Josiah Spode II (1754-1827) and The Mount Estate (Penkhull)

Penkhull Church of England Church - St. Thomas

 

In 1840 it was the Minton family which again took the initiative to replace the school with a new church. Rev Thomas Webb Minton provided a donation of a £1,000 and an appeal was made for the remaining sum. 

The appeal and list of donations published in the Staffordshire Advertiser on 18 July 1840 shows that Mrs Spode, the widow of Josiah Spode II donated £100 towards the building of the new church. 

This was designed, like Hartshill church, by George Gilbert Scott (). However shortage of money meant that it was a much plainer structure built with poorer quality stone. It was consecrated on 10 October 1842 and later on that year it was announced that Samuel Minton, son of Rev Thomas Webb Minton, was to be the first incumbent. He spent much of his first two years trying to pay off the building debt. In April 1844 he organised a bazaar in Newcastle-under-Lyme, under the patronage of the Duchess of Sutherland, which raised £450. There was still £500 outstanding and in May 1844 it was reported that Herbert Minton paid of the remainder of the building debt. 

The Ordnance Survey map here shows the site of the church in 1877.

Staffordshire Advertiser 18 July 1840

St. Thomas C. of E. church in Penkhull Square 

questions/comments/contributions? email: Steve Birks