Parish History

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The Old St. Thomas Church

 

St. Thomas' Church was consecrated in 1840, Bedford was in the Diocese of Chester, and remained so till September, 1847, when the new Diocese of Manchester was formed under Bishop James Price 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, by the Lord Bishop of Chester, Dr John Bird Sumner. Although the Church was consecrated in 1840, the Parish was without a Vicar until 1842 (the Rev'd 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'd. James Irvine baptised Mary Prescott and Arnold Ridyard. According to the entry in the Chester Diocesian Register, the Rev'd. 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. He became Vicar of Bedford on October 1st, 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. Messrs. Mills and Butterworth, of Manchester, were the architects, and Mr. Haddock of Warrington, was the builder. The Foundation Stone was laid by the Rt. Hon. Lord Lilford on Thursday, November 21st, 1839, at 11.30 am.

The Present Church

 

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 weekly subscribers hopefully paid on, and a number of people in this way subscribed large amounts.

 

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 being designed by him. Unfortunately, he died and Mr. R. Bassnett Preston, of Manchester, was appointed to take his place and the builders were Messrs. J. Gerrard and Sons, of Swinton. The material used was Accrington red brick, Runcorn red sandstone being used for 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. There was 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.

 

The building of the remaining portion of the Church, the three western bays of the Nave and the Tower, was begun shortly after Easter, 1909. The Dedication of the completed building by the Lord Bishop of Manchester, Dr. Knox, took place at 7.00 pm on Wednesday, October 12th, 1910, the Seventieth Anniversary of the Consecration of the old Church.

Inside the current church

The High Alter and Reredos

 

 

All Saints Church, Kenwood Avenue

The Alter at All Saints

Cutting the first sod

All Saints Church

In 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.

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.