St. Thomas’s Church, Bedford

C ENTENARY OCTOBER 12th, 1940

A SHORT HISTORY

OF THE

CHURCH

AND

PARISH

COMPILED BY

The Rev. G. WILLETT, M.A. VICAR OF BEDFORD

/ PRICE 1 -

ST. THOMAS’S CHURCH, BEDFORD

CENTENARY OCTOBER 12th, 1940

A SHORT HISTORY

OF THE

CHURCH

AND

PARISH

“Lord, I have loved the habitation of Thy house : and the place where Thine honour dwelleth,” – Psalm xxvi, 8

COMPILED BY

The Rev. G. WILLETT, M.A. VICAR OF BEDFORD

THE LORD OF MANCHESTER THE RIGHT REV, GUY WARMAN, D.D.

Foreword

N November, 1922, the late Vicar wrote in the Parish Sheet of his intention, if possible, of writing a short history of Bedford Parish. Mr. Lawton was then in his 67th year, and this fact, I added to the charge of a large parish, prevented him from carrying out his wishes.

The duty has fallen on his successor, the present Vicar, who has done his best at what has been a difficult but very happy task.

The old Parish Sheets, written by the late Vicar, and dating back to 1894, have been a mine of information, and in addition, I have been fortunate in having easy access to the old Deeds of the Parish, the old Registers, old Minute Books, and other similar sources.

I should like to express my thanks to the following: -

To the Lord for his encouraging message in this book.

To Mr. Arthur Mee for permission to include his description of Bedford Church from his book entitled “Lancashire,” and to the Publishers, Messrs. Hodder and Stoughton, Limited, London.

To the Editor of Crockford’s Clerical Directory for useful information.

To Mr. W. Swift, Bedford Studio, Chapel Street; Mr. Albert E. Clough, Breaston Avenue; and a Friend who wishes to remain anonymous for kindly taking photographs for this book, without making any charge.

To the Editor of the Leigh Chronicle for permission to reproduce one of the photographs.

To Mr. S. Rowbotham, the Church House, Manchester, for presenting us with two of the blocks used.

To Miss C. Hilton for typing the MSS.

To Mr. W. H. Stafford and his staff who have printed this book.

To several Friends for help or advice, and to many old Bedford Church people, whose memories of Bedford Church go much further back than mine do, for valuable information.

Many of those whose names appear in this book have now passed to their rest. Their devoted labours should be an inspiration to us, and they have left us a great heritage in our beautiful Church.

G. WILLETT.

Message from the Lord Bishop of Manchester

BISHOPSCOURT, MANCHESTER.

VERY gladly bespeak a welcome for this little book about

the parish of Bedford. I am always glad when sufficient I interest is taken in the life and work of a parish to make it worth while to put into permanent form the history, of that life and work. It tends to increase our loyalty and to encourage our family spirit, and in these difficult days when loyalty and comradeship are so desperately needed, in every department of human life, I rejoice when the Church is setting an example. I hope and believe that this little book will serve usefully to that end. I wish it a prosperous journey through life, and commend it, not only to the people of Bedford, who will read it with pride and gratitude, but to all interested Church people who are fellow-workers with the people of Bedford in the cause of the Kingdom of God.

GUY MANCHESTER.

Outstanding Dates

November 21st, 1839 Foundation Stone of the Old Church laid by the Right Honourable Lord Lilford. October 12th, 1840 Bedford Church consecrated by the Lord (Dr. J. B. Sumner). March 12th, 1841 The Rev. Moorhouse James, M.A. licensed as Curate-in-Charge of St. Thomas’s, Bedford. October 31st, 1842 The Rev. Moorhouse James licensed as Vicar of Bedford. 1844 Crypt under old Church converted into a School. September, 1847 Diocese of Manchester formed out of the , and the Parish of Bedford passed from the Diocese of Chester to the new Diocese of Manchester. 1864 “The Town’s School” at the corner of Chapel Street and Clarence Street was let by the Trustees to the Rev. Moorhouse James as a Church School. 1867 Bedford Church School opened as a Mixed School for Boys and Girls. 1870 Boys and Girls of Bedford Church School separated into two Departments. 1874 Bedford Church Infants’ School opened. March 11th, 1879 The Rev. Moorhouse James passed to his rest. 1879 The Rev. T. Jackson Smith, B.A. became Vicar of Bedford. 1886 The Rev. T. Jackson Smith left Bedford to become Vicar of All Saints’, Patcham, Sussex. 1886 The Rev. J. T. Lawton, M.A. became Vicar of Bedford. May 11th, 1891 The present Butts School opened. May 31st, 1902 Foundation Stone of the new Church laid by Mrs. William Charles Jones. October 31st, 1903 Chancel and two Eastern Bays of the new Church opened. 1908 Site for Mission Church in Manchester Road acquired. October 10th, 1910 Dedication of the new Church by the Lord Bishop of Manchester (Dr. Knox). January 26th, 1930 The Rev. J. T. Lawton passed to his rest. May 1st, 1930 The Rev. G. Willett, M.A. inducted as Vicar of Bedford. 1932 Bedford and Butts Church Schools became Junior Mixed and Infants’ Schools under the Reorganization Scheme. November 24th to 27th, 1937... Bedford Church Bazaar raised the sum of £2,040. October 29th, 1938 All Saints’ Church dedicated by the Lord Bishop of Manchester (Dr. Guy Warman). October 12th, 1940 The Centenary of the Church.

Dated 12th day of October 1840

Saint Thomas’s Church, Bedford.

Sentence of Consecration.

JOHN BIRD by Divine permission Lord Bishop of Chester.

To all Christian People Greeting. Whereas it hath been duly represented unto us that the Inhabitants of the Township of Bedford in the Parish of Leigh in the County of Lancaster being very much in want of a Convenient Chapel for the Public Worship of Almighty God according to the Liturgy of the United and Ireland, this New Church has been erected and built on part of a piece or parcel of Land situate in the said Township of Bedford in the Parish of Leigh aforesaid and duly conveyed for the said purpose, and the residue of the said piece or parcel of Land hath been enclosed as a Cemetery for the Burial of the dead which said last mentioned piece of Ground contains ‘Three thousand six hundred and fifty superficial square yards. And whereas the said New Church has been finished and prepared for performance of Divine Service and of Holy Offices therein And we are now petitioned to consecrate the same accordingly. We therefore proceeding in the Episcopal authority belonging to us by Law and usage and first calling upon the Most High God of Heaven and Earth Father Son and Holy Ghost for a blessing upon our present purpose do hereby dedicate this building to the Worship of Almighty God according to the Liturgy and Usages of the United Church of England and Ireland and we also set apart the Ground attached thereto as a Cemetery or place of Burial for the dead. And we consecrate this Church by the Name of Saint Thomas’s church Bedford in the Parish of Leigh in the County of Lancaster and separate it from all common and ordinary uses to remain from this time Holy Ground by virtue of this, our Sentence. And we further decree that the maintenance of the Minister of the said Church the appointment of Wardens and other Officers, the Regulation of Pews and Pew Rents shall be in accordance with the rules laid down in the Schedule hereto annexed. J. B. CHESTER.

