OUR CHURCH HISTORY & PREVIOUS VICARS
EXTRACTS FROM OUR 150th ANNIVERSARY THANKSGIVING SERVICE AT 11.100am ON SUNDAY, 29.12.1996.
“In the beginning..”
On the 1st July 1846 cars, radios and even sewing machines were still things of the future.
Charles Dickens was writing “Oliver Twist” Sherlock Holmes hadn’t been created yet, the works of Beethoven were becoming better known and Stainer’s “Crucifixion” was a generation away. The “Penny post” was in its infancy and Queen Victoria had been on the throne of England for just nine years.
As stage coaches rumbled along unmade roads, the first congregation of St John the Baptist Bircle, cotton workers from the local mill, struggled up from Bircle Dene to take part in the Consecration of their church here by the Bishop of Chester.
“1846-1891: The Reverend Thomas Wilson”
Our first Churchwarden was the owner of Dene Mill, and our first Minister-in-Charge, the Reverend Thomas Wilson, was a Perpetual Curate.
The church was called “The Chapelry of Bircle” until 1867 when it became the “Parish of Bircle.” Reverend Wilson then became the first Incumbent here.
Thomas Wilson stayed for nearly 45 years until he died in 1891 at the age of 69. He was conducting two marriages when he collapsed before he had time to sign the Registers and the two entries still remain unsigned to this day.
Our first Vicar was perhaps the most colourful character ever to walk across Bircle Moors and by today’s standards he might be accused of being “a rogue in parson’s clothing.”
The later years of his ministry appear to have had little spiritual value. There are tales told of long absences from the parish and how his patronage of the Church Inn left its mark on the ageing Vicar. The lasting piece of advice to his congregation is remembered as “Do as I preach and not as I do.”
There are a few records of Mr. Wilson’s chequered career, but we’re told that the behaviour of this eccentric bachelor often provided a welcome break in the mundane life of his parishioners.!
Thomas Wilson witnessed many changes during his ministry here and even with his obvious shortcomings he endeared himself to the parish. As his funeral procession made its way from Castle Hill to the church, parishioners stood in silent respect for their late Vicar. His mortal remains are interred in the Churchyard in the first Churchwarden’s family grave with whom he lived.
There ia a commemorative plaque in his memory below the Bread of Life stained glass window in the North Chancel which reads:
"To the glory of God in affectionate remembrance of the Rev. Thomas Wilson, the first Vicar of this parish: the above window is offered by his two sisters."
“1891-1920: The Reverend Charles Renshaw”
The Vacancy was filled by the Reverend Charles Renshaw who was a native of the area. He knew the needs of Bircle and he wasted no time in remedying the neglect of the past few years.
The main work of his life was to enhance the Church and School. He had the outside of the Church painted by the end of 1891 and he added an extension to the School later on.
Charles Renshaw was a good organiser and planner and he always made sure that the Church had the money before any building work was started. He started the first Parish Magazine in 1891 and by the end of the first year it already had a circulation of over 100 copies!
Mr Renshaw also suggested forming a Parochial Church Council of twenty five people long before PCC’s became compulsory! In 1897, Mr Renshaw moved out of Harwood Fields House, which had been used as the Vicarage, and into the new Parsonage House on Woodgate Hill Road.
The Annual Meeting of 1897 thanked him profusely “for improving the living of Birtle.” Nevertheless, he still had his problems. When he invited people to come to Church they used the old familiar excuse of “But Vicar, it’s so far up the hill”....and his financial abilities were also to be his downfall.
Throughout his time here, Mr Renshaw held the purse strings of the parish. Although many of his schemes were ambitious for the small Bircle community, his wife, who tragically died from cancer at the age of 39, had private means and she supported many of his schemes. However, at a PCC meeting in 1920 his handling of the money was questioned and so he asked for a vote of confidence, which he didn’t get, and he resigned.
Bircle lost a man who had given the very best of all he had for nearly 30 years and he left with little gratitude shown for his labours. He became a sad figure who, it is said, had little heart for his remaining ministry.
“1920-1935: The Reverend R P Trend-Smith”
To follow in the wake of a man of Charles Renshaw’s ability wasn’t an easy task and the Church needed someone of Reverend Trend-Smith’s background.
