St. Cyprian's Church, Hay Mills

St. Cyprian's Church, Hay Mills
St. Cyprian's Church, Hay Mills
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Broad Church
Website	http://www.achurchnearyou.com/hay-mill-st-cyprian/
History
Dedication	St. Cyprian
Administration
Parish	Hay Mills
Deanery	Yardley and Bordesley
Archdeaconry	Aston
Diocese	Birmingham
Province	Canterbury
Clergy
Vicar(s)	Rev'd Roy Anetts
Laity
Churchwarden(s)	David Latham, Chris Phillips

St. Cyprian's Church, Hay Mills is a parish church in the Church of England in Hay Mills, Birmingham, England. It is situated on the southern side of the main Birmingham to Coventry Road A45 at the end of a lane called the Fordrough that leads to the factory of Webster & Horsfall Ltd. It has long been associated with the Horsfall family who built the church and continue to be its owners. Built in the 19th century of red brick in the Gothic Revival style it is dedicated to St Cyprian the third century martyr and Bishop of Carthage who although coming from a wealthy background gave away a portion of his wealth to the poor of Carthage, he was beheaded by the Romans in 258. The church is now Grade II listed.

James Horsfall was a wire drawer from Digbeth who invented high tensile steel wire. He moved to Hay Mill, a disused blade and sword factory at a water mill on the River Cole, rebuilding it as a steam-driven mill. The mill originally belonged to Hay Hall in Tyseley. In 1855 his company merged with Joseph Webster's of Penn Mill, Sutton Coldfield. He was a major manufacturer and exporter of the piano wire to Europe in 1824. In 1853 Horsfall had patented a heat treatment process which strengthened the wire. This led to improved piano wire (giving a near monopoly), wire for making needles in Redditch, fishhooks, and umbrella frames. The firm made the armoured wire for first successful transatlantic telegraph cable in 1866, using 30,000 miles of wire (1600 tons), made by 250 workers over 11 months. The strengthened wire also made possible the construction of aeroplanes and automobiles. The company today also makes springs.

Horsfall built houses and, in 1860, a schoolroom for his workers’ children. This was subsequently converted into a Chapel, the present school room which stands beside the church was built in 1863. The services for the chapel were conducted by the senior curate of Yardley and in 1866, Sunday evening services were held and a Sunday School started for the children. In the following year, six buttresses were erected and two stone crosses were fixed to the apex of the roof. In 1869 the organ and organ chamber were added. In 1873 the foundation stone was laid and work began to incorporate the former chapel as the present chancel. To this, designed by Frank Barlow Osborn but often wrongly ascribed to Martin & Chamberlain, and built by William Partridge was added the nave, the side aisles, the gallery, porch, tower, spire and vestries. The church was consecrated in 1878 and the first Church Council was elected in 1899 consisting of twelve members of the church, in addition to the Vicar, Churchwardens and six Sidesmen. During the Second World War in 1940 the building was damaged by enemy action but not beyond repair.