Churches

The photographs featured on this page are some of the many places of worship frequented by my ancestors. Many of the buildings remain unchanged from their original design although a fair amount of restoration work has been carried out. A brief history accompanies each image, the information for which has been attained from many sources. These images are thumbnails to give an impression of their appearance, larger copies are available free of charge on the understanding that they are not used for profit or in any other publication without my prior written consent, please e-mail me for further details. This library will be added to as the web-site develops.

St Andrews Church, Dale Head, nr Slaidburn, Lancashire.

This was the church used by the Proctor family whilst living in the Dale Head, Easington locality. The church was moved, stone by stone, in XXXX when its original location was flooded by the building of Stocks reservoir.

The 13th century church of St Andrews has a Jacobean screen & an 19th century three-decker pulpit. A 14th century stone cross can be found in the churchyard. It also has a Youth Hostel.

A joint initiative between North West Water, The Bowland Initiative and St Andrews Church, has enabled the graveyard at St Andrews Church, Slaidburn to be extended. The project saw over 150m of walling generously supplied by North West Water constructed on land kindly donated by the King Wilkinson Estate. The Bowland Initiative assisted with the coordination and implementation of the project, which employed local craftsmen, the Woods, from Slaidburn. The increased area will provide much needed space for the graveyard.

All Hallows Church, Mitton, Lancashire.

The church of the Seedall family c1800 - c1850. All Hallows, the church tower was first mentioned in records in 1438, the nave and tower date from 1270 although much of the interior is later. Among the most interesting features of the church are the Jacobean pews, dating to about 1600, it is believed that the 1593 chancel screen may have originated from the nearby Sawley Abbey. The Shireburn Chapel was built about 1440 and rebuilt in 1594 by the Stonyhurst family of that name, they were descendants of Ralph the Red. The chapel contains monuments to Sir Richard Shireburn, who died in 1594, and to the next four Richard Shireburns of succeeding generations.

Near the confluence of Hodder and Ribble stands this remarkable, unspoilt 17th century church. The tiled floor slopes down to a wide chancel, with a superb pre-Reformation screen of oak and cast iron from Sawley Abbey. The Shireburn family chapel boasts an amazing assembly of recumbent effigies dating from 1594 to late 17th century.

The following account is condensed from information in the pamphlet available in the church, which was compiled by John A. Entwistle. The parish of Mitton goes back to Saxon times when in encompassed Aighton and Bailey to the west, Withgill, Chaigley and Bashall to the north, West Bradford, Waddington and Grindleton to the east. The name comes from the Saxon "Mythe" which means a farmstead a the junction of two rivers - the Ribble and the Hodder. The parish is mentioned in the Domesday Book but the first record of the church is for 1103 when Ralph the Red was minister. He had been granted the parishes of Mitton, Bailey and Aighton the previous year. Ralph became Lord of the Manor and known as Ralph de Mitton. It was the custom of the Lord of the Manor to appoint himself rector at that time but when the clergy were forbidden to marry in 1215, the church came under the control of the abbot of Cockersand Priory, who appointed the clergy. The present church was commenced about 1270, when the nave was built and the chancel was added in 1295. Among the most interesting feature of the church are the Jacobean pews, dating to about 1600, the Shireburn Chapel, and the chancel screen, which is believed to have come from Sawley Abbey at the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The English artist, JMW Turner visited the church in 1799 and made a drawing of the interior. The church tower was first mentioned in records in 1438. The Shireburn Chapel was built about 1440 and rebuilt in 1594 by the Stonyhurst family of that name. They were descendants of Ralph the Red. The chapel contains monuments to Sir Richard Shireburn, who died in 1594, and to the next four Richard Shireburns of succeeding generations. The latter were erected in 1699.

United Methodist Free Church, Grindleton, Lancashire.

Manchester Cathedral.