This Sentence of Consecration was openly read and promulged upon Monday the Twelfth day of October in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty.

In the presence, of

HENRY RAIKES, Chancellor. JACOB ROBSON, Perpetual Curate of Tyldesley. FELIX KNYVETT CHESTER, Secretary to the Bishop.

THE OLD CHURCH 1840 TO 1902

THE OLD CHURCH (INTERIOR)

THE OLD AND THE NEW BEDFORD CHURCH AS IT APPEARED FROM 1903 TO 1909

BEDFORD CHURCH THE PRESENT BUILDING

THE ALTER AND RERODOS

THE FONT AND THE WAR MEMORIAL

THE LECTERN

BEDFORD CHURCH THE PRESENT BUILDING – INTERIOR

THE PULPIT AND LITANY DESK

Saint Thomas’s Church, Bedford

hen Bedford Church was consecrated 100 years ago, Bedford was in the Diocese of Chester, and remained so till September, 1847, when the new Diocese of Manchester was W formed under Bishop .

THE OLD CHURCH.

The first Church at Bedford, built on the site where the present Church stands, was consecrated on Monday, October 12th, 1840, at 11-0 a.m., by the Lord Bishop of Chester, Dr. John Bird Sumner, afterwards , in the presence of Lord and Lady Francis Egerton and a large congregation from the parish and neighbourhood. The prayers were read by the Vicar of Leigh, the Rev. James Irvine, and the Bishop of Chester preached from the text, Isaiah Chapter xxxv, verse 1, “The desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.” The collection at this service realized about £100 which went towards the cost of the Church. Admission to the Consecration Service was by ticket, which could be had from the Rev. James Irvine, Vicar of Leigh, or from members of the Committee, Mr. Marsh, Westleigh; Mr. Selby, Atherton; Mr. Samuel Young, Bedford; and Messrs. Jones Bros. & Co., 4 Mosley Street, Manchester.

Although Bedford Church was consecrated in 1840, it was without a Vicar of its own till 1842 (the Rev. James Irvine, Vicar of Leigh, being presumably the legal Vicar during the first two years of its existence). The Baptismal Register, which is our oldest register, dates from October 25th, 1840, on which date the Rev. James Irvine baptized Mary Prescott and Arnold Ridyard. According to the entry in the Chester Diocesan Register, the Rev. Moorhouse James was licensed to the Stipendiary Curacy of St. Thomas’s, Bedford, on March 12th, 1841, which probably means that he was licensed as Curate-in-Charge of the Parish. The Baptismal Register shows that he baptized William Gregory in Bedford Church on February 7th, 1841, so he was working in the Parish before he was licensed, which is often the case with clergy. On October 31st, 1842, he was licensed to the Perpetual Curacy of St. Thomas’s, Bedford, on the nomination of the Rev. James Irvine, Vicar of Leigh, as Patron in right of his Vicarage. A Perpetual Curacy carries with it the title of Vicar, so the Rev. Moorhouse James became Vicar of Bedford on October 31st, 1842.

The site of the Church and Graveyard, measuring 4243 square yards, was conveyed by the Executors of Mr. Thomas Boardman, of Pennington, on November 19th, 1839, for the sum of £250 to the following Trustees: - The Rev. William Jackson, of Westleigh; Richard Marsh, of Westleigh; William Charles Jones, of Bedford; Millin Selby, of Atherton; Samuel Young, of Bedford; and Richard Jennings Jones, of Bedford.

Messrs. Mills and Butterworth, of Manchester, were the architects, and Mr. Haddock, of Warrington, was the builder. The digging of the foundations began in July, 1839, and the Foundation Stone was laid by the Right Honourable Lord Lilford on Thursday, November 21st, 1839, at 11-30 a.m.

The Organ was originally placed up in the West Gallery of the old Church, and in the year 1884 it was removed to the north east corner of the Nave, pews being erected in the Gallery where the Organ had stood.

The first Sunday Services to be held in the Church were on October 18th, 1840, the first Sunday after the Consecration, and Sermons were then preached in aid of the Building Fund. The preacher in the morning at 10-30 a.m. was the Rev. William Rigg, Chaplain of the Domestic Chapel of Lord Francis Egerton, Ellenbrook, Worsley; and in the afternoon at 3-0 p.m. by the Rev. Joseph Jones, Incumbent of Newchurch. There was no Evening Service on Sundays in those days, Evensong being held on the Sunday afternoons. Pictures of the old Church, exterior and interior, are included in this short history of the Church, and many people of Bedford will remember the old building.

Unfortunately, at the time when the old Church was built, Church building was a dead art. With the exception of what are known as the “Million” Churches (a number of very uninspiring Churches built out of a grant of a million pounds by Parliament as a thank-offering after the Battle of Waterloo), very few Churches had been built in England for many years, and probably not one of any outstanding architectural merit. The last great Church building age had passed away with Sir Christopher Wren, and the revival in Church Architecture did not come until the years 1865-1870. Leigh Parish Church, rebuilt in 1873, is a good example of the revival in Gothic. Had Bedford Church been built in 1870 instead of in 1840, there would probably have been no need for rebuilding. But if the old Bedford Church had no architectural merit, at any rate it was very substantially built, there was a real feeling of devotion in its Sanctuary, and for over sixty years it was a real spiritual home to thousands of people in Bedford.

THE PRESENT CHURCH

Now we must pass on to the present building which stands on the site of the old one. The rebuilding of Bedford Church was made possible very largely by the contributions of weekly subscribers of small sums. Throughout the twenty-four years previous to 1910, some of the weekly subscribers hopefully paid on, and a number of people in this way subscribed large amounts.

Those who collected these subscriptions week by week are well deserving of having their names recorded. They were Miss Mary Ellen Smith, Miss Margaret Holt, Miss Martha Alice Heaps, and Miss Alice Hurst (afterwards Mrs. John Clarke), who have passed to their rest; and Miss Mary Hurst (now Mrs. Thomas Lilley), Miss Sarah Smith, Miss Margaret Howcroft, Miss Edith Ward, Miss Hannah Hurst (now Mrs. Thomas Fearnhead), and Miss Esther Hope (now Mrs. Edward Lyon).