He was appointed as chaplain to the Bury Union and it’s not clear whether there was a clash of personalities with the Board of Guardians or whether he didn’t want the Hospital Chaplaincy in addition to his parish commitments, but the result was that materially very little happened during his Ministry here, but Mr Trend-Smith is well remembered for his patience and graciousness in his pastoral work. His mortal remains are also buried in our Churchyard.
He left us some property after his death in 1936 - in his will he gave us the land which is now known as “Bircle Church Wood.”
“1936-1957: The Reverend J W Maddison”
The difficult war years were the lot of the Reverend J W Maddison. He took up the Cure of Souls here in 1936, but had to retire through ill-health twenty one years later in 1957.
In various ways, Mr Maddison sought to further the outreach of the Church to those in the Parish. The long-standing Women’s Guild was affiliated to the Mother’s Union and he also encouraged the Brownies and Guides, and the Cubs and Scouts Packs to restart here after the war and they probably had their most flourishing years in Bircle under his Ministry.
Mr Maddison saw through our Centenary celebrations and as a memorial to that year, the kneeling desk by the Communion Table was installed in the Church. One great event radically altered Mr Maddison’s pattern of Ministry. This was the advent of electricity! For after the electric light was erected up Castle Hill Road it was possible to hold Evening Prayer at 6.30pm instead of 3pm throughout the year. The change did not take place immediately but it was inevitable that the change would take place and regular evening worship here became the accepted custom.
“Fairfield Hospital”
The post-war years marked a time of great change and The Health Act brought changes in the local hospital.
Once the Dene Mill had closed, the continual survival of Bircle as a separate parish lay for many years with “The Institution” or “Jericho Workhouse.”
Before the Health Act of 1946 no “official” appointment of Hospital Chaplain was ever made, but the Registers of the Workhouse show us that all of our Vicar’s, from Reverend Wilson to Reverend Maddison, had acted as Chaplain there.
The present Fairfield General Hospital has two stones dated AD 1854 and AD 1855 which belong to the former Bury Union Workhouse and on 20th September 1905 a hospital was opened in the Workhouse grounds for 126 patients, along with accommodation for the staff.
Since 1945 considerable alterations and additions have taken place, and like the parish, the hospital continues to grow and adapt, but is currently facing sweeping cutbacks in it’s maternity and baby intensive care facilities, in what will probably be the greatest shake-up of the NHS in 60 years.
“Bircle / Fairfield School”
The Education Act saw the beginning of the end for Bircle School.
The Church has always been at the forefront of providing education and when schooling at the age of ten became compulsory in 1870, the only feasible place was the residence of the Vicar of the Parish.
In 1878 a single storey stone school room was built opposite the Church. It had separate entrances for boys and girls, with an attached house for the Schoolmaster, and later on for the Caretaker.
Even in those early days it wasn’t uncommon to have 125 children attending School, and the School wasn’t just a place for learning! It became the social centre of village life and each year the scholars provided a pantomime for their parents entertainment.
The New Year’s Eve social was held in the School for the “Bircle family” to enjoy the festivities, even if it meant winding their way home through the snow by the light of a candle.
Mr Harold Chantler, the last Headmaster of Bircle, eventually moved the School to the new Fairfield Primary School - and so it was that at 3.45pm on the 4th January 1954, Bircle School closed its doors for the last time and died, and Fairfield (Community)School was born. It is for others to write the history of the School, and the valuable contribution that it’s Headmasters and Staff have made to education since Mr Chantler’s retirement. The staff and pupils still maintain creative links with our Church - the pupils often visit as part of their school projects and they hold their annual Nativity Play here each Christmas (see the latest photos in our picture gallery of this year's Nativity which was attended by 281 staff, pupils and parents.) We also give them an annual donation towards school funds.
Sadly, Harold Chantler died suddenly at the age of 86 on 9th June 2004 outside his home in Old Birtle as he was parking his car. He will be greatly missed by his friends and family and by his colleagues and pupils, and by all who had the privilege to cross his path in life.
Unfortunately, the financial means at the disposal of the Bircle Church Treasurer at the end of the 1940’s were scant. The housing estates were a far off dream and a 70 year old School with a caretaker to pay and improvements to carry out, had brought difficult times to the Church’s resources.
