History of St George's Bells

When St. George's Church was opened for public worship in the year 1832, it possessed only one bell. In 1853 it was replaced by a full peal of eight bells. The new bells, purchased by the proceeds of a public subscription begun which realised £831 9s. 3d. were cast by Messrs. C. and G. Mears, at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, London; they were then brought to Hyde, along the Peak Forest Canal, and landed at the Wharf in Canal Street. A parade was organised, and on the 3rd of February, 1853, the bells were conveyed up the town on a lorry from the Printworks, which was drawn by a number of splendid horses, and accompanied by the Printworks Brass Band, playing lively music.

The first peal was rung on Palm Sunday, March 20th, 1853, by the Society of Change Ringers from the Parish Church, Mottram. During the ringing of the first peal it was discovered that the bells were placed too low in the tower; it was accordingly decided to re-hang them in a higher position. During the re-hanging, on August 10th, 1853, a serious accident occurred. The sixth bell fell, breaking the leg of Mr. Wilson, the contractor, and crashing through the floor of the tower until it reached the stone floor of the main entrance porch of the church, where it broke into the vault of Captain Clarke, which is situated under the tower; and but for the presence of a second covering stone in the vault it would, in all probability, have fallen upon and broken the coffins lying there. The bell was smashed to pieces, but a new one was cast without delay, and the full peal were then re-hung in a suitable position.

The ringers in connection with St. George's have repeatedly distinguished themselves, and on the walls of the ringing room are three Mural Tablets recording noteworthy feats. The first reads:
The
St Georges
SOCIETY OF CHANGE RINGERS
Hyde
ON THE 24th DAY OF MARCH 1856, EIGHT
MEMBERS OF THE ABOVE SOCIETY, RANG
ON THESE BELLS A PEAL OF GRANDSHIRE MAJOR
CONSISTING OF 9,600 CHANGES,
IN 5 HOURS & 43 MINUTES.
THE BAND WAS STATIONED AS FOLLOWS.
ROBERT BRIERLEY TREBLE
HENRY ROSTRON 2nd
RICHARD AINSWORTH 3rd
EDMUND HOYLE 4th
WILLIAM HARRISON 5th
JAMES WILDE 6th
REUBEN CRAWSAHW 7th
JOHN POTTS TENOR.
COMPOSED BY WILLIAM HARRISON.
CONDUCTED BY RICHARD AINSWORTH.

The second tablet contains the inscription:
The
St Georges
SOCIETY OF CHANGE RINGERS
Hyde
ON THE 29th DAY OF MARCH 1858, SEVEN
MEMBERS OF THE ABOVE SOCIETY, WITH MR
JAMES ADAMS OF ASHTON, RANG ON THESE
BELLS A PEAL OF STEADMAN TRIPLES CONSISTING
OF 5,040 CHANGES IN 3 HOURS & 6 MINUTES
THE BAND WAS STATIONED AS FOLLOWS.
RICHARD AINSWORTH TREBLE
HENRY ROSTRON 2nd
THOMAS SALE 3rd
JAMES ADAMS 4th
JAMES WILDE 5th
WILLIAM BEELEY 6th
WILLIAM HARRISON 7th
JOHN POTTS TENOR.
COMPOSED BY T. THURSTON OF BIRMINGHAM.
CONDUCTED BY WILLIAM HARRISON.
During the summer of 1920 the bells were taken down and a new steel framework was erected and the bells recast. At this time the weights were increased (the Tenor bell weighs 919kg) but the tuning remained the same.

The third Mural Tablet is inscribed:
The
Chester
DIOCESAN GUILD.
MAY 10th 1930. IN 3 HOURS & 5 MINUTES.
A PEAL OF DOUBLE NORWICH COURT
BOB MAJOR 5024 CHANGES.
WILLIAM SHAW. TREBLE.
ARTHUR HAUGHTON. 2nd
JOHN H. BRIERLEY. 3rd
HARRY NORGROVE. 4th
JAMES SHAW. 5th
SAMUEL BOWKER. 6th
TOM WILDE. 7th
ALBERT HOUGH. TENOR.
COMPOSED AND CONDUCTED BY TOM WILDE.
RUNG TO COMMEMORATE THE 20th ANNIVERSARY
OF THE ACCESSION OF HIS MAJESTRY KING GEORGE V
ALSO AS A COMPLIMENT TO MR JAMES SHAW, WHO
HAS BEEN A RINGER AT THIS CHURCH
FOR 55 YEARS.
REV. H.J. GRAHAM.M.A.VICAR.
J.M.SIMON. A. BANCROFT. WARDENS.
Full details of the bells can be found on Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers.