The large subscriptions came towards the last. This is something to be proud of and to be thankful for. The original architect appointed for the new building was Mr. J. S. Crowther, who as a Church Architect was undoubtedly gifted. His beautiful churches are an inspiration in themselves, as can be seen in Bury Parish Church; St. Mary’s, Hulme; and St. Mary’s, Crumpsall; churches in this diocese designed by him. Alas for Bedford! he died before the rebuilding could take place. The architect appointed in his place was Mr. R. Bassnett Preston, of Manchester, and the builders were Messrs. J. Gerrard and Sons, of Swinton. The material used was Accrington red brick, Runcorn red sandstone being used for the doorways, windows, arches, piers, and stonework generally, the roofs being made of pitch pine, covered with Coniston green slates.

The plan of building was to build the Chancel first, using the old Nave until sufficient money was forthcoming to rebuild that also. The Foundation Stone was laid by Mrs. William Charles Jones on Saturday, May 31st, 1902, on which day was ended the South African War. There was such a generous response to the appeal then made, that the Committee decided to build two bays of the Nave in addition to the Chancel.

During the rebuilding of this portion of the Church, Services were held, Holy Baptism was administered, Banns were published, and Marriages were solemnized in Bedford Church School. A Licence for this purpose was granted to the Vicar and Wardens of Bedford by Bishop Moorhouse, Bishop of Manchester at the time, on May 8th, 1903. The room used for Services, etc. was the present Stage Room; the Class Room at the east end of the Stage Room forming the Chancel.

The Chancel and the two eastern bays of the Nave were opened on Saturday, October 31st, 1903, and on the following day, Sunday, Mr. William Horrocks, Mayor of Leigh, officially attended the Morning Service. This portion of the Church cost £7,447, exclusive of the cost of pews, for which there was a separate subscription list; exclusive also of the Lectern, Pulpit, and Screen which were given by Alderman W. J. Smith, Mayor of Leigh; and the Altar in the Lady Chapel, which was given by Mr. Henry Dickinson.

The bui1ding of the remaining portion of the Church, the three western bays of the Nave and the Tower, was begun shortly after Easter, 1909, and this portion cost something approaching £6,000. The Dedication of the completed building by the Lord Bishop of’ Manchester, Dr. Knox, took place at 7-0 p.m. on Wednesday, October 12th, 1910, the Seventieth Anniversary of the Consecration of the old Church. Some of the main additions to the furnishing and beautifying of the Church, which have been added since this date, are described later.

THE GENERAL STYLE OF THE CHURCH.

The general style of the Church is Gothic, it might be described as Late Decorated or Early Perpendicular, that phase of Gothic Architecture when ‘the flowing lines of the former style were giving way to the perpendicular lines of the latter style as shown in the Window Tracery which took place about the beginning of the 15th Century.

THE DIMENSIONS.

The principal dimensions are: -

The Nave - 84 feet long, 24 feet wide, 50 feet high.

The Aisles - 10 feet wide, the North and South Transepts extending a further 5 feet beyond the Aisle Walls.

The Chancel is 40 feet long, and the same width and height as the Nave.

The Lady Chapel is 36 feet long and 15 feet wide, and is finished at the East End with a semi-octagonal apse.

The Chancel Arch rises to a height of 40 feet.

The Tower stands 20 feet square and is 78 feet high from the ground to the top of the parapet, and rising from the top of the Tower is a flag staff 30 feet high.

THE STONE CARVING.

The Stone Carving on the Church is as follows

On each side of the main entrance are carved the Arms of the and the Diocese of Manchester, and in a niche above the doorway is a figure of the Patron Saint to whom the Church is dedicated, St. Thomas.

The Angel figures decorating the circular clock faces carry shields on which are ‘carved the words, “Rex,” “Lex,” “Lux,” and “Pax,” meaning King, Law, Light and Peace.

The terminations to the hood moulds of the Belfry Windows are carved portrait heads. On the South, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York; on the East, Dr. Sumner, Bishop of Chester, who consecrated the Old Church, and Dr. Knox, Bishop of Manchester, who dedicated the present building; on the North, the Rev. Moorhouse James, the first Vicar, and the Rev. J. T. Lawton, Vicar when the present building was built and dedicated; and on the West, King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.

Some of the main additions to the furnishing and beautifying of the Church since the Dedication of the present building on October 12th, 1910, are as follows

THE MEMORIAL REREDOS.

The Reredos was erected by Parishioners and Friends to the memory of the late Vicar, the Rev. J. T. Lawton, M.A. The Architect was Sir Charles A. Nicholson, Bart., M.A., F.R.I.B.A., and the firm who carried out the work was Messrs. E. Bowman & Sons, of Stamford, Lincolnshire. The Reredos was dedicated by the Lord Bishop of Manchester, Dr. Guy Warman, on Sunday, December 4th, 1932.

The general subject of the Reredos is the Resurrection of our Lord, giving special emphasis to St. Thomas as one of the witnesses of the Risen Christ, on account of the dedication of our Church to St. Thomas. The Reredos is divided into five panels, the lower part of the panels forming a background for the Cross, Candlesticks, and Vases. The text along the Re-Table, “Beati qui non viderunt et crediderunt” means “Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed.” Above the lower panels are five panels containing figures. The central panel contains St. Thomas kneeling before the Risen Christ, and below is the text, “Dominus meus et Deus meus,” which means “My Lord and my God.” On the other panels are four witnesses of the Resurrection, two innocent ones, the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. John, and two penitent ones, St. Peter and St. Mary Magdalene. The whole work is executed in carved oak, and decorated in colour, and the design is both original and very beautiful.

The following inscription is placed on the South Wall of the Sanctuary

This Reredos is erected to the Memory of the Rev. John Thomas Lawton, M. A., Vicar of this Parish, 1886-1930.

THE BISHOP’S CHAIR.

This Chair was presented to Bedford Church by Mr. Thomas Holt, Town Clerk of Winchester, who was a scholar in our schools and also a Sunday School teacher. The Chair was designed by Mr. R. Bassnett Preston, the Architect of the Church, who has followed as far as possible the outlines of the Queen Mary’s Chair in Winchester Cathedral. There are carved on the centre panel of the back a Bishop’s Mitre and Crozier, crossed by the Spear of St. Thomas.

On the two side panels are the Arms of the Sees of Winchester and Manchester. The carver was Mr. A. E. Shore, of Winchester. The Chair is made from oak which was originally used for the roof of Winchester Cathedral in 1086, and removed in 1896.