The Church had first option to purchase the redundant old School building opposite the Church, but it was finally disposed of by the Diocesan Board of Finance in 1962 and a building which was once a “family School” now became derelict, although the Caretaker’s House and the surrounding land have been vastly upgraded to a fine standard by a local family who now occupy the premises.
The "ruin" opposite the Church is all that remains of Bircle School.
The following is an edited extract from "The vanishing parish" which was written by the Revd Arthur Dobb, but which is now out of print and so it has been reproduced here:
"Chapter 10 - The vanished School.
The beginnings of Bircle School can only be a subject for speculation and legend. It has been said that a school existed in Harwood Fields before the building of Bircle parish Schools in 1878 when a single-storey stone-built school room was built. The accommodation was simple but sufficient for the education provided. It consisted of one long room 88 feet long and 21 feet wide with separate entrances for infants, boys and girls. Adjacent to the school was the Schoolmaster's, later the Caretaker's house, and many a child has been grateful to the lady of this house as she readily undertook to dry out wet clothes, to provide a hot drink, and to reheat a dinner carried from home on bed days.
In 1903 considerable extensions took place to the school. Additional room was built on the back and extensive toilet facilities added in the School yard. It must be remembered that piped water never reached the school buildings so these new extensions provided little more than primitive facilities. A supply pipe was laid from the Vicarage to the School in the 1950's but never carried any water.
The schools wre not just a place for learning but they also became the social centre of the village life. Each year the scholars provided a pantomime for their parents' entertainment. The New Yea's Eve Social was held in the School for the "Bircle family" to enjoy the festivities even if it means winding your way home through the snow by the light of a candle."
For children of the day school who also attended Church and Sunday School there was a feeling of continuity between weekdays and Sundays, so that it was often hard to define where one began and the other ended. The Vicar in his pulpit on Sunday mornings was also familiar as a regular visitor to the day school where he would walk around amongst the pupils and stop to ask a question or give a word of encouragement to someone struggling with their studies.
I don't think there is any need to detail the influence which the School has had on the life of the people in this parish. Its doors were open to all regardless of denomination. Children would enter on their fourth birthday and would leave it to go to work at whatever age was convenient and permissable by law. It was managed by the Vicar and two or three Church Councillors and would be visited periodically by the Director of Education and more often by the School Board.
Many hundreds of Bircle people must have learned to read and write within its walls - I wonder what their memories of Bircle school are? Would it be the clonking of clogs on the wooden floors, or the sitting on long backless forms all day? Would you remember the hot summer days, when after a lunch of sandwiches you sat out "on the moors" or "on the plots", and in the afternoon in school you would wilt quicker than the buttercup you were trying to paint as it sprouted from your inkwell? Would you remember the wet days when you arrived at school drenched and the pipes were festooned with wet socks? There were no wellingtons in those days. At playtime you were one of a boisterous crowd in a small cloakroom, until someone was caught climbing the partition to look at the girls and was raked out and caned. Then things became quieter.
Would it be the windy days when there was certainly no lack of ventilation; when the doors either refused to yield to the young hand on the latch, or would eject the holder like a stone from a catapult, out into the yard? These would be tnbe days when one had to battle one's way through a sand storm to get to the toilets (if suchthey could be called).
Would it be the days of heavy snow storm and ice when Mawkin Lane, Birtle Road, the Rake, the Kirk and the Boaredge would all be drifted up to varying heights? A lot of children would be late and someone wouldn't arrive. If you were quick enough and willing to take the consequences if caught, you might have got in a bit of sliding on Meadow Pit at playtime.
These are the kind of things that most of us might recall, rather than the toil of good solid study which had to be done each day between tne hours of nine and four. But work and play alike meant happy days for most children within its walls. The term "family school" would not apply to any school if it didn't apply to Bircle. Everyone knew everyone - after all many children's parents and grandparents had attended the school, it really was a family school."
In 1944, Church Schools were given the alternative of either modernising their premises or losing control of them. Because of the great expense which was involved, Bircle Church had to decide very reluctantly to forego the control of the school and in 1952 Bircle School became a state school.
