
- Simon, occurs c. 1196.
- Hugh de Taunay, appointed 1214
- Peter of Rivaulx, appointed 1223
- Michael de Fienles, appointed 1262
- Stephen of London, appointed 1265
- Bonettus of St. Quentin, appointed 1268
- Walter Langton, appointed 1290
- Amadeus of Savoy, obtained reversion 1298
- William of Savoy, appointed 1300
- Peter of Savoy, appointed 1301
- Engelard of Warley, appointed 1308
- Thomas of Eyton alias Knockin, appointed 1318
- Thomas Talbot, appointed 1334
- Thomas Keynes, appointed 1353
- Robert Ive, appointed 1362
- Thomas of Brantingham, appointed 1369
- Roger of Otery, appointed 1370
- Nicholas Slake, appointed 1387
- Thomas of Tutbury, appointed 1391
- Columb of Dunbar, appointed 1403
- John Marshall, appointed 1410
- Henry Sever, probably appointed 1446
- William Dudley, appointed 1471
- Richard Martin, appointed 1476
- William Chantry, appointed 1482
- John Argentine, appointed 1485
- Thomas Larke, appointed 1508
- William Cooper, appointed 1515
- Thomas Magnus, appointed 1517
The current building
The chancel
The church was designed by Thomas Telford and built by John Rhodes and Michael Head between 1792 and 1795.
The church is aligned north–south, rather than the more usual west–east. The tower stands 120 ft high, and it has a clock, eight bells and a copper-covered roof.
Organ
The pipe organ is currently being replaced. A temporary electronic organ is being used.
Organists
- ?
- Arthur C Clarke 1939 - 1972
- Harold Cooper 1972 - 2002
- John Turnock
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This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
Bells
The church has 8 bells, the heaviest weighing just over 8 cwt. These are usually rung twice weekly: on Wednesday practice night (7:30 pm – 9:00 pm) and for the main service on a Sunday morning (10:00 am – 10:30 am). Additionally, they are sometimes rung for weddings.
Sources
- The buildings of England, Shropshire. Nikolaus Pevsner.
- Civil Engineering Heritage, by Roger Cragg
- Colleges of secular canons: Bridgnorth, St Mary Magdalen, A History of the County of Shropshire: Volume 2 (1973), pp. 123–128.
Categories:- Church of England churches in Shropshire
- Diocese of Hereford
- Religious buildings completed in 1795
- 18th-century Church of England church buildings
- Collegiate churches in England
- Works of Thomas Telford
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