The following inscription is carved at the back of the chair: -

“Wood from Winchester Cathedral Roof, 1086-1896. February, 1914, presented by Thomas Holt, Town Clerk of Winchester, to Bedford Church, Leigh.”

THE CHOIR STALLS, SCREENS, ETC.

The Choir Stalls, Choir Screens, Sanctuary Panelling, Litany Desk, etc. were the gift of Miss Mary Alice Grundy. They are of carved oak and were designed by Sir Charles Nicholson, executed by Messrs. E. Bowman & Sons, and dedicated by the Lord , Dr. T. Sherwood Jones, on Sunday, September 3rd, 1933.

The following inscription is carved on one of the screens: -

“The Screens and Stalls are the gift of Mary Alice Grundy in Memory of her friend the Rev. John Thomas Lawton, M.A., Vicar of Bedford from 1886 to 1930, and also in Memory of her Parents and Brother.”

The carved Oak Screen at the entrance to the Lady Chapel was the outcome of a bequest by the late Vicar, the Rev. J. T, Lawton, M.A. It was dedicated by the Rev. J. A. Smith, M.A., an old friend of Bedford, on Sunday, October 18th, 1931, which was St. Luke’s Day and the late Vicar’s birthday. It bears the following inscription: -

“This Screen is erected from a bequest by the Rev. J. T. Lawton, M.A., Vicar 1886-1930.”

THE ORGAN.

The Organ was given in memory of the late Mrs. T. R. Greenough, of Beechwood, Leigh, by her son, Mr. Tom R. Greenough. The case is of figured oak, relieved with raised panelling. The oak panel above the console bears the following inscription

“To the Glory of God and in memory of Annie Greenough.”

The organ was designed and constructed by Messrs. Harrison & Harrison, of Durham and London. There are three manuals, CC to C, 61 notes; and two and a half octaves of radiating and concave pedals, CCC to G; 37 speaking stops and 12 couplers, making a total of 49 stops. The organ is blown by a 7 H.P. electric motor driving a Discus fan, together with a Booster fan for greater wind pressures, and has been designed and constructed by Messrs. Watkins & Williams, of Lambeth, London, to the instructions of Messrs. Harrison & Harrison. The whole blowing apparatus is contained in a specially constructed subterranean chamber outside the walls of the Church. The Organ was dedicated by the Rev. J. T. Lawton, M.A. on Tuesday, April 19th, 1921.

THE WAR MEMORIAL.

In addition to the East Window, which is a Memorial to those who fell in the Great War, there is a Memorial at the West End of the Church which takes the form of carved oak panelling. The central panel bears the following inscription: -

“To the Glory of God and in Memory of the Men from this Parish who fell in the Great War, 1914-1918, the East Window and this Memorial are erected.”

On each side of the central panel are panels containing 88 names beneath a wreath. On either side of the Memorial are carved figures, one of St. Michael and the other of St. George. In the cresting at the top is the Lancashire Rose, and over the centre are shields depicting the Cross of St. George and the Arms of the Sees of York and Manchester.

The Oak Panelling on each side of the War Memorial was given by Mr. William Foulds in memory of his wife. It bears the following inscription: -

“The Side Panellings are the gift of William Foulds, a Sidesman of this Church for 27 years, in memory of his wife, Jane Foulds. Dedicated All Saints’ Day, 1934.”

THE WINDOWS.

One of the features of the Church is its beautiful stained glass, all of it of excellent quality. The one in memory of Miss Ellen Higson was made by Messrs. James Powell & Sons, London, who made the windows in the Choir, Lady Chapel, and Eastern Transepts of Liverpool Cathedral.

All the other windows are by Mr. A. K. Nicholson, of London; indeed, the Church might almost be described as a Gallery of Mr. Nicholson’s art.

The East Window is a Memorial to those of the Parish who fell in the Great War. Its central thought is the “Te Deum.” The Incarnation, the Atonement, and the Majesty of Christ are surrounded by the worship of humanity.

The Lady Chapel Windows.

The Three Apse Windows. (1) Saint John the Divine. (2) The Virgin and Child. (3) Saint Luke. Inscription: - “The Apse windows are the gift of Elizabeth Sims in memory of her husband, Harry Sims, a devoted and loyal servant of the Church, who entered into rest September 2nd, 1917.” The Two Windows on the South Side. (1) The Nunc Dimittis or Song of Simeon. (2) The Annunciation, Inscription: - “The South Windows are the gift of Harry Speakman in memory of his Father and Mother, John and Jane Speakman.”

The Two South Transept Windows.

(1) Saint Agnes, Saint Werburga, Saint Monica. Given by the Guild of St. Agnes.

(2) Saint Paul, The Risen Christ, Saint Thomas. Inscription: -“This Window is the gift of Ruth and Barbara Anne Lancashire in memory of their Father and Mother, Thomas and Hannah Lancashire, and of their Brothers and Sisters buried at Bedford Churchyard, and at Alexandria, Egypt, and at the Crematorium, Manchester.”

The South Aisle Window.

King David, The Good Shepherd. The Prophet Ezekiel. Inscription: -“This Window is the gift of Alfred Darlington and Gertrude Darlington in memory of their only child, Gertrude Bates Darlington, who entered into rest 24th of January, 1915, aged six years.”

The Two North Transept Windows.

(1) Saint Hilda, Saint Helena, Saint Cecilia. Inscription: -“This Window is the gift of Hannah and Gertrude and Florence in memory of their Father, Peter Hayes, who entered into rest 2nd April, 1926; also of their Mother, Mary Jane Hayes, who entered into rest 1st May 1933.”

(2) St. Augustine of Canterbury, Saint Peter, Ecgbert, . Inscription: -“This Window was given by William and Mary Alice Horrocks, of Beech Grove, Leigh, as a thank-offering on the occasion of their Golden Wedding, February 16th, 1926, and in memory of their Parents, John and Ellen Horrocks and John and Elizabeth Eden, all of Bedford-in-Leigh.”

The North Aisle Window.

Christ blessing the children. Inscription: -“To the Glory of God and in memory of Ellen Higson for 44 years Infant Mistress of Bedford Church Schools and a faithful Church worker,- who entered into rest 18th December, 1911.”

The Two West Windows.

(1) Saint Ambrose, Saint Augustine. Inscription: -“This Window is to the memory of Ruth Lancashire who entered into rest 21st February, 1927, and of Barbara Anne Lancashire who entered into rest 26th February, 1927.”