Manchester Cathedral began as a fortress chapel, though whether that fortress was part of the Anglo-Saxon network of burghs established against the Danes, or a Norman castle for keeping Anglo-Saxons in check, no one knows. The puzzle is complicated because there was also an old Roman fort a mile away at Castlefield, where archaeologists dug up the earliest evidence we have of Christians in Britain. The Sator-Rotas inscription (the Paternoster in secret code) was scratched on of a fragment of storage jar, c.175 AD. This is evidence of Christians but not necessarily of a church building. The first mention of Manchester is in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, c. 920 AD when King Edward the Elder is said to have repaired it against the Danes; and there is in the Cathedral an Angel Stone, which could very well date to that period. As the fortress would almost certainly have had its chapel and as no church is known to have existed at Castlefield, the best guess is that the Cathedral stands on the site of an Anglo-Saxon fortress chapel. The Doomsday Book of 1086 mentions a parish church dedicated to The Blessed Virgin Mary. There is no proof that it was on the site of the present Cathedral though the balance of evidence is that it was. Only when we get to 1421 and come to the decision of the last Baron to turn the Parish Church into a Collegiate Church do we leave probability behind and enter recorded history. Manchester had grown and the Baron, Thomas de la Warre, was its childless rector. Together with leading laymen, he petitioned King and Pope for the Collegiation of the parish church. In 1421/2, his prayers were answered and King Henry V granted the necessary charter. The patron saints of the new foundation were The Blessed Virgin, St Denys and St George. At Agincourt, in 1415, Henry had asked St George for victory over the French. The dedication was a thanksgiving for the famous victory, as was also the dedication to St Denys, the patron saint of France, under whose banner the French had fought and lost. As Henry had married Katherine, the French King's daughter and was now next in line to the French throne, he was making a political as well as a religious point in dedicating the church to St Denys. St George would replace St Edward the Confessor and St Edmund as England's patron saint. Manchester's dedication was part of the King's promotion campaign on his behalf. It was also a recognition of the part played by the bowmen of Lancashire and Cheshire in the victory. In the east wall, the three central windows of fine modern glass designed by Anthony Hollaway represent the Blessed Virgin, St George and St Denys. In the St Denys window can be seen the Oriflamme of St Denys, the battle standard over which the cross of St George triumphed. In place of the Rector, there was now a College of priests, known as Fellows, led by a Warden. The first Warden was John Huntingdon (1421-1458) who came from Ashton-under-Lyne, where he had begun building a magnificent church. He was just the man for Manchester. He soon set about rebuilding the quire, for which the clergy were responsible. His fine memmorial brass can still be seen before the high altar. The rebuilding continued under Ralph Langley (1465-81), his successor. As the laity were responsible for the nave, leading local families, the Booths, Radliffes, Traffords and others, set about rebuilding that part of the earlier, perhaps 13th century church, while Warden Langley added the south aisles, built the Chapter House and increased the height of the quire by adding the clerestory. He is also said to have rebuilt the north porch. Then, in 1485, a second battle, at Bosworth Field, was also to the advantage of the Collegiate Church. The victor was Henry Tudor who, in overthrowing Richard III, became Henry VII. The victory was decided by a last minute intervention by a contingent from Lancashire and Cheshire under Baron Stanley. It so happened that the king's mother, Lady Margaret Beaufort, was married to Baron Stanley, her third husband. The king's gratitude resulted in the Stanleys becoming one of the wealthiest families in the country. It was no surprise, then, when, the same year, James Stanley became Warden of the College. He is credited with building the tower, presenting it with five bells and adding to the south side of the quire, the carved oak stalls with their misericorda. His step mother the Lady Margaret almost certainly gave the church the magnificent series of fourteen angel minstrels in the nave roof, each holding an instrument of the period. By 1510, the rebuilt church was among the finest in the north. Then, in 1513, there was yet another battle that turned out to be to the College's advantage. In that year an English scratch force destroyed an invading Scottish army at Flodden Field. The credit went to the archers whose arrows destroyed the Scottish 'Schiltrons.' Many were from around Manchester and the returning Stanleys gave what is now the Regiment Chapel as a thanksgiving chantry. It was one of eight chantry chapels: The St Nicholas 1311; The Lady Chapel c1313; Holy Trinity c1498; The Jesus Chapel c1506; St James 1507; St George 1508; St John the Baptist 1513; The Ely Chapel 1518. The Lady Chapel, the Jesus Chapel and St John the Baptist Chapel (now the Regiment