St. Martin in the Bull Ring
Birmingham, England

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Historical Overview

Family significance: Both Theodore Turley and Frances Kimberley were baptized at St. Martin’s church as infants. Both sets of their parents were married at the church as well.

Marriage record for William Turley and Elizabeth Yates (1793).
Baptism record for Theodore Turley (1801).
Marriage record for Thomas Kimberley and Sarah Hitchins (1790).
Baptism record for Frances Kimberley (1800).
"A View of the Bull Ring from High Street, looking towards St. Martin's Church" drawn in 1812.
“A View of the Bull Ring from High Street, looking towards St. Martin’s Church, Birmingham,” drawn by Thomas Hollins, aquatinted by J. C. Stadler (1812). Photo by Birmingham Museums Trust, licensed under CC0.

St. Martin in the Bull Ring was the original parish church in Birmingham, and it has elements dating back to the middle ages. Most of the building was demolished and rebuilt in the late 19th century. Bomb damage in World War II required further repairs and restoration. Of the exterior, the tower is the only element that members of the Turley and Kimberley families would recognize today. The smaller red sandstone church in the above drawing is what the church would’ve looked like at the turn of the 19th century when both William & Elizabeth Turley (Theodore’s parents) and Thomas & Sarah Kimberley (Frances’ parents) were just starting their families.

View of Birmingham from the south, mid-19th century.
“Prospect of Birmingham from the South,” mid-19th century. Photo by Birmingham Museums Trust, licensed under CC0.

As can be seen in the panorama of Birmingham above, St. Martin’s distinctive tall tower was a distinguishing feature of Birmingham’s skyline even in the mid-19th century.1 Now, the building is dwarfed by the modern buildings surrounding it.

Modern view of St. Martin's Church in the center of Birmingham, surrounded by tall modern buildings.
Modern view of St. Martin in the Bull Ring in Birmingham. Photo by suttonbaggies – stock.adobe.com, standard license.
Close-up view of the distinctive sandstone towers of the Church of St. Martin in the Bull Ring.
Close-up of the distinctive red sandstone tower (left) at St. Martin in the Bull Ring in Birmingham. Photo by Luana Rogers.

Related Links

From Theodore Turley: A Biography by Richard E. Turley, Jr.:

From Ann Lewis’ website:

Timeline

1790
May 4: Frances Kimberley’s parents, Thomas Kimberley and Sarah Hitchins, were married at St. Martin’s Church.3

1792
April 20: Frances Kimberley’s oldest sister, Mary Ann Kimberley, was baptized at St. Martin’s Church.4

1793
June 9: Theodore Turley’s parents, William Turley and Elizabeth Yates, were married at St. Martin’s Church.5
August 27: Frances Kimberley’s sister, Maria Kimberley, was baptized at St. Martin’s Church.6

1796
February 12: Frances Kimberley’s sister, Ann Kimberley, was baptized at St. Martin’s Church.7

1798
April 6: Frances Kimberley’s brother, Jesse Kimberley, was baptized at St. Martin’s Church.8

1800
October 9: Frances Kimberley was baptized at St. Martin’s Church.9

1801
May 29: Theodore Turley was baptized at St. Martin’s Church.10

1803
January 1: Frances Kimberley’s sister, Harriet Kimberley, was baptized at St. Martin’s Church.11

1807
May 23: Frances Kimberley’s sister, Sarah Kimberley, was baptized at St. Martin’s Church.12

1810
August 20: Frances Kimberley’s sister, Susanna Kimberley, was baptized at St. Martin’s Church.13

1813
May 11: Frances Kimberley’s youngest sibling, Thomas Henry Kimberley, was baptized at St. Martin’s Church. The Kimberley family lived on Essex Street, and Thomas Kimberley, Sr., was noted as a builder.14

1823
March 16: Frances Kimberley’s brother, Jesse Kimberley, married Elizabeth Shaw Johnson at St. Martin’s Church.15

  1. Birmingham’s town hall can be seen in the background, indicating that the drawing was done after construction began in 1832.
  3. Birmingham, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1937, Birmingham, St. Martin, 1778-1796, marriage of Thomas Kimberley and Sarah Hitchins, 4 May 1790, image at Ancestry.com.[/efn_note
    October 22: Frances Kimberley’s oldest brother, John Hitchins Kimberley, was baptized at St. Martin’s Church.2Birmingham, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812, Birmingham, St. Martin, 1781-1795, baptism of John Hitchins son of Thomas & Sarah Kimberley, 22 Oct. 1790, image at Ancestry.com.
  4. Birmingham, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812, Birmingham, St. Martin, 1781-1795, baptism of Mary Ann daughter of Thomas & Sarah Kimberley, 20 Apr. 1792, image at Ancestry.com.
  5. Birmingham, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1937, Birmingham, St. Martin, 1778-1796, marriage of William Turley and Elizabeth Yates, 9 Jun. 1793, image at Ancestry.com.
  6. Birmingham, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812, Birmingham, St. Martin, 1781-1795, baptism of Maria daughter of Thomas & Sarah Kimberley, 27 Aug. 1793, image at Ancestry.com.
  7. Birmingham, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812, Birmingham, St. Martin, 1795-1811, baptism of Ann daughter of Thomas & Sarah Kimberley, 12 Feb. 1796, image at Ancestry.com.
  8. Birmingham, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812, Birmingham, St. Martin, 1795-1811, baptism of Jessey son of Thomas & Sarah Kimberley, 7 Apr. 1798, image at Ancestry.com.
  9. Birmingham, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812, Birmingham, St. Martin, 1795-1811, baptism of Frances daughter of Thomas & Sarah Kimberley, 9 Oct. 1800, image at Ancestry.com.
  10. Birmingham, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812, Birmingham, St. Martin, 1795-1811, baptism of Theodore son of William & Elizabeth Turley, 29 May 1801, image at Ancestry.com.
  11. Birmingham, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812, Birmingham, St. Martin, 1795-1811, baptism of Harriet daughter of Thomas & Sarah Kimberley, 1 Jan. 1803, image at Ancestry.com.
  12. Birmingham, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812, Birmingham, St. Martin, 1795-1811, baptism of Sarah daughter of Thomas & Sarah Kimberley, 23 May 1807, image at Ancestry.com.
  13. Birmingham, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812, Birmingham, St. Martin, 1795-1811, baptism of Susanna daughter of Thomas & Sarah Kimberley, 20 Aug. 1810, image at Ancestry.com.
  14. “Birmingham, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812, Birmingham, St. Martin, 1813-1817, p. 70, no. 553, baptism of Thomas son of Thomas & Sarah Kimberley, 11 May 1813, image at Ancestry.com.
  15. Birmingham, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1937, Birmingham, St. Martin, 1821-1837, p. 323, no. 961, marriage of Jesse Kimberley and Elizabeth Shaw Johnson, 16 Mar. 1823, image at Ancestry.com.