Interior of Christ Church

According to the 'Annals of Liverpool', Christ Church was built in 1797. It was probably opened for worship in the following year. The building had been erected on a site on the south side of Hunter Street at the expense of John Houghton (d. 1809) of the Bull Inn, Trueman Street, distiller, who 'intended it for a new Church or Chapel...with Vaults under the floor thereof...[with] the Residue of the said Piece of Ground & Vaults... set apart & consecrated as and for a cemetery of Burial Place to the same Church...'

The right of presentation of the first three ministers of the church was vested in John Houghton, thereafter the right passed to the Corporation of Liverpool. The right to let and sell pews was vested in Houghton and his heirs. According to 'Liverpool Churches in 1807' printed in the 'Liverpool Courier', 5th February 1903 Christ Church, which had been built at an estimated cost of £15,000, was consecrated in 1800.

In 1904 the Liverpool and Wigan Churches Act was passed. Under the terms of this Act, Christ Church , which had hitherto be regarded as an ecclesiastical district in the Parish of Liverpool became a separate parish 'for ecclesiastical purposes' (see sections 2 and 21). The Act also laid down, however, that 'from and after the next avoidance for the benefice of Christ Church' it should cease to be a separate ecclesiastical parish and should be merged with the parish of St. Stephen, Byrom Street (see section 27). This amalgamation eventually took place in 1920 and Christ Church was closed (see Marriage register, 1918 - 1919, page 4, 283 CHR 3/7).