Holy Trinity Church, Blackburn

The church was built between 1837 and 1846 at a cost of £5,019 (equivalent to £}} in ). It was a Commissioners' church, receiving a grant of £1,519 towards its cost from the Church Building Society. The church was designed by the Lancaster architect Edmund Sharpe, the project being instigated by the Rev J. W. Whittaker, Sharpe's cousin and the vicar of Blackburn. The foundation stone was laid on 11 October 1837 by Rev John Bird Sumner, then the Bishop of Chester. It opened for worship in January 1846, and was consecrated on 12 July of that year. The church provided seating for 1,626 people. The completion of the tower was delayed due to lack of funds until 1853, and the intended spire was…

Internally there are slim compound piers and a west gallery. The ceiling is flat and divided into 80 panels by moulded ribs. Each of the panels contains a painting of a coat of arms. At the centre of the crossing are the royal coat of arms of Queen Victoria. Elsewhere are the arms of the other monarchs, going back to Edward the Confessor, bishops and other churchmen (including Whittaker), and William Whewell (one of Sharpe's patrons). The painters employed included William Birch, Benjamin West, John Brocklehurst and Samuel Driver. The organ was moved from Hanover Square Rooms, London. It was rebuilt and restored by Gray and Davidson in 1851 and installed in the west gallery. At a later date…