(2) Saint Jerome, Saint Gregory. Inscription: -“To the Glory of God and in memory of Evelyn Maud Barnes, Headmistress of Bedford Church School in this Parish, and a faithful worker, who entered into rest February 26th, 1938. Blessed are the pure in heart.’”

THE CHURCH CLOCK.

The Church Clock was the gift of Mr. Alderman W. J. Smith, and was made by Messrs. John Smith and Sons, The Midland Clock Works, Derby. The clock has three dials, each 4 feet 6 inches in diameter. It strikes the hours and chimes the quarters. The dials are illuminated at night, and there is an apparatus attached to the clock for switching on and off the electric light. There is also an apparatus for automatically silencing the quarter chimes and the hour striking during the night. The clock was dedicated, along with the three bells, by the , the Venerable Willoughby C. Allen, on Saturday, November 25th, 1911, at 3 p.m. The Clock was thereupon started by Mr. Alderman W. J. Smith, and the large bell tolled thrice three.

The following account of Bedford Church occurs in Mr. Arthur Mee’s book on “Lancashire”* in “The King’s England” Series, to quote which the Author and Publishers have kindly given me permission.

“On the east side of the town stands St. Thomas’s, a fine church of 1903 with graceful arcades and a lofty chancel arch. Its delights are in wood and glass, and among them is something which, though it was made in 1896, must count as perhaps the oldest thing in Leigh. It is the massive ’ chair, well carved, and cut with an inscription saying it was made from beams placed in the roof of Winchester Cathedral by some of the earliest Norman carpenters. For 800 years before it came to Lancashire this wood was part of Winchester’s crowning glory. There are fine vaulted screens between the chancel and the chapels, rich panelling in the sanctuary, a handsome oak altar with golden scrollwork, and a huge and splendid reredos in blue and gold, with fine canopied figures of Mary Magdalene, the Madonna, Christ and doubting Thomas, John and Peter. It is the work of Sir Charles Nicholson in memory of a rector for 44 years. On the rich poppyheads of the choir seats are many little carvings, all modern a wise owl on a tree top, two squirrels sharing a nut, birds singing in the branches, fishes biting their tails, pelicans with their necks entwined, and one with her young. One of the attractive peace memorials in the church is the oak panelling on the west wall, which has figures of St. George and St. Michael; another is the fine glass in the east window, where we see the Crucifixion, the Wise Men, and the Shepherds, at the sides being St. George with the soldiers and St. Nicholas with the sailors. In other windows is a remarkable little gallery of colour.”

*LANCASHIRE, Cradle of our Prosperity. Edited by Arthur Mee. Hodder and Stoughton Ltd.. London. Price 7/6 Net. See pages 143 - 144.

Church Architecture

WE give below the various styles of Church Architecture with approximate periods.

SAXON. Prior to the Norman Conquest, 10th and part of the 11th Centuries. Characteristics: - Triangular windows, long and short stonework in corners of building, very plain and rough round arches. Few remains as Saxons generally built in wood, and their Churches suffered from the Danish invasions. Bradford-on-Avon Church in Wiltshire and the tower of Earls Barton Church, Northamptonshire, are two of the best examples of this style.

NORMAN. 11th and 12th Centuries. Introduced into England by Edward the Confessor, who founded Westminster Abbey. Characteristics: - Impression of solidarity and massiveness. Thick walls and massive pillars, round arches, semi-circular tops to windows and doors, flat buttresses, zig-zag ornament. The Chancel generally terminated in a semi-circular apse. Some of the finest Norman work in England is to be found in Durham Cathedral.

GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE in England passed through three phases known as Early English, Decorated, and Perpendicular. The change from one phase to another was gradual, through a transition period.

EARLY ENGLISH. 13th Century. Characteristics: - Pointed arches, lancet windows (tall narrow windows with no tracery), slender graceful pi1lars, dog tooth ornament. The finest example in England is Salisbury Cathedral.

DECORATED. 14th Century. The windows are much larger and filled with tracery, at first geometrical, the circle, trefoil, etc., and then later flowing tracery. Richly decorated doorways; in fact, a very rich effect generally. Among the best examples of this style in England are the Angel Choir at Lincoln and the Nave of Exeter.

PERPENDICULAR. 15th and early 16th Centuries. Characteristics: - The window tracery consists very largely of perpendicular stone bars or mullions running from the top of the window to the bottom crossed by a horizontal stone bar or transom. For ornament the Tudor rose, shields, and stone panelling are used, and fan vaulting is a feature of this style. Splendid examples of this style can be seen in Bath Abbey, the Henry VII Chapel, Westminster Abbey, and in the beautiful central towers of Canterbury and Gloucester.

THE TUDOR STYLE in the 16th Century is in a sense perpendicular, but prepared the way for the Classical Style. The Tudor Style belongs to domestic architecture rather than Church Architecture.

THE CLASSICAL STYLE, sometimes called the Renaissance Style, 17th Century. A style based on the ancient Temples of Greece and Rome, chiefly represented in England by Sir Christopher Wren, whose masterpiece is St. Paul’s Cathedral, and by the many so-called “Wren Churches” in London.

During the 18th and 19th -Centuries, Church Architecture was a dead art, but a revival in Church Architecture took place at the end of the 19th Century.

THE REV. MOORHOUSE JAMES, M. A. Vicar of Bedford from 1842 to 1879

THE REV. THOMAS JACKSON SMITH, B.A. Vicar of Bedford from 1879 to 1886

THE REV. JOHN THOMAS LAWTON, M.A. Vicar of Bedford from 1886 to 1930

ALL SAINTS’ CHURCH

Vicars of Bedford

THE REV. MOORHOUSE JAMES, M.A 1842-1879

Curate of Holy Trinity, Horwich, Bolton, 1835-1837. Curate of St. Michael and All Angels’, Houghton-le-Spring, Durham, 1837-1839. Curate-in-Charge of St. Thomas’s, Bedford, 1841-1842. Vicar of Bedford, 1842-1879.

The Rev. Moorhouse James passed to his rest on March 11th, 1879, aged 66 years, and was laid to rest in Bedford Churchyard. His grave is near the Lady Chapel.

THE REV. THOMAS JACKSON SMITH, B.A. 1879-1886

Curate of Holy Trinity, Northwood, Staffordshire, 1868-1871. Curate of Atherton, 1871-1872. Incumbent of St. Peter’s, Queenstown, New Zealand, 1872-1875. Vicar of St. Michael and All Angels, Howe Bridge, 1875-1879. Vicar of Bedford, 1879-1886. Vicar of All Saints’, Patcham, Sussex, 1886-1893. Rector of Holy Trinity, Chilfrome, Dorset, 1893-1909.

