The Church of St. Mary The Virgin
also known as St. Mary's Church and St. Mary’s Garrison Church.
Located in Crater on a hill overlooking the European Infantry Barracks and patcheries*, construction of St. Mary's Garrison Church was completed in 1871 and it was consecrated by Bishop Douglas on 7th November2 the same year.
The Victorian Gothic style church with seating for 350 worshippers comprised a 44' x 30' nave, two 15' x 30' transepts, a 22' x 14' chancel and a 11' x 7½' vestry.
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Appointed and paid by the Government, a chaplain held service once each Sunday and occasionally on weekdays. In his absence prayers were read by a garrison officer. The novelist, Evelyn Waugh, who was in Aden in 1930, noted that the chaplain read services every Sunday, but in absolute void. The chaplain lived in a large, ramshackle house on Crater beach which was known by locals as 'Padre sahib's bungalow'.
Lt. Col. The Reverend Alexander Henley (b. circa 1888) MacGuffie joined the Aden Field Force in South Arabia in 1916 and commanded the Arab Labour Corps until 1920. After home leave he returned to Aden as Garrison Engineer and married Edel, a Danish missionary in Aden, in June 1922 before returning to England. He returned to Aden in the mission field on 31st May 1936, first attached to the Danish Mission.
In World War Two MacGuffie raised and commanded the Arab Pioneer Corps. He was ordained Deacon in Aden on 19 March 1944 and was Chaplain of St. Mary’s Garrison Church, Aden, 1945-50. The church closed in 1950 and MacGuffie established the House Church in the Mission Station. He left Aden in May 1952.
* The term 'patchery' perhaps originated in India and refers to living quarters of two or three rooms used for married NCO's and soldiers. The term might have originated from the expression 'the married patch'. In India the general sanitary conditions of the married quarters were the same as that of the station, but the men living in patcheries with their families were found to be much healthier than men living in barracks.
* According to Government Annual Reports, the garrison church in Crater replaced an earlier chapel. By the end of 1867 the outside walls, during construction, had reached five feet high. The church was not consecrated by the Bishop of Bombay until December 1871.
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In more recent times it has been used for many purposes, apart from that as a church, most recently for the Legislative Assembly Hall then as the Criminal Technical Investigation Department. In 2008 it was the Legislative Council Building. In 2010 extensive renovations have been completed which restored the former church to it's original glory including re-construction of the roof to it's former lines.