The Felstead Database lists 263 special peals rung between 1853 and 2012.

See a photograph of the ladder in the ringing room on Hyde Daily Photo.

Joseph Artingstoll

This photograph of Joseph Artingstoll is scanned from Thomas Middleton's book on the history of St George's Church. The book gives the following account of him:

Joseph Artingstoll died on February 8th, 1864, at the early age of 25 years, but he had crowded into his short life a record of labour which distinguishes him as one of the most prominent of the bye-gone worthies of St. George's. His funeral sermon was published in booklet form, under the title of "A Sermon preached in St. George's Church, Hyde, on the occasion of the death of Mr. Joseph Artingsioll, on Sunday, Feb. 14th, 1864, by the Rev. Alexander Read B.A. Incumbent." In the publication, Mr. Read states--

"He was, from his earliest days, orderly, serious and fond of reading. He had read the whole Bible through, chapter by chapter, in his family circle, when quite in early boyhood. And when engaged ln his usual work, the Bible, or in later years, the Greek Testament, was a regular companion. He was a young man of strong natural powers , and had practised self-culture with marked diligence and success. ... Though daily engaged in labours demanding constant attention, so continually did he turn every moment to account. that his literary attainments were very considerable, and in such circumstances, wonderful. ... He was placed in charge of the Young Men's Class in St. George's Sunday School and was judged eminently fitted for the important duty. ... ln the course of his sickness I spoke to him of experimental religion and having expressed a fear that I had wearied him in his excessive weakness he at once replied that, "it was his greatest delight to speak on this subject; it was always edifying." And when shortly before his death, I mentioned his approaching end, and reminded him of the Christians' support in that solemn moment-- "Christ," said he, "is my rock, I have no other trust but Christ." He seemed more able to give comfort and instruction at that solemn hour than to need it."

There is a tablet to Mr. Artingstoll's memory on the south wall of the church.

The memorial no longer exists. I traced this information after hearing from Alison Hunt who had written to me saying:

"I am researching my family history. The family were called Artingstoll and had premises in Hyde Lane and Chapel Street. I understand that William Artingstoll 1836-1908 donated money to the building of St George's church and that there is/was a memorial to his brother Joseph in the church school."

Whilst I didn't discover the lost memorial I did find, after thumbing through a programme for a bazaar held in 1896, an advertisement for Artingstoll's High-class decorators, established in 1835.

See a photograph of the inside of St George's church on Hyde Daily Photo.

A contribution to Inspired Sundays.

WWI Memorial in St George's Church, Hyde

The inscription reads:TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN GRATEFUL MEMORY OF THE
MEN OF THIS PARISH WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR US ALL
IN THE GREAT WAR 1914 - 1918

OSWALD ADSHEAD
HARRY ARCHER
HENRY ARMITAGE
JAMES ARMITAGE
W STANLEY BARRY
HAROLD BANCROFT
HARRY BANCROFT
WILLIAM B BARDSLEY
HAROLD BRIDGE
HARRY BROADBENT
JOSEPH BROADBENT
JAMES E BROOMHEAD
FRED CROWLEY
HARRY CULLEN
ROLAND CULLEN
HARRY DUCKWORTH
JOHN DUCKWORTH
ALFRED ELLIS
ARTHUR FAULKNER
CHARLES FOLEY

JOHN FOX
HARRY H GREEN
JAMES H HALKYARD
ROBERT HAMPSON
HAROLD HARDY
JOHN HARDY
JOE HARRISON
HAROLD HILL
JOHN HAUGHTON
ALFRED JACKSON
WILLIAM JONES
BERTIE KIRTON
ERNEST KNOWLES
JOHN KNOWLES
WILLIAM KNOWLES
ERNEST LAWTON
SAMUEL LEE
JOSEPH LEIGH
WILLIAM E LEWIS
HARRY LUNN

