Catalogue

Blackwell All Saints Parish

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• Blackwell All Saints Parish
  • Blackwell All Saints Parish (Ref: EP/Da.AS)
  • 01 Registration (Ref: EP/Da.AS 1/)
  • Registers of baptisms (Ref: EP/Da.AS 1/1/1-2)
  • Registers of marriages (Ref: EP/Da.AS 1/2/1-3)
  • Registers of banns of marriage (Ref: EP/Da.AS 1/3/1-2)
  • Registers of funerals (Ref: EP/Da.AS 1/4/1)
  • 02 Clergy (Ref: EP/Da.AS 2/)
  • Registers of confirmations (Ref: EP/Da.AS 2/section 01)
  • Registers of services (Ref: EP/Da.AS 2/section 02)
  • Individual clergy (Ref: EP/Da.AS 2/section 03)
  • Licences to read the burial service before or after a cremation (Ref: EP/Da.AS 2/)
  • Licences to the curacy (Ref: EP/Da.AS 2/)
  • 04 Churchwardens (Ref: EP/Da.AS 4/)
  • Curate's house (Ref: EP/Da.AS 4/)
  • 13 Church societies (Ref: EP/Da.AS 13/)
  • Mothers' Union (Ref: EP/Da.AS 13/section 01)

Catalogue Description

Around 1920 the original church was a cottage at the southern end of Blackwell and was called The Mission Room/Church Room. A Sunday School was situated at Bland's Corner.

In 1926 £125 was allocated to repair the Church Room and there were also discussions about providing a proper church for the increasing population of Blackwell. During the mid 1920s a number of worshippers went to Sir Henry Havelock-Allan to ask about purchasing a site on Blackwell estate for church purposes. Blackwell United Methodist Church was also approached re its existing, but unused, room and an agreement was finally reached, as the cottage that was being used for worship was required by the owner for one of his workers.

In 1927 £150 was allocated from St. Cuthbert's sale of work towards the cost of a Blackwell church site. Then during 1933-1934 an application was made to Sir Henry Havelock-Allan for the purchase, at the price of £50 per acre, of 1.5 acres for the site of a church, parish hall and vicarage house for Blackwell. A document for purchase of the land was signed and conveyed to the Diocesan Board of Finance.

During 1936-1937 the site was fenced and hedged and estimates invited for a church building. Approval and a grant were sought from the Diocese. Foundation stones (still visible) were laid by Lord Barnard, Sir Henry Havelock-Allan, Lady Starmer and Mrs James White. Dedication of the completed building just five months after tender to build was accepted. For the first few years of existence Blackwell was dependent financially on St Cuthbert's parish.

During 1942, at the first annual general meeting at Blackwell, a need expressed for a new church building and a parish room. In 1943, 65 Carmel Road South in Blackwell was bequeathed for the use of the priest in charge while it was decided to name the Church All Saints. The church hall was erected at a cost of £1600 in 1946 and was in full use by the following year.

During 1948 the vicar explained that the possibility of the division of St Cuthbert's Parish, in order to create a Conventional District for All Saints', was "very remote in view of the fact that the population thereof is only about 3200". (This was before the St Columba area became part of the parish).

At a special congregation meeting in 1953 the general opinion was that "an extension to the present (All Saints') Church Building was of first priority", a proposition, including the idea of a screened dual purpose extension, was put and carried unanimously. 1956 saw the extension opened and the church remained until 1997.

In 1964 there was a proposal for a new building together with Elm Ridge Methodist Church which was carried without dissent, but later overturned when a plan for a new church was received from the architect and the plan for a joint building with Elm Ridge was deemed inopportune.
Doubts were raised as to the need for a new church, and the whole matter was referred back to the church committee. The idea of a new church stopped. But extensions were built to the hall.

During 1987 there was a dedication service bringing to an end the celebrations for the 50th Anniversary of the church building.

A few years later a repair and maintenance survey in 1990 of both church buildings concluded that in general terms the buildings were in good condition with a considerable projected life.

During 1994 a discussion was under way with St Cuthbert's and Holy Trinity for new parish boundaries to enable All Saints' to take in an area to the north of Coniscliffe Road. The Third Millennium Group gave its report and made recommendations about the stability of the ministry, the ministry to families and young children, and about the church buildings. Along with this report came a detailed study of possible improvements to the hall by adding a new block to the front at a cost of about £100,000, and suggestions as to how it could be funded. A hall planning group was subsequently set up to consider this matter, to make proposals to the church committee and to implement any decisions.

During 1995 a meeting between Holy Trinity, St Mary's, Cockerton, St Cuthbert's and All Saints' agreed to consider a Group Ministry, with the formation of a Conventional District covering the area bounded by the Tees, the Skerne, Nunnery Lane, Carmel Road, Cleveland Terrace and Quaker Lane, (7,000 people) with its parish church on the All Saints' site. Salutation Church could not continue, but the site could be redeveloped as a Christian Community Centre.
Plans for an improved hall were discussed between architects, the borough engineer, the congregation and the general public and a choice recommended and accepted. It was decided to make an application for funding to the Millennium Fund. An appeal to raise the first £60,000 for the building project raised £83,000 within a few weeks. A submission for a grant from the Millennium Commission towards building work on the hall was made.

In the early part of 1996 it was decided to build a completely new hall. An application to the Millennium Commission was accepted but the grant, if any, would not be announced until September. Then the new conventional district of All Saints' and Salutation came into being, to serve the area decided in July 1995. The first annual parochial church meeting of the new conventional district took place and a new parochial church council was elected and
provisional planning permission granted for the new centre. The Millennium Commission offered 48% of the cost of the new hall, or 50% of the hall plus the link to the church.

During 1997 the first sod was cut for the new hall by the Bishop of Durham and Nicola Barrett from the Millennium Commission. They used stainless steel spades and the Bishop enlarged the hole at the controls of a JCB digger. The church was reordered to provide for the link with the new Millennium Centre, while services still took place in the temporary hall accommodation.

The complete new hall was eventually handed over, while the last use of the temporary hall was after the nativity play and 10.30 service on 21 December. The foyer and main entrance were fully functional with access to the church through the new ground glass screen doors. The hall was fully functional by Sunday 4 January 1998.

Towards the end of 1998 Blackwell All Saints' & Salutation became a Parish with John Dobson as the first vicar.

By May 2000 the church was consecrated by the Bishop of Durham.

Source: http://allsaintsblackwell.org.uk/church/history/ [accessed 16 April 2021]

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