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RELIGION
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The Ebeneezer Chapel on
Cross Leech Street |
From historical records, it appears that the first
place of worship to actually be built in Castle Hall was that
of the
Ebeneezer Baptists on Cross Leech Street. The foundation stone was laid in
1831 by a gentleman called Mr Lees who hailed from Manchester.The official opening date was 28th October 1832.
Along with many other Castle Hall buildings the
chapel was demolished and its congregation moved to new premises on
Ambleside on the Ridge Hill estate.
Grosvenor Gardens, a housing complex for older
people, now stands on the site of the original chapel. This complex was
built by the Baptist Church. |
The Primitive Methodist Chapel on
Grasscroft Street |
The move of the
Primitive Methodists into
Stalybridge took place in the first quarter of the 19th century,
the
earliest recorded meeting being held in a garrett near Rassbottom which
became known as
" Ranter's Court ".
In 1833 a
little Chapel on Grasscroft Street was erected with its small burial
ground fronting on to Canal Street. In 1892 a new Chapel was built on to
this site which greatly extended the premises.
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In about 1838
The Peoples' School was built on
Brierley Street by friends, supporters and admirers of the
Rev. Joseph Rayners
Stephens. It was intended for Divine Worship and Sunday School work and
also used as a day school.
After the death of the Rev. Stephens and the
thinning ranks of his followers, the premises were acquired by Holy
Trinity Church
and thus became Brierley Street Mission Hall and had
a healthy following for many years.
It is now a private residence.
Exterior of the Mission Hall |
Interior of the Mission Hall |
List of Services
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The next Church to appear was
St Peter's Roman Catholic
Church, the foundation stone having been laid
on 8th June 1838. Its
dedication to St Peter was carried out on the 25th September 1839 by
the Right
Reverend John Briggs DD., Bishop Apostolic of the Northern District of
England.
It is likely that the building of this church was influenced by
the influx of people from Ireland
who had come to seek work in our
industrial town. |
St Peter's Church |
Twelve years later on the 21st April 1851 the
corner stone for
Holy Trinity Church
was laid by The Worshipful Henry Raikes MA, Chancellor of the Diocese of Chester.
Until the building of the Church and from about 1846, services
had been held firstly in the cottage of Mrs Simpson on Back Grosvenor
Street and later at the Foresters' Hall. The opening sermons were preached
on the
27th June 1852 and the church was consecrated by the Right Reverend John
Graham DD, the Lord Bishop of Chester,
on 8th October 1852. Strictly speaking the Church's location was not
actually in Castle Hall but the Sunday School, Day School
and Mission Hall
were.
Exterior of Holy Trinity Church |
Interior of Holy Trinity Church 1907 |
Holy Trinity Choir 1950's |
Castle Hall Sunday School Class
circa 1910 |
The
Salvation Army
were active in
the town from 1866 and their first known premises in Castle Hall were above Fairclough's Ice Cream Shed
on Cross Leech Street.
They appeared to have moved there after
the Gospel Mission Hall left in 1892. The founder of the Salvation Army, General William
Booth, visited Stalybridge in 1906.
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Outside the Salvation Army Rooms
circa 1910 |
Harvest Festival
1914 |
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The Unitarian Church on
Canal Street |
The foundation stone of the
Unitarian Church
on Canal Street was laid by Mrs Leech of Gorse Hall on the 21st May
1869. It was officially opened on the 17th February 1870 by the Reverend
Charles Beard BA of Liverpool. The Unitarian movement had first appeared
in Stalybridge in 1860, a school was opened in 1862
in part of Hob Hill
House and from the winter of 1865 evening services were held in the
Foresters' Hall.
As the congregation grew, these services were
transferred to the Peoples' Hall on Corporation Street and remained
there until the opening of the Church. |
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The
Gospel Mission Hall was
one of the later places of
worship to appear in Castle Hall. In about 1883 Mrs John Frederick Knott
of Staveleigh, formed a Mothers' Meeting which met in a Coffee Tavern in
Grosvenor Square. The idea grew and they then moved to a room at
the back of the Stamford Arms. Their first appearance in Castle Hall
occurred in 1886 when they took up some rooms on Cross Leech Street,
over the top of the Ice Cream Shed. In 1892 they moved to what was to
become their permanent home until closure in 1966, the Temperance Hall
on Kay Street. |
The Gospel Mission Hall Kay Street |
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