HERBERT E MAKIN
THOMAS H METCALFE
PERCY MORLEY
FRED MOSS
FRED MOTTRAM
WILLIAM NAYLOR
FRED OLDFIELD
CHARLES OLDHAM
DAVID ORFORD
WILLIAM OSBORNE
HAROLD PARR
GEORGE PURSSGLOVE
ARTHUR ROBINSON
WALTER ROBINSON
EDWIN SHERWIN
SAMUEL SMALLEY
JAMES SMITH
ERNEST SPENCER
JOHN W STOTT
HERBERT SWINDELLS

ALBERT TAYLOR
J EDWARD TOLSON
JOHN WADDINGTON
WILLIAM WALLBANK
E WORSLEY WESTBROOK
ALAN H WHARAM
FRANK WHARAM
HARRY WHARAM
WALTER WHITEHEAD
WILFRED WHITEHEAD
ARNOLD WILDE
ERNEST WILLIAMSON
HARRY WILSON
JOSEPH WILSON
WILLIAM WILSON
ERNEST WOOD
FRED WOOD
There are two more memorials relating to the Second World War and these can be viewed on Hyde Daily Photo.

Gee Cross Methodist Memorials

Gee Cross Methodists Church stands on land which was once part of Ralph Fold. Originally, Stockport Road Wesleyan Methodist Church and founded in 1882, when the Primitive Methodist Chapel on Joel Lane closed in 1969 the two congregations merged as Gee Cross Methodists Church.

This Memorial Stone was laid by Mrs John Blackwell of Godley July 28th 1888. This is six years after the church was founded and is by the entrance to the Sunday School.

These tablets were rescued from Joel Lane and re-erected here.
1914. THE GREAT WAR 1919.

This Tablet
IS ERECTED AS A MEMORIAL
TO THE YOUNG MEN OF THIS CHURCH AND SUNDAY
SCHOOL, WHO RESPONDED TO BRITAIN'S CALL AT
THE CRISIS OF A GREAT NATIONAL PERIL

THE FOLLOWING PAID THE SUPREME SACRIFICE
THOMAS SAMPSON | HERBERT BRELSFORD
FRED ROBBINS. | HAROLD W WARDLE
JOSEPH J WARDLE | JOHN H WALSH
1939. 1945
ALBERT RICHARDSON

***

THESE FLOWER VASES
WERE ERECTED BY THE
FAMILY AND CONGREGATION
IN GRATEFUL MEMORY OF
ALBERT C. WILSON

BORN 25th DEC. 1874,
DIED 29th DEC. 1947,
WHO FAITHFULLY SERVED THIS CHAPEL
AND SCHOOL FOR 60 YEARS.

This tablet commemorates men from Stockport Road Wesleyan Methodist Church. It reads:
TO THE GLORY OF GOD
IN HONOUR OF THE MEN OF THIS CHURCH,
WHO SERVED IN THE GREAT WAR, 1914-1918.
AND IN EVER ABIDING MEMORY OF THE UNDERMENTIONED WHO FELL
---
HARRY COLLINSON | NORMAN H STAFFORD
GEORGE SHELMERDINE | WILLIAM HILL
FRED BARTON | TOM TWEEDALE
SAMUEL SOUTER | JOHN H BRADDOCK
"GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS"

IN MEMORY OF
Pte NORMAN H STAFFORD
7th ROYAL WELSH FUSILIERS
WHO DIED AT PORT SAID
25th OCTOBER 1919.
---
RAISED BY OFFICERS AND MEN OF HIS REGIMENT

Sacred to the Memory of
- JOHN BUCKLAND -
WHOSE SERVICE IN CONNECTION WITH THIS CHURCH
AND SUNDAY SCHOOL EXTENDED OVER A PERIOD OF
40 YEARS. DIED AUGUST 4th 1917.
- AGED 73 YEARS -
A GOOD NAME IS RATHER TO BE CHOSEN THAN GREAT RICHES.

WILLOUGHBY WILDE. HYDE.

