Vicars

St Stephen’s Church Vicars

St. Stephen’s opened in 1857

John Burbidge, the first Vicar of St. Stephen’s, who died in London in February, 1908, in his eighty-third year.  A decided Protestant, his teaching was thoroughly evangelical.  He was a lovable man of great zeal, who gained the confidence of all who knew him.  During his seventeen years’ ministry – 1858-75 – at St. Stephen’s the church was always full.  He attracted large numbers of young men, who on the first Sunday of each year crowded his church to hear his special address to them.  I well remember his genial, attractive style.  Widespread regret was manifested in 1875 when he removed to Emmanuel Church, Liverpool, where, at a later period, he became a Canon of the Cathedral.

St. Stephen’s Church was closed in 1940

1957 – 1962 Revd. Guy Hephen

1962 – 1967 Revd. Harold Rothwell Priest in charge

1967 – 1975 Revd. Joseph A. Partridge

Between 1977 and 1993 St. Stephens’ was together with the St. Bartholomew’s at the Parish of Netherthorpe under a Team Ministry.

1975 – 1982 Revd. David Ford (Rector)

1980 – 1985 Revd. Henry Faulkner (Team Vicar)

1982 – 1990 Revd. William Mather (Rector)

1991– 1997 Revd. Nigel Clemas

2000 – 2004 Revd. Eric Bossward (curate)

2005 – 2013 Revd. Phil Batchford

In 2013, during the tenure of Revd. Batchford, St. Stephen’s merged with St. Bartholomew’s to become the Parish of the Vine.

Vicars of St. Bartholomew’s

1880 – 1904 Revd. B. B. Slater

1904 – 1911 Revd. V. E. Ellis

1911 – 1924 Revd. W. A. Dark

1924 – 1929 Revd. W. R. Bellamy

1929 – 1935 Revd. J. S. Hollingworth

1935 – 1941 Revd. C. W. Scott

Revd. Scott became an Army Chaplain and Revd. J. E. Broadbent, the Vicar of Owlerton, took over temporary charge of the Parish with the assistance of his Curate, Revd. H. Kirk-Smith, who eventually became Vicar.

1946 – 1951 Revd. H. Kirk-Smith

1952 – 1956 Revd. C. Sunderland

1957 – 1959 Revd. J. Roebuck

1960 – 1964 Revd. M. E. Charles

1964 – 1966 Revd. B. Hawkins

1967 – 1975 Revd. W. Hossent

1977 – 1993 (As part of the Parish of Netherthorpe under the Team Rector)

1993 – 1998 Revd. N. Helm

1999 – 2002 Rev. P. Thorne

2002 – 2007 Canon P. W. West (Priest-in-Charge)

2007 – 2008 Rev. J. M. Kilner (Priest-in-Charge)

2011 – 2013 Rev. P. J. Batchford (Priest-in-Charge)

Vicars of The Vine

In 2013 The Vine was formed as St. Stephen’s merged with St. Bartholomew’s. The new vicar was Revd. Phil Batchford, who had been Vicar of St. Stephen’s from 2005.

2013 – 2017 Revd. Phil Batchford

2018 – present  Revd. Will Briggs