Chapel) survived the Reformation and are still regularly in use. In 1546, Chantry chapels were abolished by Edward VI. The chantry priests were pensioned off and the chantries closed. In order to accommodate the chantries, the church had been widened by two further aisles so that when the chantries were removed the church was left with five aisles instead of three. The result is that Manchester has the widest Cathedral nave in England. Between 1518 and 1546, the interior of the Church would have been much more crowded than now and alive with colour, banners and the sound of priests praying for the souls of the dead. In 1546, the Reformation began in earnest. Edward VI dissolved the College and gave much of its lands and buildings to the Earl of Derby. Then in 1553, 'Bloody Queen Mary' attempted to reverse the Reformation and gave the College a new Charter. On the south wall of the nave a plaque commemorates John Bradford, a 'local boy', martyred in Oxford in 1556 for his 'Protestant' faith. These were troubled times with the struggle for national unity centring on the Church of England as the established church, from which only Roman Catholics and Puritans dissented. In 1562, the church was used as a prison for those who would not recognise Queen Elizabeth as the Head of the Church of England. In 1572, Elizabeth was excommunicated by the Pope. This marks the real break with Rome. In 1573, the parish records began with the burial of Robert Fisher. These are still kept in the Cathedral archives. In 1578, the College received its third charter and then, in 1595, the Queen appointed her astrologer, John Dee, a layman, as Warden. Dee was the last English magus. He was also one of the first scientists. Like Isaac Newton he was both an alchemists and dabbler in the occult arts. Not surprisingly, he did not get on with the Fellows, was accused of magic and left Manchester. In 1635, King Charles I granted our fourth charter and in 1638, after many years of neglect and mismanagement the church was renovated and put in good order. When the first Civil War began on August 11th 1642, Warden Heyrick had organised the local parliamentarian gentry so well that Manchester declared against the King and was besieged during the last week of September. Thanks to the military skills of William Rosworm, a German mercenary and the inspiration of William Bourne, one of the Fellows, the siege was unsuccessful. In 1733, John Wesley preached here. He was not invited back! At this time the clergy of the College were, with the exception of the warden, all strong Jacobites; but, when Bonnie Prince Charlie arrived in 1745, he was unable to turn their political support into military aid, though a 300 strong rebel Manchester Regiment did parade in the churchyard. By 1750, the Industrial Revolution, which was to transform Manchester into the first industrial city of the modern world, was underway. The wrought iron screens around the high altar just pre-date this radical transformation of Britain. In 1815, after rumours that the roof was about to collapse, a disastrous restoration to 'beautify t'owd church' was begun. The fabric was chipped and Roman plastered throughout. The stonework at the tower arch shows the extent of the damage. NB the medieval green men which survive on the capitals. By 1840, Manchester had grown so much that it was necessary to create a new diocese out of the diocese of Chester and the Collegiate Church became its Cathedral. In 1847, James Prince Lee was enthroned as the first Bishop. At first, it was felt that the old Church was not grand enough for the Cathedral of such a wealthy and important city. Over the years there was talk of a new Cathedral, but the Dean, Canons and Churchwardens set about repairing and adapting the old until eventually no more talk was heard. In 1867, the tower, badly damaged in the Great Storm of 1792 was rebuilt and, in 1882, J. S. Crowther undertook a major restoration of the whole building. The badly weathered sandstone exterior was faced with a harder wearing stone. The Gothic style was enriched with ornament; while the interior lost its galleries and Roman plaster. Damaged columns and stonework were replaced where necessary so that the building looked more or less as it does now. The Cathedral however still lacked modern 'facilities' and in 1903 the library complex by Champneys was added, enlarged by the office extension in 1934. Successive Chapters, keen that the Cathedral should always reflect the best art of the age have continually added items by distinguished artists; for example, in 1933 Eric Gill's relief of The Christ Child with the Blessed Virgin, St Denys and St George was placed above the Dean's door. Beginning in 1973, the Cathedral's glass, which had been completely destroyed in the blitz of December 1940, was progressively replaced by fine modern windows designed and made by Anthony Hollaway. The three windows showing our patron saints are flanked by the Creation Window on the south and the New Jerusalem Window on the north. The total effect is of a wall of light, bright and confident in its symbols and of the world beyond all symbols. On the other side of the glass is The Booth Drop-In Centre for the Homeless. In seeking to speak God, the Cathedral does not forget the presence of the Eternal in the plight of the needy.

