In the condition in which it existed during the time of Canon Bardsley and some of his predecessors, the Bradford Parish Church was by no means acomfortable or imposing place in which to worship. The most objectionable feature about the interior arrangements was the existence of galleries, which in latter times have been little used, and which detracted greatly from th egeneral appearance. The need of some method of restoration has been felt for some time, and it was wisely determined to carry out such a scheme as a memorial to the memory of Canon Bardsley. This project was heartily endorsed by citizens of all creeds and denominations in Bradford, and being closed for many months, the church was repopened yesterday, when it was generally agreed that the alterations effect had immensely improved the interior of the edifice, and made it more worthy of the position it holds as the mother church of the city. Two new transepts have been added of the width of two bays, and thus in a measure the loss of accommodation by the removal of the galleries has been counterbalanced. In the greater part of the nave the pews, contrcuted in 1864, have been retained, but in the western end of the nave the old seats have been removed, and this part and the new transepts will be fitted with chairs. By the erection of new and commodious vestries at the north-east end of the church, the Bolling Chapel, hitherto appropriated for the use of the clergy, has been rendered available for public worship, and the old choir stalls have been placed in this particular portion of the building, new ones having ben put in the chancel. The Leventhorpe Chapel continues to be occupied by the organ, which, unfortunately, has not been replaced by a new instrument through stress of financial considerations, by the chancel has been been paved with marble, and Mr. Herbert Foster has presented a handsome screen to be erected at the west end of the chapel. With the exception of the Bolling Chapel, which is of modern construction, the roof of the church has been thoroughly overhauled, stripped of its slates, the defective wood replaced, and the whole braced together, boarded, felted, and re-slated. The plastering on the walls has been removed, and a good many monuments presented to the church, which were beneath the tower and completely out of sight, have been restored and placed in the church proper. All the memorials to Vicars of the parish have been concentrated in the Bolling Chapel, and places have been left for tablets to Mr. Burnett, Bishop Ryan, and Dr. Scoresby, which it is hoped will soon be put up by members of their families. Robing-rooms have been provided, and the font, which was formerly under the tower, has been removed to the westernmost bay of the church. Windows have been presented by various member of the congregation, whilst others have defrayed the cost of coloured-glass mosaic panels of the reredos, new choirstalls, new communion-rails, sedill for the south aisle, prayer-books, &c. The whole of the work has been carried out from designs of Messrs. T.H. and F. Healey, architects, of Bradford. Mr. G.H. Elliot acting as clerk of works. The contractractors were as follows:-
Mason, Mr. W. Farnish;
joiners, Messrs. Thomas Taylor and Son;
plumber, Mr. S. Rushworth (Shipley);
plasterers, Messrs. B. Sugden and Son;
slater, Mr. James Smithies;
painters, Messrs. S. Oddy and Son;
stalls and prayer-desks, Mr. James Taylor (Yeadon);
screen for the Bolling Chapel, litany desks, and credence table,
Messrs. C. Pratt and Sons;
Congress screen, sedila, and Bishop's chair, Messrs. Thomas Taylor and Son;
chancel steps and pavement, Emley and Son Limited (Newcastle-on-Tyne);
communion-rails, Mr. T. Power (Manchester);
reconstruction of pulpit, Messrs. Raitee and Kett (Cambridge);
and refixing and repair of monuments, Messrs. W. Wright and Sons.
Though the original estimate was something over £7,000, this has been considerably exceeded, and already £8,000 has been subscribed towards the entire cost.
The reopening proceedings began with a procession from the Town Hall, ....
Source: Leeds Mercury 13 April 1899