IN MEMORY OF
ABEL STAFFORD
WHO WENT TO THE HOMELAND - FEB 21st 1910
AGED 58 YEARS
---
THIS TABLET IS A LOVING EXPRESSION OF THE FAMILY AND
FRIENDS OF THE HIGH APPRECIATION OF HIS
UNTIRING DEVOTION TO THE BEST INTERESTS OF THIS CHURCH.
HE HELD FOR MANY YEARS THE POSITION OF SUNDAY
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT SOCIETY STEWARD AND SEVERAL
OTHER OFFICES: AND AT THE TIME OF HIS TRANSLATION WAS
STEWARD OF THE WOODLEY CIRCUIT
-----
"He being dead yet speaketh."

Views of the outside of the church can be a found on Hyde DP Xtra.

A view of the inside of the church and its organ can be found on Hyde Daily Photo.

A contribution to Inspired Sundays.

St George's 1927

The front of this Whit Friday programme from 1927 shows how St George's churchyard use to look before the railings around several graves were removed.

See how it looks from a similar viewpoint now on Hyde Daily Photo.

Details of the early history of St George's can be found at The Annals of Hyde: St George's Church

A contribution to Inspired Sundays.

St Thomas The Apostle (1920)

This painting, dated 1920, of St Thomas the Apostle on Lumn Road was on show at the recent Heritage Open Day.

St Thomas' church was built in 1868. The architect, Medland Taylor was a Manchester architect who produced a number of fine if quirkish buildings. Locally, he designed St. Anne's, Denton, St. Mar'’s, Haughton Green, Holy Trinity, Hyde and the Library and the Post Office in Stalybridge. At the time when many architects were designing churches in a style they believed to be a copy of Gothic Architecture, Medland was producing an inventive mixture of architectural styles and motifs. For example, St. Thomas' has brick buttresses and window surrounds with stone infilling. Most would have followed the convention and used stone with brick infilling. According to Pevsner, the roof is an example of his humour, having a quirky additional pitch to it. The proportions of the church are such that St. Thomas' appears to be quite a small building, whereas it is fairly large.

Also on show were this piece of crockery celebrating the 125th anniversary of the church in 1993.

See Hyde Daily Photo for a current view of the church.

Visit the church website.

A contribution to Inspired Sundays.

The Annals of Hyde: St George's Church

These images are from The Annals of Hyde.

The Annals of Hyde tells us

Prior to 1831, the Church of England had no place of worship in the township, and for ecclesiastical purposes Hyde was connected with the Parish Church of Stockport, which place many of the inhabitants attended. Others worshipped at Mottram, or at Denton Old Church ... But the rapid increase of the population of Hyde (owing to the spread of the cotton industry), and the long hours that the people had to work, caused the need of a church within the township to become apparent. The matter was taken up by (among others) Captain Clarke, who obtained the gift of a site from his half-brother, George Clarke, and eventually St. George's Church was built.

The erection of this spacious building was commenced in 1831, the foundation stone being laid on May 28th of that year, by Captain Hyde John Clarke, J.P. The cost, about £5,000, was chiefly guaranteed by the Church Building Commissioners.

The building was consecrated on October 20th, 1832, by the Rt. Rev. John Bird Sumner, D.D., Lord Bishop of Chester, afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury. The church is a plain substantial stone erection in the perpendicular style, consisting of a tower, a wide nave, and a small chancel. The tower which is lofty and square, surmounted by pinnacles with floreated finials, commands a fine view of the surrounding country. It contains a clock and a peal of eight bells the latter inscribed with the names of the gentlemen who contributed to the cost.

The first peal was rung on the 20th of March, 1853, by the ringers from Mottram Parish Church. Since that time the ringers of St. George's have distinguished themselves in various parts of the country, and have been awarded many prizes for
their skill in this department.

The interior of the church (which is galleried all round), underwent renovation some years ago, and is now calculated to seat above 1,200 persons, the whole of the sittings being free. The large east window of stained glass is a fine piece of workman-ship, and was the gift of John Sidebotham, Esq., J.P., of Kingston.