The education Authority began to make preparations for modernising the school. A water pipe was brought to the school wall and a main sewer was built to the school. Equipment for a new kitchenbegan to arrive. washbowls with hot and cold water were to be fitted and flush toilets were to be installed. But wait - other forces were stirring in the vicinity. Many new houses had been built in Fairfield and a new school was taking shape in their midst. The questioneas - could Bircle School survive with another modern school only three quarters of a mile away?
It was eventually decided that the junior section of Bircle be sent to the new school and Bircle would become an infant school. This decision was open to a great deal of criticism and on 4.1.1954, the new school opened its doors and admitted all the Bircle junior children and most of the infant children. On that same morning the Bircle Infant School opened its doors and admitted one teacher and three infants. At 3.45pm that day, Bircle School closed its doors for the last time. Bircle School died and Fairfield school was born.
When anything good passes away, people tend to say, "It will never be the same" and of the newcomer they'll say "It will never be as good as the old." Who knows? One day Fairfield School will close its doors for the lat time and a new school will open and someone will be heard to say, "It will never be as good as the old.""
“1958-1962: The Reverend R H Pickering”
Congregations were spasmodic - people flocked in for Harvest and other festivals, but there were days when only two or three would be in Church for worship.
So after Mr Maddison’s early retirement, a man was needed who could face the challenge of an old order very much under the spiritual pressures of the 1950’s and do some spade work to make the Gospel felt in a new era. The man to undertake this task was the Reverend R H Pickering.
He arrived here in 1958 at the end of a very difficult period for the Church as it had just lived through a nine month interregnum which had itself been preceded by Mr Maddison’s long illness.
Mr Pickering became a controversial figure both in method and in message. The times themselves were controversial. The visits of the American Evangelist Billy Graham brought about a new upsurge of positive Gospel preaching which had been almost unheard of during the inter-war years. And so it wasn’t long before the first of many Parish visitors began to cross the threshold of the Parsonage house.
“Pathfinders” was provided for the young people on Sunday afternoons and Family Prayers were held each evening for anyone who cared to join in. The weekly Bible school and Prayer Meeting began to seriously consider the Word of God and as a result there was unity among God’s people here.
The Church building also witnessed drastic alterations during the four years of Mr Pickering’s short Incumbency here. Soon after his arrival he had the heating system converted to oil and in November 1961 the gigantic task of reflooring the whole of the Nave was begun.
Mr Pickering discovered that the whole floor was simply resting on piles of stones and so it had to be completely renewed. The floor was out in a week and even with Arctic conditions 22 men struggled for many weeks to fill in the rabbit runs and replace it with a solid floor.
A vibrating roller was hired and different men took it in turns to operate it. On one occasion the men strapped the Curate to it and allowed it to take him for a walk!
The Reverend F G Hunter was the first and last Curate to be appointed to the Parish. He was, and still is, a brilliant scholar, with a great gift for teaching and expounding the Word of God, and he was a spiritual power to many hearts during his two and ahalf years here in Bircle.
He married Faith, a nurse he met at Fairfield Hospital and he formed the “Over 60’s” Group. We welcomed Canon & Mrs Hunter back to Bircle during our 150th Anniversary celebrations in March, 1997. They are now retired and live in Morley, Leeds.
Meanwhile, back on the building site, the conditions were grim, but the “Site-Office” in the “Gamecock Inn” gave warmth and refreshment as the next moves were discussed. Tales of wives waiting for their husbands to arrive home as late as 1.00am and beyond are told as the faithful band of workers strove to complete their task!
The Bishop of Manchester presided at the Rededication Service, which ended in a real tragedy.
Harry Bowdell, one of the Churchwardens and Choirmaster, sang a solo verse of the Hymn “Take my life and let it be” but as soon as he finished he slumped in his pew. By the time that Dr. Braithwaite examined him in the Vestry, he had departed this life. The two black Churchwarden Staves are dedicated to his memory.
On the 15th October, 1960, the Bishop of Hulme dedicated both the Garden ofRemembrance and the new Church Hall at the bottom of Castle Hill Road. The Hall cost £7,300 to build and £4,000 of this had been borrowed from the bank.
Consequently, the facilities included in the design were the were the barest minimum that could be afforded at the time and the Hall became a financial burden and a drain on our limited resources - it was demolished in 2000 when the land was sold to part-fund the refurbishment’s on the Church.