The Rev. T. Jackson Smith retired in 1909, and passed to his rest in 1917.

THE REV. JOHN THOMAS LAWTON, M.A, 1886-1930

Curate of St. James’s, Chipping-Campden, Gloucester, 1882-1884. Curate of St. Thomas’s, Bedford, 1884-1886. Vicar of Bedford, 1886-1930.

The Rev. J. T. Lawton passed to his rest on January 26th, 1930, aged 73. years, and was laid to rest in Leigh Cemetery.

THE REV. GEORGE WILLETT, M.A. 1930

Curate of Holy Rood, Swinton, 1914-1922. Curate of Leigh Parish Church, 1922-1924. -in-Charge of St. John the Evangelist’s, Leigh, 1924-1930. Vicar of Bedford, 1930.

Curates

1862-1865 The Rev. J. BELL COX 1865-1867 The Rev. SAMUEL WARE 1873-1875 The Rev. A. M. DALE 1880-1882 The Rev. T. H. LOWE 1883 The Rev. J. W. LEWIS 1884-1886 The Rev. J. T. LAWTON, M.A. 1887-1889 The Rev. F. ADAMS 1889-1892 The Rev. E. F. CROSSE 1892-1894 The Rev. H. DRAKE 1892-1895 The Rev. C. T. CAMPION 1896-1898 The Rev. A. E. JONES 1898-1904 The Rev. A. L. ROBINSON, B.A. 1904-1906 The Rev. A. V. I. BICKERSTAFF 1907-1909 The Rev. J. G. WILSON, M.A. 1910-1911 The Rev. M. G. S. HARRISON 1911-1914 The Rev. W. A. SURTEES, B.A. 1914-1918 The Rev. H. WHITEHEAD, B.A. 1918 The Rev. C. P. RUSSELL, B.A. 1922-1924 The Rev. A. H. EGERTON, B.A. 1924-1927 The Rev. O. D. HOLT 1928-1930 The Rev. A. F. L. WHITFORD, B. A. 1930-1932 The Rev. H. A. J. PEARMAIN 1932-1935 The Rev. W. E. PRICE 1936-1937 The Rev. J. G. WAKE, B.Sc. 1938 The Rev. H. BRYDEN

Sisters

1908-1909 Sister COLLINGS 1909-1915 Sister LINCOLN 1915 Sister FRENCH 1915-1918 Sister BLACK 1918-1919 Sister CROPPER 1919-1921 Sister SANDERSON 1921-1924 Sister WILKES 1924-1926 Sister TAYLOR 1926-1929 Sister RUSSELL 1929-1935 Sister BRICKNELL 1935 Sister DUNHILL

Wardens

1840 Mr. ROBERT PARTINGTON and Mr. GEORGE ROBINSON 1843 Mr. ROBERT PARTINGTON and Mr. GEORGE BORTHWICK 1846-1847 Mr. PETER COTTAM 1847-1848 Mr. THOMAS MORT 1848-1849 Mr. THOMAS MORT and Mr. SAMUEL MOSSCROP (Senior) 1849-1854 Mr. THOMAS MORT and Mr. ISAAC TAYLOR 1854-1861 Mr. THOMAS LANCASHIRE and Mr. JOHN HORROCKS 1861-1864 Mr. SAMUEL MOSSCROP (Senior) and Mr. JOHN NORBURY 1864-1868 Mr. EDWARD RANICAR and Mr. JOHN HADDOCK 1868-1869 Mr. SAMUEL MOSSCROP (Junior) and Mr. WILLIAM BOYDELL 1869-1879 Mr. WILLIAM BOYDELL and Mr. WILLIAM DICKINSON 1879-1880 Mr. WILLIAM DICKINSON and Mr. FREDERICK HURST 1880-1881 Mr. WILLiAM HORROCKS and Mr. FREDERICK HURST 1881-1882 Mr. WILLIAM HORROCKS and Mr. JOHN HADDOCK 1882-1884 Mr. WILLIAM HORROCKS and Mr. ALFRED HILL 1884-1895 Mr. WILLIAM HORROCKS and Mr. JOHN HADDOCK 1895-1903 Mr. JOHN HADDOCK and Mr. ISAAC LEATHER 1903-1910 Mr. JOHN HADDOCK and Mr. PETER MORT 1911-1917 Mr. JAMES HENRY SEDDON and Mr. PETER MORT 1917-1936 Mr. JAMES HENRY SEDDON and Mr. WILLIAM HINDLEY 1936 Mr. HUGH JAMES HORROCKS and Mr. WILLIAM HINDLEY

Organists

1865-1870 Mr. JAMES BOYDELL About 1870-1875 Mr. JOSEPH MOSSCROP About 1875-1877 Mr. HENRY SEDDON 1878-1887 Mr. ELLIS FRANCE 1887 Mr. JOHN SEDDON

Present Church Officers

Clergy

THE REV. G. WILLETT, M.A., Vicar The Vicar is Surrogate for granting Marriage Licences The Rev. H. BRYDEN

Authorised Lady Worker

Sister DUNHILL

Wardens

Mr. H.J. HORROCKS, Mr. Alderman W. HINDLEY

Sidesmen

Messrs. W. BAXTER, W. BROOKS, J.E. BULLOCK, A. CARTER H. HART, J. HINDLEY, J. JACKSON, F.P. JARVIS, J. LONGWORTH, J.J. MARSHALL, J. NUTTALL, W. PRESCOTT, F. SEDDON, J. WADSWORTH, H. WOODWARD

Organist

Mr. JOHN SEDDON

Sidesmen at All Saints’

Messrs. T. ANTROBUS, R. BAXTER, J. FARRINGTON, A. GREGORY, F. HOWARD, W. JONES, T. MOLYNEUX, F. PETERS, T. H. RATCLIFFE, S. REEVES

Organist at All Saints’

Mr. H. HEAPS

THE REV. GEORGE WILLETT, M.A. Vicar of Bedford 1930

GROUP TAKEN AT THE DEDICATION OF ALL SAINTS CHURCH SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29TH, 1938 Left to right Mr. H. J. HORROCKS, Warden; The Rev. Canon J.E. EASTWOOD, Vicar of Leigh; The Rev. G. WILLETT, Vicar; THE LORD BISHOP OF MANCHESTER; The Rev. Canon L.S. MURDOCH, Rural Dean; The Ven. The ARCHDEACON OF MANCHESTER; Mr ALDERMAN W. HINDLEY, Warden; The Rev. H. BRYDEN, Curate.