St Ambrose Church, Grindleton, Lancashire.

The church of the Smalley & Green families during the period c1900 - c1970. The church is named after St. Ambrose of Milan, the patron saint of beekeepers. The present building dates from early 1805 although the church was extensively redesigned by Paley c1897.

Set amid pleasant rolling pastures, this church, which once served a large population of hand-weavers, retains its neat Georgian tower (1805), though the rest was re-designed by Paley circa 1897. Christianity has flourished here from the days of Sawley Abbey and one of the 17th century curates founded the 'Grindletonians' – forerunners of the Quakers. Notice the superb engraved window by David Peace and the attractively painted organ pipes.

St James Church, Clitheroe, Lancashire.

Church of the Proctor family in Clitheroe and also of the Porters. The church has now re-opened (June 2001) after undergoing substantive renovation work.

St Mary's Church, Gisburn St Marys Church, Gisburn, Lancashire.

The church is situated on the main road in the centre of the village and is dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin, though it is thought that at one time it had a dual dedication – St. Mary the Virgin and St. Andrew. The Patronage of the Church in the early days is difficult to find, but records exist of a joint Patronage during the early 13th century between the Archbishop of York and the Prioress of Stainfield Nunnery in Linconshire. The Early York Charters give the Priest of Gisburne as ’Renulf’, between 1140-1146 . One could assume that the foundations of the present church could have been about 1135. It is possible that there was a church on this site before this, but we have no knowledge, except that the district was inhabited earlier. We know from a document that ’the Rector of Gisburne Church was present at the laying of the foundation stone at Salley (Sawley) Abbey in 1147’. This was probably Walter, the priest at Gisburne who followed Renulf. The visitor will be impressed by the large cylindrical pillars at the front of the church. These are of 12th century origin. The date of the other pillars is later and could be as late as 16th century . Part of the archways originated from the Sawley Abbey after the dissolution. The Church has been restored on more than one occasion. It is thought that one was carried out in the late 16th century. A restoration did take place in 1872 costing £3,000. At that time, the Church was re-roofed, new pews and pulpit installed. Other modifications were carried out and the work was paid for by a grant from Queen Anne’s Bounty, the repayment of which took till until 1925 to pay off.
Text From: "A History of The Village and Church of Gisburn" 4th Edition 1978

The wide, low church with its stocky Norman tower is a haven of peace beside the busy A59 which bisects this historic market town. The nave, partly constructed in stone from Sawley Abbey, has two massive pillars, contrasting with the lighter Perpendicular work. The fragmentary remains of medieval glass comprise a weeping saint of the 15th century and three beautiful angels from the original east window. Hatchments and tablets record the Listers of Gisburne Park (later Lords Ribblesdale).

St Helens, Waddington, Lancashire.

The church has a tower dating to 1501, bearing the arms of the Tempest family. A window of medieval glass depicts Sir Richard Tempest. Much of the church was rebuilt between 1899 and 1901.

The impressive buttressed tower of 1501, bearing the Tempest arms, overlooks this pleasant compact village and the handsome almshouses. Much of the church was rebuilt by Paley, 1899-1901, but a 15th century octagonal font remains, decorated with symbols of the Passion. A recently restored stained glass panel, depicting Sir Richard Tempest, contains lovely medieval glass. Fine woodwork abounds and innumerable links with local history and families.

St Bartholomews, Chipping, Lancashire

Chipping parish is reputed to have been in existence since approximately 1040 when it became separated from the parish of Whalley. The parish includes both Thornley-with-Wheatley and Chipping itself. The church dates back to about 1450 and there are still original parts to be seen to this day although it was rebuilt in 1510 and again in 1873. The church is located on the main road, about 200 yards from Chipping brook. The church of St Bartholomews has a number of heads carved on a pillar in the north aisle. The Church is commemorated by an annual fair held on St Bartholomew's Day, on August 24th. They appear to be pulling faces and are thought to have been carved in the 14th century. Also inside the church can be found a 12th century piscina in the chacel and a plague stone. The Belgian people in 1879 made a gift of a chest to St Bartholomews Hospital in London. This is now housed in the church near two 1450 holy water stoups. A local tradition has it that when a wedding has taken place in the church local children tie the church gates shut. The wedding couple must then throw money to the children in order to get them re-opened.

Surrounded by a particularly gracious and traditional village, this is an outstanding church, with its glorious 15th century tower, impressive 16th century font (with 'Mouseman' cover), Flemish baroque pulpit-panels, antique pews and fine hatchments. Most famous, however, is the Pudsay tomb with its quaint effigies of husband, three wives and twenty-five offspring (1468) – and the unfinished fragment of dog-tooth carving over the door.