On a lighter note, Mr Pickering introduced the proverbial Church mouse to Bircle and this carpenter’s trade mark can still be seen on one of the legs of the Vicar’s prayer desk and on the legs of the two chairs in the Sanctuary!
“1962-1972: The Reverend Arthur Joseph Dobb”
The Reverend Arthur Dobb came to Bircle in 1962 - he was an Architect by profession and he is particularly remembered for writing the two books from where most of this information is taken.
The copyright of his first book, “The Vanishing Parish” belongs to the Parochial Church Council. The book is no longer in print, but we have a couple of copies in safe-keeping, and there are still a number of copies of his second book, “1846 and beyond” in the Upper Room. He has also written a number of other books which have had a much wider circulation, notably “Like a Mighty Tortoise” (1978) and “The Services of Worship in the English Parish Church” (1987).
We were pleased that Canon Dobb was also able to visit us during our 150th Anniversary year, along with two other surviving Incumbents (the Reverend David Harrison and the Reverend Marcus Maxwell).
In November 1965, Miss Mavis Gibbons was commissioned by the Bishop of Manchester and joined the staff here as our first and only Lady Worker. Mavis lived at the Vicarage for 12 months, but thanks to a generous bequest from the widow of the former Headmaster of Bircle school, the “Church House” at 199 Rochdale Old Road was purchased and Miss Gibbons moved in.
Mr Dobb left here in 1972 to become Vicar of Christ Church Harwood (where our present Vicar’s parents were married and where his Father and Grandfather are both buried - it’s a small world!) until 1984 when he was appointed Vicar of St John the Evangelist in Wingates, Westhoughton until his retirement in 1996. He has served on a number of influential Diocesan Committees and lived in Bradshaw, near Bolton, until his sudden and unexpected death on 28th November 2009 in the Royal Bolton Hospital after he contracted pneumonia after catching a cold. His Vicar who was with him at the end says that Arthur never lost the sharpness of his mind during his final illness and that he was preaching 2 weeks before his death. Canon Dobb will be sadly missed by all who had the privilege to cross his path in life and he will be fondly remembered for his ministry here. We rejoice that he is with his Lord in heaven but our thoughts and prayers are with his widow Kathleen and with her family in their loss.
The following is an extract from the Diocese of Manchester's newsletter:
It is with regret that we announce the death of the Revd Arthur J Dobb who died peacefully on 28th November following a short illness. Arthur had spent his entire ministry in the diocese, having been successively a curate at St Paul Deansgate, St Mary Rawtenstall then vicar of St John Bircle, Christ's Church Harwood and St John Wingates.
Since retirement in 1996, Arthur and Kathleen worshipped at Christ Church Heaton. Arthur enjoyed an active retirement ministry at Heaton and across the diocese, continuing throughout retirement to serve on the DAC.
Arthur was an architect before he was ordained, he was also an artist and a writer penning ‘Like a Mighty Tortoise’ the history of Manchester Diocese and recently a revised shorter history of the diocese.
“1972-1983: The Reverend David Harrison”
The Reverend David Harrison came to Bircle in 1972 and is fondly remembered as a fervent Evangelist who took every opportunity to preach the Gospel message, often in the most unlikely of places!
The Church and Youth Group thrived during his Ministry and one of his final acts before leaving was to sell the old Vicarage and build the present modern one in Castle Hill Road.
Mr Harrison left here in 1983 to become Vicar of Southport, and then he moved to become Team Rector of Fazakerly in Liverpool Diocese from 1991 until his recent retirement. He and his wife Brenda now live in Shevington near Wigan.
“1984-1993: The Reverend Marcus Howard Maxwell”
The Reverend Marcus Maxwell came to Bircle in 1984. During his time here he was able to continue his academic studies and he wrote numerous articles for national Christian magazines.
He will perhaps be remembered as the Vicar who brought running water ((piped via the Church Inn!!!) and toilet facilities into the Church.
Mr Maxwell left here in 1983 to become Priest-in-Charge of St John Heaton Mersey, Stockport, and he became Area Dean of Heaton in 1998.
