St Mary's Church, Whittall Street, Birmingham

1783 engraving, showing the original tower

St. Mary's Church, Whittall Street, was built in 1774, under an Act of 1772,[1][2] as a chapel of ease to St Martin in the Bull Ring. The building was designed by Joseph Pickford.[3] Two years after opening, part of a gallery collapsed during a service, but the incident did not result in any injuries.

In 1786 John Wesley attended a service and heard a sermon by the first incumbent Edward Burn.[4]

A parish was assigned to St. Mary's in 1841 out of St Martin in the Bull Ring.

St Mary's on the Ordnance Survey 25 inch map of 1892-1914

Memorial card to victims of the explosion at Messrs Pursall and Philips

In 1859, 15 women (of a total of 19), who had died in an explosion at Messrs Pursall and Philips Percussion Cap Manufactory, also in Whittall Street, were interred in a single vault in the church.

Structural problems were discovered in 1866 and the tower and spire were subsequently rebuilt in a Gothic style.

In 1925 the church was closed pending demolition for the expansion of Birmingham General Hospital. The parish was united with that of Bishop Ryder Church.[2] The proceeds of the sale went to build St Mary's Church, at Pype Hayes.

Its registers of baptisms (1774–1812) and burials (1779–1812) are at St. Martin's.[2] Its silver communion service is at St. Mary's, except for two flagons which are in the collection of Birmingham Assay Office.[2]

The thoroughfare at the north-west side of the site is still called St Mary's Row.