In February 1910 Mrs Warde-Aldham of Frickley Hall laid the foundation stone for the new St. Mary’s Church, which was being constructed to replace an earlier structure. The new brick built, Tudor style building could accommodate 500 and was initially estimated to cost £4,000 (with £2,000 already having been raised). The previous iron building had been noted as having served a purpose when the population was just 800 but since the boom in coal mining and industrialisation had swelled the population to 4,000 it no longer was useful, with many people being forced to use the South Kirkby church, which formed the ecclesiastical Parish that South Elmsall was part of. The ambitious nature of the new building was revealed in October when a revised outlay of £5,000 was reported, to now include a new clergy house, hall, school and meeting rooms and a gymnasium. With al other buildings the total cost was £11,500. The architect of the building was Mr Nicholson Johnston, of Yeovil, with Mr Andrew Carnegie a noted donor of funds towards the handsome scheme. Mrs Warde-Aldham presented each of the Sunday school children with a Carltonware mug, featuring an image of the new church.

The same month the new church was ready and the consecratcition ceremony took place, though not without protest. Among the large mining community in South Elmsall were many Kensitites, who opposed ritualistic practices in the Church of England. The Archbishop of York was subject to fierce opposition by the gathered protestors as he made his way to the church, with Father Gould, the curate in charge, also being the subject of attack. Of particular note was the cry “go over to Rome” from the Kensit crowd, with the bugle march of the Church Lad’s Brigade being used to drown out the protests. As the service inside the church began a number of protestors tried unsuccessfully to enter the building and having failed to do so took up place outside, calling “we the people of South Elmsall, protest against the ritualistic practices carried on in the St. Mary’s Church and against the visit of the Archbishop of York.” Local opinion was indeed very strong, with a reported 1,000 people joining the public protests in the lead up to the service, forming a fortnight long Kensit crusade.

By November a local branch of the Protestant Truth Society had been established and in December it was clear that the protest was escalating when members of the St. Mary’s choir went on strike at the practices of curate the Rev. Arthur Gould. The Rev. Gould though was not for backing down, telling the choirmen that they adhere to the new hymnbook or leave. They chose to leave, followed by an announcement by Rev. Gould that he would be leaving South Elmsall for ever. Locals were shocked when, in April 1911, the decision was made to appoint Rev. Gould as the first vicar of the new South Elmsall Parish. The decision by the Archbishop of York re-ignited the Kensit protests in the area. In June 1911 the vicar announced that he had secured promises to clear off the debt on the church building, around £1,700 having been secured. The congregation were to concentrate on clearing the debt on the hall and vicarage.

In October 1913 the Rev. E. C. Willoughby Gabb of St. Saviour’s Church, Scarborough joined St. Mary’s, where he acted as assistant priest. In the same month Canon Atkinson addressed a service at St. Mary’s where he declared that the church was a “poor second to the dissenters” in the local population. By August 1914 it became obvious that the congregation were to bear the costs of the whole administration and also agreed to administer a local relief fund. In April 1915 Councillor T. P. H. Turner and Mr Peter Rowley were made churchwardens with Messrs. Whittakers, Bottomley, Benson, Charlesworth and Saxon appointed sidesmen. By the August of 1915 the Rev. H. Handle resined from his three years as curate, being presented with a gold purse. In November 1918 an exchange of livings was arranged for the Rev. Gould, vicar of St. Mary’s and the Rev. Morton. In February 1927 it was revealed that income of £238. 12s. 9d. left a debt balance of 14s. 4d. for the church. In 1931 the Rev. E. P. Orr lashed out at “wolves in the church who never meant to love Christianity” as he resigned his position at St. Mary’s of five years, he was replaced by the Rev. H. Milner of St. Paul’s, Royston. In April 1934 the Rev. Arthur Gould granted bequests, including one of £300, to his former Parish, in his will.

Much more information about the history of St. Mary’s church can be found in the excellent and immersive History of St. Mary’s, South Elmsall by Richard Wright.