A large memorial window on the western side was inserted by Mrs. Horsfield, of the Longlands, in memory of her son, and on the north and south sides most of the original windows have been replaced by panes of stained glass in commemoration of departed parishioners. The edifice also contains tablets to the memory of the Rev. Alexander Read and the Rev. Herbert Alkin, former vicars, and one perpetuating the labours of Richard Gilbody and George Middleton, two workers in the Sunday Schools.

In the main entrance of the church, beneath the tower, is the family vault of the Clarke's descendants of the ancient lords of Hyde and there sleeps Captain Hyde John Clarke, who for many years was the chief figure in this part of the country.

St. George's was first formed into an ecclesiastical parish in 1843.

See how the church looks today on Hyde Daily Photo.

Herbert Allkin

Image scanned from "History of Hyde (St. George's) Church and Schools" by Thomas Middleton (1911).
Herbert Allkin was the first minister of St. George's Church. The former curate of Ashton under Lyne Parish Church was described as a man of fine appearance, a good preacher and reader belonging to the old school of Evangelical clergymen who wore a white "choker" neck-cloth and preached in a black gown and white bands.

His stipend at the start of his Hyde ministry in 1832 was only £50 per annum and to augment his income he started a private school in his residence at Hill Bank. This became a popular local educational institution. The Rev. Jas. Brooks, parson of Hyde Chapel (1806-1854) records in his diary that he sent his son to this school, after stipulating that the lad was not to be taught the Church catechism. He adds that the greatest harmony prevailed between Mr. Allkin and the ministers of other denominations. Once the congregation at St. George's had increased to the extent that the living provided a sufficient income for the minister, the school was closed.

During his incumbency the church building was completed and the Old School in Church Street was erected and opened as a Day and Sunday School. However, a dispute arose between the minister and several wealthy members of the congregation with the result that a number of leading laymen left to join the new church of St. Thomas, which had started in the Chartist Institute in 1846.

Herbert Allkin died in 1849 at the age of 49. He was interred at the East end of the church in a grave which now lies beneath the clergy vestry. Originally this was an altar tomb outwith the walls but when a new vestry was built in 1897, the slabs of the tomb were placed in an upright position and now form part of the vestry walls.

A photograph of the tomb can be seen on Hyde Daily Photo.

Queen Adelaide's Donation

"The Highland Shepherdess" is one of nine pieces of needlework worked by Queen Adelaide herself and donated to a bazaar held in 1835 to raise funds for a school in Hyde. It was purchased by a member of the Tinker family and passed down through the family into the possession of Margaret (Peggy) Tinker. She has generously passed this artefact into the custody of St George's Church.

The church hope to have it restored in due course.

Queen Adelaide was born in 1792. She married William, Duke of Clarence in 1818. He reigned as King William IV from 1830 until 1837. Queen Adelaide died in 1849.

An enriched photograph of the tapestry can be found on Hyde Daily Photo.

Details from the frame can be found on Hyde DP Xtra.

For more "Q" posts this week visit ABC Wednesday.

St George's 1840

The earliest known picture of St George's dates back to 1840. It was found recently in a distressed state and fragments were carefully pieced together and stuck on a mount.

I took a photograph of this and then used PaintShop Pro to remove blemishes and restore the colour. Here is the result.

In the foreground is a horse-drawn barge on the Peak Forest Canal. Midground is the valley of the Gower Hey Brook before it became filled with trees, houses and allotments. The artist appears to have taken a little license with the tallness of the tower.

You can view the original distressed picture on Hyde DP Xtra.

A modern view of the church is on Hyde Daily Photo.

Mottram Congregational Church

This photograph, © Frank Bennett, first appeared on the Images of England site and is republished here with permission.

Date Photographed: 21st August 2000.

The official description is

SJ 99 NE LONGDENDALE STALYBRIDGE ROAD (west side) 4/85 Mottram Congregational 19.7.79 Church - II Chapel. 1791, altered 1836 and 1852. Stone plinth, rendered walls, slate roof and hammer-dressed stone wing of 1852. 3 bays with outshut to rear and small later wing to right. The only external features are 3 round-headed windows with keystones and a plaque recording the name of the church. Interior much altered. Principal interest is historical as it was built as a Methodist meeting house, changed to the New Connexion in 1803 and to a Congregational church in c.1850. It is said to be the oldest surviving Methodist chapel in the Manchester area which is still in use as a place of worship.

