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The Misericords and history of Birmingham RC Cathedral,

St Chad.

St Mary’s has twelve, 15th century, German, misericords.

Click to launch a description of St Chad’s misericords

Click the thumbnail misericords for larger images

History of The Metropolitan Cathedral and Basilica of St Chad, Birmingham, West Mids (Warwickshire).

The cathedral of St Chad’s was started to tend to the needs of Birmingham’s growing Roman Catholic population in 1839, and was the first Catholic cathedral to be built since the English Reformation in 1534.  St Chad’s was designed by Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin in a 13th century, north German, gothic style and built out of brick with Bath stone dressings.  Construction took only 2 years, with consecration occurring on 21st June 1841!

The chapter of canons was established in 1852, and the canon’s stalls, to which the misericords are fitted, were brought back from Belgium and Germany by John Talbot, 16th Earl of Shrewsbury.  Were the misericords brought over with the canon’s stalls?  Or were they, as rumour has it, install post the Second World War from a bombed out church in Cologne?  I have been unable to verify which is correct, however the misericords are all stylistically similar, so it is unlikely that they came from two different locations, as did the stalls, which lends credence to the rumour.  They are, unfortunately, not similar to those at Cologne Cathedral, which is not completely surprising as there is at least a century difference in their age.

Edward Welby Pugin, Augustus’ son added the south west spire in 1856 and later, in 1933 the cathedral was extended by the addition of St Edward’s Chapel, this was created by Pugin’s grandson, Sebastian Pugin Powell - it seems to have been a family business!

On the occasion of St Chad’s centenary, in 1941, Pope Pious XII made the Cathedral into a minor basilica.  

The official website of the Metropolitan Cathedral and Basilica of St Chad, Birmingham

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Click here for more 15th century misericords

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