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OUR PARISH CHURCH Part One
How does our church function and who or what makes it? The Interregnum we are experiencing has certainly crystallised my thoughts and as a consequence what I thought I would do is to look at every aspect of church life over the coming months and to write on what I see and hear. This I hope will help the congregation to understand more fully the complex structure of the church. The subjects are many and varied and the following is the list of what I intend to do which are not in any particular kind of order- Church Wardens, Treasurer, Lectern Readings, Vicar, Lecturer, Intercessions, bell ringing, sidespeople, PCC, Social Committee, Pastoral Care Team, Verger, Choir and organ, Lay Ministers, Mothers Union, Administrator, Friends of the Parish Church, Fund raising, Remembrance Book, Acolytes, and the Church Newsletter. If there are any I have inadvertently left out please let me know and they will be added to the list.
The Church of St. Peter’s What better place to start before lifting its lid than to look at the building itself.
The growth of the town in the middle Ages is reflected in the grant of right to hold a market in 1251 and a Charter in 1263. In 1420 a new church was built which stood for 450 years. Some furnishings of the medieval church have been retained notably the Jacobean lectern in the Ormrod Chapel (Lady Chapel) where there are some very old stalls in the museum in the far south west corner. The present pulpit is built of the wood from the old church. Bolton was a stronghold of Puritanism and the town was besieged by the Royalists at the time of the Civil War. The names of 78 soldiers who were killed at the time are recorded in the register of burials. The Lectureship of Bolton was founded in 1620 (if you remember the Revd. Debby Plummer was the latest to hold the position of Lecturer) this was to guarantee the preaching of Puritan doctrine.
Canon James Slade, 42 years its Vicar, made a notable contribution to the life of 19th Century Bolton, Founding the Trustees Savings Bank, the Royal Infirmary, the Bolton Church Institute (now the Canon Slade Grammar School). The Sunday school he formed in 1819 had a regular attendance of 1400 pupils. (A booklet on the life of Canon Slade is on sale at the back of the church)
The structural decay of the old Parish Church led to its demolition and the present building was consecrated on St. Peter’s Day, June 29th 1871. The cost, amounting to £45,000, was borne entirely by Peter Ormrod, a local cotton manufacturer. It’s cleaning and renovation for the centenary in 1971 far exceeded the original cost and was borne by Mr. and Mrs. T.H. Markland who formed a trust which to this day provides an income to go towards the future maintenance of the church.
The church was designed by E.G. Paley of Paley and Austin, the Lancashire architects and is one of the finest examples of the Victorian Gothic style which is now highly esteemed. Built of Longridge stone, the tower, 180 feet high, is the loftiest of any parish church in Lancashire. The length of the church is 186 feet, the width 67 feet and the interior height is 82 feet.
The south west corner was especially designed as one of the gifts of “The Friends of Bolton Parish Church” to display documents, silver and other records and antiquities which are changed from time to time and which attract a lot of interest. (More of this and “The Friends…” will be written in later articles).
In the east end of the south aisle is the Ormrod Chapel now known as the Lady Chapel which was created by Canon Atkinson in 1887 as a memorial to Peter Ormrod who donated the money to build the church. The furnishings were installed in 1929 and include a painting of the Supper at Emmaus by Sir Tom Monnington, one time president of the Royal Academy and regarded as one of his best works.
Three early windows have been preserved from the old church. Behind the organ is the Canon Slade memorial window. The west and east windows are very noteworthy. The great east window was put in by public subscription in 1871. It illustrates scenes from the life of St. Peter, patron saint of the church.
I hope you will look forward to Part Two in the February Newsletter.
David Bevis
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