Photos of St. Peter's Church in Wolverhampton, England
Photos of our trip to St Peter Collegiate Church in Wolverhampton, England
September 2017
Bill & Judy Wood
Standing inside St. Peter’s Church in Wolverhampton, England was a thrill and was one of the items on Judy’s bucket list.
The City of Wolverhampton was founded in the mid 600’s by the Mercian King Wulfhere. The oldest known artifact lies in the churchyard and is suspected to be an Anglo-Saxon column carved in the mid 800’s with birds, animals and acanthus leaves.
In 943 the Danes attacked the Mercian capital of Tamworth and a young girl called Wulfrun, a member of the Mercian royal family, was taken prisoner. Wulfrun was released and became a loving symbol for the people and the church of Wolverhampton.
In the 1200’s the church changed names from St. Mary’s, to St. Peter and St. Paul, and then to just St. Peter’s. It was intended to be a minister church for a college of priests (collegiate)to take the Christian message to all places. It also had a market place surrounding the church, which helped bring people to worship at the church.
In 1439 there was a commission to build a grander church. Money raised for this endeavor came from the local wool and cloth merchants whose businesses had been enhanced through Edward III. The Nave of the church was made loftier and high stained-glass windows were added to increase the light. A sandstone pulpit and bearded lion were also added during this renovation.
In the early to mid-1600’s, civil war erupted during which most of the church’s stained- glass windows were broken and artifacts pillaged. William Bull’s father and grandfather (John and Peter Bull) were both members of the church during this time. The photos you are about to view show how the church looked when our ancestor, William Bull, was baptized there in 1689. Although I didn’t find any mention of our Bull family inside of St. Peter’s, I was moved as I stood inside the same church where our Bull ancestors worshipped in and to sit in a pew. I will leave literature at the Bull Stone House in case you may want to stop by and read more.
Enjoy,
Judy
September 2017
Bill & Judy Wood
Standing inside St. Peter’s Church in Wolverhampton, England was a thrill and was one of the items on Judy’s bucket list.
The City of Wolverhampton was founded in the mid 600’s by the Mercian King Wulfhere. The oldest known artifact lies in the churchyard and is suspected to be an Anglo-Saxon column carved in the mid 800’s with birds, animals and acanthus leaves.
In 943 the Danes attacked the Mercian capital of Tamworth and a young girl called Wulfrun, a member of the Mercian royal family, was taken prisoner. Wulfrun was released and became a loving symbol for the people and the church of Wolverhampton.
In the 1200’s the church changed names from St. Mary’s, to St. Peter and St. Paul, and then to just St. Peter’s. It was intended to be a minister church for a college of priests (collegiate)to take the Christian message to all places. It also had a market place surrounding the church, which helped bring people to worship at the church.
In 1439 there was a commission to build a grander church. Money raised for this endeavor came from the local wool and cloth merchants whose businesses had been enhanced through Edward III. The Nave of the church was made loftier and high stained-glass windows were added to increase the light. A sandstone pulpit and bearded lion were also added during this renovation.
In the early to mid-1600’s, civil war erupted during which most of the church’s stained- glass windows were broken and artifacts pillaged. William Bull’s father and grandfather (John and Peter Bull) were both members of the church during this time. The photos you are about to view show how the church looked when our ancestor, William Bull, was baptized there in 1689. Although I didn’t find any mention of our Bull family inside of St. Peter’s, I was moved as I stood inside the same church where our Bull ancestors worshipped in and to sit in a pew. I will leave literature at the Bull Stone House in case you may want to stop by and read more.
Enjoy,
Judy