The busy town of Burton-on-Trent, whilst rapidly growing in commercial importance, is keeping pace with those older places of mark which have recently become great industrial centres in the Midland Counties. The latest instant of local improvements in this borough is the re-erection upon a magnificent scale, of the Church of the Holy Trinity, in Hornington-street, which had become unsuited to the service of the increasing population of the town. Among the personal memorials of other days contained in the old church were those of the family of Sir Henry Allsopp, Bart., lately M.P. for the Eastern Division of Worcestershire, to which county the family migrated from Staffordshire about twenty years ago. As soon as it was mentioned to Sir Henry Allsopp that the repair of Holy Trinity Church by its parishioners was contemplated, all that subscriptions were invited, with a grateful recollection of his own early residence in the borough, he responded at once to the appeal, and, with a first munificent donation of ten thousand pounds, recommended that the existing sacred edifice should be razed to the ground, and that a new church should be built more suited to the requirements of the age. The worthy Baronet's offer was thankfully accepted, and Mr. J. Oldrid Scott, eldest Son and successor of the late Sir Gilbert Scott, F.R.S., having been instructed to prepare plans, the work was commenced about eighteen months since by Messrs. Horsman and Co., of Wolverhampton, to whom the building contract was intrusted. The plan of the church comprises a spacious nave, with wide gabled aisles, a chancel of similar width, and a lofty tower at the north-west angle of the building. The style is that of the second half of the thirteenth century, of which examples are found in Normandy. The east window, of five lights, has been fitted with stained glass as a memorial to the Rev. Peter French, M.A., the late much-respected Incumbent of Holy Trinity, and father of the present Bishop of Lahore; and an ancient stained-glass window, connected with the Allsopp family, has been reproduced in the south chancel aisle. The church is built of stone throughout: all the interior fittings are of walnut wood, and the pavement is of native tiles, with a liberal use of white marble—altogether forming one of the chief architectural adornments of Burton-on-Trent. The old Allsopp memorial tablet has been replaced by a new one of marble alabaster, designed by Mr. Scott, who, as we have already stated, has been enabled to erect this fine church entirely owing to the munificence of the Allsopp family, whose united contributions up to this this date have amounted to upwards of £15,000. The cost of the church, when finally completed, will be £21,000.
Holy Trinity Church was consecrated by the Bishop of Lichfield, on the 29th ult., in the presence of nearly 200 members of the local clergy, who, with as many private friends, were subsegiuntly entertained at a handsome luncheon in one of the large rooms of Allsopp's brewery. The Rev. W.F. Drury, M.A., is the present Incumbent of this church.
Source: The Illustrated London News, No.2256—Vol. LXXXI, Saturday, July 29, 1882, p.124