All Saints’ Church

n 1908, largely through the generosity of Mr. Ralph Flecther and Mr. Alderman W. J. Smith, the Rev. J.T. Lawton acquired the plot of land, measuring 7,273 sq yards, which borders on I Manchester Road and Kenwood Avenue, for £673. More money was raised for the purchase of the land than was required, and the surplus was invested, with the result that in 1937 there was about £1,300 available towards building a Mission Church on the land. By this time, owing to the number of houses which had been built at the Manchester Road end of the Parish, the need of a Mission Church in that district was urgent. Sunday Evening Services had been held in Butts School since about the time when the present Butts School was opened, and so "Butts Mission," as it was called, had gone on for something approaching 50 years, and a number of Bedford Church people had grown very attached to it. But Butts School was not situated in the right place to meet the new needs; and being furnished as a Day School, it naturally lacked the devotional atmosphere which a building, specially built and set apart for church services alone, could supply. Besides, the fact that we had land for a new Mission Church in the very district where it was needed, and £1,300 towards the building itself, made it clear that the building ought to be proceeded with. More money was still needed if we were to erect a worthy Mission Church, and money was also needed for the improvement of our two Church Schools, and so, from Wednesday, November 24th, to Saturday, November 27th, 1937, a bazaar, known as "Bedford Church Bazaar," was held in Bedford Church School, and this Bazaar raised the sum of £2,040. On Monday, May 16th, 1938, at 3 pm, the Vicar (the Rev. G. Willett), in the presence of the Wardens, Staff, Architect, Master Builder, and members of the Congregations of Bedford and Butts Mission, cut the first sod on the spot on which the Altar now stands, after praying that God would bless " the beginning, the increase, and the consummation of this our work, which is undertaken to the Glory of Thy Name." The foundation stone was laid by the Lord , the Rt. Rev. A. F. Alston, on Saturday, June 11th, at 3 pm. It was a fine day and a large crowd assembled for the ceremony. On Saturday, October 29th, 1938, at 3 pm. (the Saturday before All Saints Day), the Lord Bishop of Manchester, Dr. Guy Warman, dedicated the new Mission Church to the Glory of God, and licensed it for the Administration of the Sacraments and the holding of Divine Service. The cost of All Saints' Church, including such furnishings as Pews, Choir Stalls, etc., but excluding many generous gifts, was about £2,500. The architect was Mr. F. Crossely, and the builder was Mr. J. H. Clarke, both of Leigh.

Bedford Church School N the year 1843, the Rev. Moorhouse James obtained a Faculty from Dr. J. B. Sumner, Lord Bishop of Chester, to set apart the Crypt under the old Church as a Day and Sunday School. IFor this purpose, Mr. James obtained a grant of £200 from the Education Committee of the Privy Council, and also a grant from the National Society. On July 15th, 1843, a plot of land, measuring 1200 square yards, on the north side of the Churchyard, was conveyed, free of all cost, by Mrs. Martha Morris, of Warrington, to the Vicar and Wardens of St. Thomas’s, Bedford, for a School Playground. In the year 1844, or shortly after, the Crypt under the old Bedford Church was converted into a school. This Crypt School went on for over twenty years, and even then, when Bedford Church School was built, it served another seven years as the Infants’ Department for that school. The Crypt must have been most unsuitable for a school, for Mr. James says that it was cold, cheerless, and subject to occasional floods. No wonder that he adds that no master could be prevailed upon to stay at such a school, and that parents preferred keeping their children at home.

Mr. Thomas Lilley has given me the following List of Teachers in the Crypt School but cannot remember the chronological order. Mr. Robert Hurst, Mr. James Oakes, Mr. Crowther, Miss Margaret Burnett, Miss Manley, Miss Ellen Higson.

In the year 1859 Mr. James began to take steps towards building the present Bedford Church School. At this time there were three other schools in Bedford.

1. There was “The Town’s School,” situated a quarter of a mile away, which was in private hands, and to which children were admitted at a high scale of payments. This was presumably the school at the corner of Chapel Street and Clarence Street, which was later to develop into Butts Church School.

2. There was the Roman Catholic School, 250 yards away, viz., St. Joseph’s School.

3. There was the Jones’ Mill School, situated 400 yards away, within the mill premises, for the children working in the mills of Messrs. Jones Bros. & Co.

None of these schools could meet the requirements that Mr. James felt were needed. The Crypt School under the old Church was entirely unsuitable, and Mr. James determined to build the present Bedford Church School.

The present schoolyard, or part of it, formed the playground for the children attending the old school in the Crypt, but this ground was not large enough for a new school and playground as well. Some extra ground on the north side of the old playground (where part of the present Infants’ School stands) was purchased from Mr. Richard Guest, and more of this land was available for purchase, but as economy had to be studied, Mr. James sought permission to build part of the school in the Churchyard, and on July 19th, 1865, Bishop Prince Lee, then Bishop of Manchester, granted a Faculty allowing part of the school to be built in the Churchyard. The boundary between the Churchyard and the old playground runs through the Teachers’ Room of the present Junior School, so that the Stage Room, which used to be the Boys’ School, and half the Teachers’ Room stand upon consecrated ground.

There are no graves in this part of the Churchyard, owing to the fact that when the Churchyard was open for burials, there was a strong prejudice against interments on the north side of the Church.

Various difficulties delayed the realization of this School until 1867, the year when the present Bedford Church School was opened for Boys and Girls under Mr. Henry Harvey Douglas as Headmaster.

The present Infants’ Department was not built until 1874, the Infants remaining in the Crypt of the old Church from 1867 to 1874 under the charge of Miss Ellen Higson.

The Boys and Girls were separated into two Departments in January, 1870, Miss Elizabeth Jenkinson being the first Headmistress of the Girls’ Department.

In 1932, on the Reorganization of the Schools, Bedford Church School became a Junior Mixed and Infants’ School. Mr. C. Ward, Headmaster of the Boys’ Department since 1891, retired, and Miss E. M. Barnes, who had been Headmistress of the Girls’ Department since 1908, became Headmistress of the Junior Mixed Department.

The following is a list of the Head Teachers of Bedford Church School as far as can be ascertained.