“1993 - : The Reverend Arthur Ross Brockbank”
Our present Vicar came here in 1993 and the Hospital Chaplaincy was formalised and increased to a half-time commitment. He became Chaplaincy Co-ordinator in 2002 and sought to integrate the Chaplaincy as part of a professional multi-disciplinary team. He campaigned vigorously for and oversaw the building of a Hospital Chapel and a Multi-Faith Prayer Room and Chaplaincy Office, before he resigned his Chaplaincy in 2003.
In January 2004 he was also appointed Priest-in-Charge of Christ Church Walmersley, with a possible merger of the two parishes, but he was forced to resign in November 2004 because the majority of the people in our neighbouring parish were not able to face the challenges and changes needed to bring the two into one.
During his parish Ministry here so far, a tree planting scheme has been started in the newly formed “Bircle Church Wood” and the Church was completely refurbished in 2000 at a cost of £250,000 and it has been transformed into a modern worship centre on the inside whilst retaining its traditional character outside. The old pipe organ which obstructed the West facing window was removed and replaced with a modern digital keyboard which enables us to play pre-recorded music when an organist is unavailable, and the uncomfortable and shaky pews were replaced with Solid American Oak chairs which can be arranged in a variety of settings.
It was all funded by gifts and donations from parishioners and from proceeds from the sale of the redundant Church Hall in Castle Hill Road.
An Upper Room with Conference facilities was also created and this is regularly used by groups from other Churches and Organisations.
Money was short and fund-raising was an issue when our present Vicar arrived here, but God has been good to us and some members of the congregation have continued to be generous in their giving, and so until recently our finances were in reasonably good health. There has also been a positive response to the PCC's recent letter to those on our Electoral Roll informing them of our current financial situation / shortfall.
The Church building is well-cared for and is in an excellent state of repair, but the future of our Parish and its Church is uncertain.
As part of our ongoing discussions on the future shape of Ministry here, at its meeting in June 2005 the PCC unanimously agreed to explore the possibility of transferring from Bury Deanery to the Heywood Deanery with a view to becoming part of the Heywood Group of Churches. Bircle Church is located in Heywood and our Patron is the Rector of Middleton and much good work was done to forge closer links with the clergy and people in Heywood.
However, we were surprised and dismayed to discover that in 2006 the newly-formed Bury Deanery Pastoral Committee recommended that “the Parish Priest and PCC of the new Bury Central and East Parish - supported by the Deanery and Diocese - consider the future of future of St John the Baptist Bircle, giving serious consideration as to its potential as a Deanery (and beyond) resource for parish / congregational away-days and retreats and as a training centre. Under these proposals, however, we will lose our Parish Church status.
After much protestations on our part, the DPC also added that our parish and congregation could still worship in the church but would develop a vision for St. John’s as a “place apart.”
In 2007 the Diocesan Pastoral Committee agreed with Bury DPC’s recommendation that St John’s should become part of a new “Bury Central and East parish” comprising St Mary the Virgin: Bury, St Paul Bury & St John the Baptist: Bircle. The following is a summary of the latest proposals:
“It is proposed that in the long-term, these three parishes should be united to form one parish and benefice with a combined population of 11,500. The staffing of the new parish should be two stipendiary clergy. St Mary and St Paul’s churches have been working together for some time and should be united quickly, with St John’s parish united to them as soon as possible.
Alongside its congregational role, St John’s Church building should be developed and promoted as a centre for quiet days, retreats, conferences etc - provided that it can be maintained properly. If the congregation declines, it may be appropriate for the Church building to become a Chapel of Ease. This should be reviewed every three years. If the building can not be maintained properly, it should be closed.”
Whether or not Bircle Church survives (and in what capacity) remains to be seen, but it will be for others with the benefit of hindsight, to record its history and to comment on the effectiveness, or otherwise, of it’s current (and probably our last) Incumbent after he moves on or retires!
Our 150th Anniversary Service ended with the following corporate act of commitment:
“In gratitude to the Lord for His goodness in the past, and trusting Him to provide in the future, we undertake:
TO WORSHIP HIM willingly, regularly and unselfishly.
TO MEET WITH HIM through regular prayer and Bible reading.
TO SERVE HIM reliably and effectively using the gifts HE has given us.
TO GIVE TO HIM generously as He has given to us so that our faith may be tested and built up.”