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 BISHOP OF MANCHESTER
THE RIGHT REV, GUY WARMAN, D.D.
Foreword
I
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,
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 Bishop of Manchester 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.
I
VERY gladly bespeak a welcome for this little book about
the parish of Bedford. I am always glad when sufficient
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 Bishop of Chester (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 Diocese of Chester, 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 Church of England 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
W
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
formed under Bishop James Prince Lee.
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 Archbishop of Canterbury, 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 Province of York 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 Bishop of Hulme, 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, Archbishop of York. 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 Archdeacon of Manchester, 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 bishops’ 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.
Curate of Holy Rood, Swinton, 1914-1922.
Curate of Leigh Parish Church, 1922-1924.
Priest-in-Charge of St. John the Evangelist’s, Leigh, 1924-1930.
Vicar of Bedford, 1930.
1930
Curates
1862-1865
1865-1867
1873-1875
1880-1882
1883
1884-1886
1887-1889
1889-1892
1892-1894
1892-1895
1896-1898
1898-1904
1904-1906
1907-1909
1910-1911
1911-1914
1914-1918
1918
1922-1924
1924-1927
1928-1930
1930-1932
1932-1935
1936-1937
1938
The Rev. J. BELL COX
The Rev. SAMUEL WARE
The Rev. A. M. DALE
The Rev. T. H. LOWE
The Rev. J. W. LEWIS
The Rev. J. T. LAWTON, M.A.
The Rev. F. ADAMS
The Rev. E. F. CROSSE
The Rev. H. DRAKE
The Rev. C. T. CAMPION
The Rev. A. E. JONES
The Rev. A. L. ROBINSON, B.A.
The Rev. A. V. I. BICKERSTAFF
The Rev. J. G. WILSON, M.A.
The Rev. M. G. S. HARRISON
The Rev. W. A. SURTEES, B.A.
The Rev. H. WHITEHEAD, B.A.
The Rev. C. P. RUSSELL, B.A.
The Rev. A. H. EGERTON, B.A.
The Rev. O. D. HOLT
The Rev. A. F. L. WHITFORD, B. A.
The Rev. H. A. J. PEARMAIN
The Rev. W. E. PRICE
The Rev. J. G. WAKE, B.Sc.
The Rev. H. BRYDEN
Sisters
1908-1909
1909-1915
1915
1915-1918
1918-1919
1919-1921
1921-1924
1924-1926
1926-1929
1929-1935
1935
Sister COLLINGS
Sister LINCOLN
Sister FRENCH
Sister BLACK
Sister CROPPER
Sister SANDERSON
Sister WILKES
Sister TAYLOR
Sister RUSSELL
Sister BRICKNELL
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
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.
I
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 Bishop of Middleton, 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.
I
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.
For 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.
1867
1868
1868
1869
1870
1870-1
1872
1873-77
1877-78
1878
1879-83
1883-85
1885-91
1891-1932
Head Masters
Mr. H. H. DOUGLAS
Mr. R. BROWN
Mr. RHODES
Mr. J. E. TAYLOR
Mr. W. HESKETH
Mr. J. KENT
Mr. G. W. STANSFIELD
Mr. J. FOWLER
Mr. A. STOTT
Mr. W. W. GRUNDY
Mr. A. WILD
Mr. T. BURROWS
Mr. D. PEMBERTON
Mr. C. WARD
1932-38
1932
1867-1911
1911-1913
1913
Head Mistresses, Girls’ Department
1870-76
Miss E. JENKINSON
1876-84
Miss M. INGLIS
1884-86
Miss M. C. SORTON
1886-87
Miss S. A. CHRISTIE
1887-1900
Miss E. GRAHAM
1900-05
Miss A. SINGLETON
1905-08
Miss R. K. GRUNDY
1908-32
Miss E. M. BARNES
Junior Mixed Department
Miss E. M. BARNES
Miss A. NICHOLSON
Infants’ Department
Miss F. HIGSON Infant Mistress 1867-1880
Head Mistress 1880-1911
Miss L. HILTON
Mrs. SHARPLES
T
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
was 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
1938
Mr. J. G. DENNIS
Mr. R. SIDLOW
Head Mistresses
Butts C.E. Infants’ School
1904-1924
1924
Miss E. L. WALSINGHAM
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
January, 1873
May, 1874
July, 1874
August, 1874
January, 1875
July, 1875
March, 1876
April, 1877
Miss Annie Hughson
Miss Mary Ann Twiss
Miss H. H. Hodgkiss
Miss M. A. Twiss (Returned for one month)
Miss Louisa Smallwood
Miss Emily Cubbon
Miss Emmeline Eccles
Miss A. F. Gibson
Miss Alice Bolton
In 1879 the Rev. Moorhouse James died and the Rev. Jackson Smith became Vicar, and made the
following appointments
August, 1881
October, 1882
October, 1883
September, 1885
Mr. Allen Bolton
Mr. Thomas Burrows
Mr. D. Pemberton
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.”