See my recent photograph on Hyde Daily Photo.

Hyde Cemetery Chapel 2000

I took this photograph of the chapel in Hyde Cemetery following the trial of Harold Frederick Shipman to use in my account of the murderous GP.

As you can see on Hyde Daily Photograph, ten years later the chapel looks much the same apart from some obvious strengthening of the doors.

Hyde Chapel 1708-1846

These images are from The Annals of Hyde.

In 1708, on an estate belonging to an ancestor of the Thornelys, the original chapel at Gee Cross was built largely under Presbyterian influence. The district at that time contained only a few scattered farmers, and there was no other place of worship in the township. For nearly 100 years the chapel remained the only place for public worship in Hyde, until in 1814, the Independent Chapel was built on the site now occupied by the Mechanics' Institute.

The original Hyde chapel was a low building of stone with a small flat gallery entered by an outside stone staircase. "It was fitted up," says Mr. Hibbert, "with wooden benches without backs, standing on an earthen floor, which in wet weather was covered with rushes." Among the first trustees the following names occur : Thornely, Shepley, Ashton, Brook, Mottram, Hegginbotham, Harrison, Sidebotham, Gee, and others, showing the ancestors of the principal Hyde families to have been concerned in the erection of this old and interesting place of worship. That the chapel flourished in its earlier years is evident from the fact that a return made in 1715 states that "at Hyde, John Cooper had 674 hearers, 10 gentlemen, 39 tradesmen, and 70 yeomen, including 65 voters for the county."

The present chapel is built of stone and is of most beautiful appearance. Its style is partly early English and it consists of a nave with north and south aisles and chancel, and a fine tower and spire rising to the height of 145 feet. The nave is divided by rows of clustered pillars from which spring moulded arches which support the clerestory. The chapel took two years to build and cost £7,500. Upon a stone tablet over the north door is this inscription :

This House of Prayer, standing near the site of a chapel built A.D. 1708, was erected A.D. 1846 by the descendants of the founders, and dedicated to the worship of our Lord Jesus Christ, under the protection of that Act of Public Justice, 7 and 8 Vict. c. 45, which secures to non-subscribing dissenters peaceful possession of the Chapel and Endowments of their pious forefathers.

The top image is a copy of the painting of the 1767 church which can be seen inside the church.

Compare the present print from the 1890s with my photograph from early Spring, 2009.

St George's Church

These images are from The Annals of Hyde. Compare this with a recent view taken in April 2009.

The Annals of Hyde tells us

Prior to 1831, the Church of England had no place of worship in the township, and for ecclesiastical purposes Hyde was connected with the Parish Church of Stockport, which place many of the inhabitants attended. Others worshipped at Mottram, or at Denton Old Church ... But the rapid increase of the population of Hyde (owing to the spread of the cotton industry), and the long hours that the people had to work, caused the need of a church within the township to become apparent. The matter was taken up by (among others) Captain Clarke, who obtained the gift of a site from his half-brother, George Clarke, and eventually St. George's Church was built.

The erection of this spacious building was commenced in 1831, the foundation stone being laid on May 28th of that year, by Captain Hyde John Clarke, J.P. The cost, about £5,000, was chiefly guaranteed by the Church Building Commissioners.

The building was consecrated on October 20th, 1832, by the Rt. Rev. John Bird Sumner, D.D., Lord Bishop of Chester, afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury. The church is a plain substantial stone erection in the perpendicular style, consisting of a tower, a wide nave, and a small chancel. The tower which is lofty and square, surmounted by pinnacles with floreated finials, commands a fine view of the surrounding country. It contains a clock and a peal of eight bells the latter inscribed with the names of the gentlemen who contributed to the cost.

The first peal was rung on the 20th of March, 1853, by the ringers from Mottram Parish Church. Since that time the ringers of St. George's have distinguished themselves in various parts of the country, and have been awarded many prizes for
their skill in this department.

The interior of the church (which is galleried all round), underwent renovation some years ago, and is now calculated to seat above 1,200 persons, the whole of the sittings being free. The large east window of stained glass is a fine piece of workman-ship, and was the gift of John Sidebotham, Esq., J.P., of Kingston.