Head Masters Head Mistresses, Girls’ Department 1867 Mr. H. H. DOUGLAS 1870-76 Miss E. JENKINSON 1868 Mr. R. BROWN 1876-84 Miss M. INGLIS 1868 Mr. RHODES 1884-86 Miss M. C. SORTON 1869 Mr. J. E. TAYLOR 1886-87 Miss S. A. CHRISTIE 1870 Mr. W. HESKETH 1887-1900 Miss E. GRAHAM 1870-1 Mr. J. KENT 1900-05 Miss A. SINGLETON 1872 Mr. G. W. STANSFIELD 1905-08 Miss R. K. GRUNDY 1873-77 Mr. J. FOWLER 1908-32 Miss E. M. BARNES 1877-78 Mr. A. STOTT 1878 Mr. W. W. GRUNDY 1879-83 Mr. A. WILD 1883-85 Mr. T. BURROWS 1885-91 Mr. D. PEMBERTON 1891-1932 Mr. C. WARD

Junior Mixed Department 1932-38 Miss E. M. BARNES 1932 Miss A. NICHOLSON

Infants’ Department 1867-1911 Miss F. HIGSON Infant Mistress 1867-1880 Head Mistress 1880-1911 1911-1913 Miss L. HILTON 1913 Mrs. SHARPLES

Butts Church School HERE are many who can remember the Old School at the corner of Chapel Street and Clarence Street, or rather I ought to say Chapel Street and Brook Street, as Clarence Street Twas called Brook Street in those days. According to some notes which we have reproduced, written by the late Mr. T. Mercer, Headmaster of the Old School for many years, the School was built by public subscription in 1811. Of course, in those days the School had nothing to do with the Church; Bedford Church did not exist in those days. From what I can gather, the School was known as “The Town’s School,” ‘‘Bedford School,” and ‘‘Bedford Old School.” It was apparently managed by a body of Trustees, who kept the School in some sort of repair, and appointed a Master, who paid rent for the School and then charged fees to his scholars. When a Master resigned, the School was advertised “To Let.” In 1858, which is as far back as I can find any evidence, the Trustees were Messrs. William Hampson, Thomas Lancashire, Thomas Hodson, Thomas Brideoake, William Mason, Paul Peters, Thomas Smith, John Horrocks, Joseph Hall, and Thomas Farnworth (Chairman). The Trustees insured the School Building for £150 and let it at a rent of £2 per annum. The building was of two storeys, the upper storey being for the older children under a Master, the lower storey for infants under a Mistress. At this time the lower storey was very damp for want of drainage.

In 1864 the Master, Mr. R. Whittaker, along with his wife, who also taught in the School, resigned. This gave the Rev. Moorhouse James an opportunity which he was seeking, and he wrote to the Trustees as follows

“I would suggest to the Trustees that they should allow the School to be carried on in connection with the Church, and on the part of the Church I would undertake to provide proper Teachers, hold myself responsible for the expense which I would incorporate with the regular expenses for carrying on the Educational Work of the Church. I would also see that the sum of £5 be paid to the Trustees annually towards the fund for repairs, &c. In return I would ask the Trustees or such of them as might be disposed to help to contribute towards the expense that might be incurred in paying the Teachers’ Salaries, &c.”

The Trustees accepted Mr. James’s proposition, and an agreement between them was signed. So the year 1864 marks the beginning of a Church School at the Butts end of the Parish. When we think of all that the Rev. Moorhouse James did to get the present Bedford School built, and also to secure the old school at Butts as a Church School, we recognise the tremendous debt that Bedford owes to him.

On Mr. James’s death, the School was let to his successor, the Rev. Jackson Smith, on the same terms.

The School was also let to the Rev. J. T. Lawton when he became Vicar in 1886, but by this time, as the late Mr. Mercer tells us in his notes, the School had become overcrowded and out of date, and through the generosity of Mr. William Charles Jones and Mr. Walter J. H. Jones, the present Butts Church School was built and opened on Monday, May 11th, 1891.

The Old School and Site were sold in 1892 by the Trustees for £250 to the Leigh Local Board, who required it for Town Improvement. This sum of money is known as “Bedford Old School Charity,” and is in the hands of Trustees who are the successors of the original Trustees of the Old School. The interest has been used from time to time, as far as it will go, for providing Prayer Books for some of the scholars in Bedford and Butts Schools.

In 1904 Butts School was divided into two departments, Mixed and Infants, and Miss E. L. Walsingham, who had been the Infants’ Mistress since 1889 became the first Headmistress of the Infants.

In 1932 the Reorganization of the Schools took place and children over 11 years were transferred to a Senior School, Butts School thus becoming a Junior Mixed and Infants’ School. A list of Head Teachers from 1871 to 1885 is given in Mr. Mercer’s Notes which follow. The following list brings them up to date.

Head Masters

Butts C. E. Mixed School

1891-1924 Mr. T. MERCER (Headmaster of the Old School 1885-1891)

1924-1932 Mr. W. SHEPHERD

Butts C. E. Junior Mixed School

1932-1938 Mr. J. G. DENNIS 1938 Mr. R. SIDLOW

Head Mistresses

Butts C.E. Infants’ School

1904-1924 Miss E. L. WALSINGHAM 1924 Miss M. WHITEHEAD

NOTES on the OLD SCHOOL and BUTTS CHURCH SCHOOL WRITTEN by the LATE MR. THOMAS MERCER, HEADMASTER from 1885 to 1924

“The log book at this school is a continuation of the one used in “Bedford Old School” which this school replaced in May 1891. How long the Old School had been running I do not know, but I believe the inscription on its date stone was as follows”: - “This School was built by Public Subscription in 1811.”

The log book only goes back to January 9th, 1871, at which date Miss Annie Hughson became Headmistress in succession to Mr. Freeman. I can remember people speaking of that school as “Freeman’s School.” The Rev. Moorhouse James was the chief manager at that time, and until his death in 1879 there was a quick succession of teachers. The following is a complete list with dates of appointment: -

January, 1871 Miss Annie Hughson January, 1873 Miss Mary Ann Twiss May, 1874 Miss H. H. Hodgkiss July, 1874 Miss M. A. Twiss (Returned for one month) August, 1874 Miss Louisa Smallwood January, 1875 Miss Emily Cubbon July, 1875 Miss Emmeline Eccles March, 1876 Miss A. F. Gibson April, 1877 Miss Alice Bolton

In 1879 the Rev. Moorhouse James died and the Rev. Jackson Smith became Vicar, and made the following appointments

August, 1881 Mr. Allen Bolton October, 1882 Mr. Thomas Burrows October, 1883 Mr. D. Pemberton September, 1885 Mr. Thomas Mercer

The Rev. J. T. Lawton became manager in 1886, and shortly after that date the Old School became overcrowded and out of date.

Through the munificence of the brothers Mr. William Charles Jones and Mr. Walter J. H. Jones, of Bedford New Mills, the present school was built and opened in May, 1891, in memory of their father.

In 1904 the school was divided into two separate departments, Infants and Mixed Departments, Miss E. L. Walsingham becoming Headmistress of the Infants’ Department.”