A large memorial window on the western side was inserted by Mrs. Horsfield, of the Longlands, in memory of her son, and on the north and south sides most of the original windows have been replaced by panes of stained glass in commemoration of departed parishioners. The edifice also contains tablets to the memory of the Rev. Alexander Read and the Rev. Herbert Alkin, former vicars, and one perpetuating the labours of Richard Gilbody and George Middleton, two workers in the Sunday Schools.

In the main entrance of the church, beneath the tower, is the family vault of the Clarkes descendants of the ancient lords of Hyde and there sleeps Captain Hyde John Clarke, who for many years was the chief figure in this part of the country.

St. George's was first formed into an ecclesiastical parish in 1843.

Today's photograph on Hyde DP shows the view from the Lych Gate.

St Andrew's Whit Walk

On Friday I showed you United Methodist Sunday School preparing for their Whit Walk.

Today we see St Andrew's Church on John Street.

It was a mission church and according to The Annals of Hyde

Mission work in the St. Andrew's district was begun in 1874 in the Temperance Hall, by the Revs. W. H. White, Dudley, Diggs, and Dr. Smith. Success attending the movement, the present buildings were erected in 1875. For a time Dr. Smith had sole charge of the budding church, but in 1885 it was again taken over by the Rev. W. H. White, and the Rev. D. S. Bowen became Curate-in-Charge. During his time the purchase of the building was completed; whilst a fund for providing an endowment (towards which the Bishop of Chester's Fund granted £1,000) was completed by locally raised sums in 1897. In 1893 the Rev. M. Wilson, M. A., succeeded Mr. Bowen, and was in turn succeeded in 1896 by the Rev. W. Graham, under whom many improvements have been effected. The present curate is the Rev. J. Lawton.

Remnants of John Street remain both North and South of the M67 but the motorway destroyed the middle of it.

Whit Walks: United Methodists

Last year on Whit Friday I brought you a photograph of the walkers outside St George's Church and I also posted a view of walkers in Gee Cross.

This year I am bringing you the United Methodist Sunday School, George Street.

I don't know the age of the photograph, and I wasn't sure of the whereabouts of George Street which is not marked on modern A-Z atlases.

According to The Annals of Hyde

In the year 1830 the (Methodist New) Connexion commenced work in Hyde, a small room in Cross Street being used for religious worship. In 1833, the Church had grown sufficiently to warrant the erection of a small chapel in George Street. The leading spirit in the movement about that time seems to have been a Mr. John Leech. A Sunday school was formed and this appears to have strengthened the church. Progress continuing, the large George Street Chapel was erected in 1858. The old schools were replaced in 1885 by the present spacious building adjoining the chapel.

I've recently learnt that George Street was completely obliterated by the building of the M67 motorway.

Zion Congregation

The original Zion school and chapel was opened in 1847. It consisted of two storeys with the chapel above the school and was enlarged in 1859.

The large building on Peel Street, pictured above, was opened in April 1899. One hundred years later it was replaced by the modern new Zion Church which opened in 2000.

To visit more ABC-Wednesday Z posts go to Mrs. Nesbitt's Place.

Reverend Dowson

Henry Enfield Dowson was born November 23rd, 1837 and died August 20th 1925. He became the minister of Hyde Chapel in 1867 and served for 51 years.

He gave his name to Dowson Road as well as other places in the town.

So revered and respected was he that he lies buried not in the graveyard but inside the chapel.

His bust can be seen on Hyde Daily Photo.

Hyde Chapel, 1767

The present Hyde Chapel was built in 1846.

The first chapel on the site was built in 1708. It was extended in 1767. No picture of the original chapel is known to exist, but when we visited the recent Beatrix Potter Exhibition, we were shown this picture of the extended chapel. It was demolished following the completion of the new chapel, but the site can be made out in the present graveyard.

A look at the picture in situ can by found on Hyde Daily Photo.

Whit Walkers: St. George's

It is Whit Friday today.

This group of walkers gathered outside St. George's on Whit Friday 1919.

They would probably meet up with walkers from Gee Cross and other churches in the area.