Glossop Heritage Trust

Glossopdale Churches and Chapels


Independent


Button image Simmondley Chapel Button image Padfield Independent Chapel & Sunday School Button image Tintwistle Independent Church

Button image Brookfield Independent (later Congregational) Chapel, Brookfield, Glossop

Button image Littlemoor Chapel, Whitfield Button image Mount Pleasant Congregational Church, Glossop

Charlesworth Independent Chapel c1948 Charlesworth Independent Chapel (St. Mary Magdalen), Monks Road, Charlesworth.
Extracted from Triple Jubilee Commemoration booklet 1798 - 1948 by Rev. R. Mansfield
Charlesworth formed part of the Crown Lands when the Domesday Survey was compiled. In 1294, Peter de Charlesworth died seized of certain lands in the Township and elsewhere in the Parish of Glossop, which he held for the Abbot of Basingwerk. In 1308, Robert de Charlesworth gave to the said Abbot eighty acres of arable land in Charlesworth in addition to small endowments in Simmondley and Chunal. This gift caused the monks of Basingwerk to establish a farm or grange managed by their own order, on their newly acquired possessions, and the Chapel was erected, dedicated to St. Mary Magdalen.
The Abbot of Basingwerk, in 1329, in order to increase the value of his property, obtained royal permission for the establishment of a Market at Charlesworth on Wednesdays, and for a yearly fair to be held on the festival of the patron saint of the Chapel. In the reign of Henry VII, William Wolley of Riber in the Parish of Matlock (whose family since the year 1139 has been established at Woley and Charlesworth - Thomas Wolley de Charlesworth and William Wolley de Charlesworth, great uncles of the said William Wolley - being included among the gentry of Derbyshire by the Commissioners appointed by Henry VI, in their return of 1433) left certain lands in Chesterfield, Newbold, Tapton & Dronfield to provide a priest to celebrate Divine Service and to say Masses for his soul and for the souls of his benefactors for ever in the Chapel of Charlesworth.

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Simmondley Chapel.
In 1837 a room was taken over some cottages as an Independent Sunday School. It was decided that a Chapel should be built and a subscription list was opened for the purpose and people from Charlesworth and Simmondley contributed. Names like Buckley, Lynes, Dixon and Charlesworth were associated with the building. Some members of the community who were in the building trade helped in the construction of the chapel built in 1844. Sunday School was held every Sunday afternoon and some of the builders were also teachers. The land was offered for sale by Lord Howard's Estate for £200 but was purchased for £30 by Mr. Wilson. Later on a vestry and stone cellar were added to the Chapel. A Centenary Service took place in June 1944.
The building is in use today as a Pre-School Playgroup. 		Simmondley Chapel c1919

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Padfield Congregational Chapel Padfield Independent Chapel & Sunday School.
The first Chapel, with only 12 pews was built in 1828 for £265 and was later replaced by the present building The Chapel and Sunday School were built as a branch of the Tintwistle Independent Chapel and Sunday School. The organisers and subscribers were chiefly members of the Tintwistle Independent Chapel who resided in the village of Padfield. The Rev. J. C. Potter assisting in its formation.
At a public meeting of the inhabitants of Padfield at the house of Mary Barber, Little Padfield on 1st February 1828 it was resolved "that a Chapel be erected for the hamlet of Padfield where Divine worship may be held on Sunday evenings and other opportunities as may be agreed hereafter". At this meeting it was also resolved that the Chapel be considered to be "belonging" to the body of Christians called "Independents". The lease for the ground for 99 years at £11 arranged with the Duke of Norfolk on 6th March 1829.
On 13th June 1875 a Sunday School Anniversary Sermon was preached by Rev. J. Oddy of Tintwistle.
The present building is very different to the original one. At a Trustees meeting on 1st February 1901 it was decided to adopt a plan of proposed extension and alterations consisting of the addition of a vestry each side of the building and a porch plus a vestry with a cellar at the lower side of the building and a polished wooden ceiling. On 9th March 1901 the re-opening ceremony was performed by Mrs. Platt of Mersey Bank, Hadfield using a gold key which was presented to her by Chairman of the Councilors, Mr. Thomas Braddock. That the people worked with a will goes without saying, for out of the total cost of £800 they had already raised £500, encouraged by the sympathy and practical help of Mr. & Mrs. Platt of Mersey Bank.
A 97th Sunday School Anniversary service was held on 14th June 1925 by Rev. J. H. Robinson of Glossop.
On 22nd May 1972 the Independents or Congregationalists were asked to vote whether or not to join with the Presbyterians in the formation of the United Reform Church. The vote was not carried in favour of joining thus breaking the link with Tintwistle.
In 1973 a new link was formed with Charlesworth Congregational Church whereby the two churches were to share a minister, Rev. C. L. Gillham, M.A. who joined them in 1974.

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Tintwistle Independent Church.
At Tintwistle in 1688 Congregationalists met in an old barn where the Chapel stood on Woodhead Road (near Chapel Brow). It was described as a "homely sanctuary with it's white washed interior, bare rafters and rush bottom floor". However the people had probably met in cottages 20 years before this date. A new Chapel was built in 1763, which was rebuilt in 1811 at a cost of £1,500. In 1837 the building was enlarged to provide 200 seats and was re-roofed and re-seated again in 1889/90. The graveyard was extended in 1900. The first minister was Rev. Andrew Grey, a Scotsman.
There was a bell tower near the Chapel - an open tower with a single bell. Just after the turn of last century it was broken by a group of New Year revellers who rang it too vigorously and badly damaged its mechanism. The bell fell into disuse.
The west wall had a stained glass window of the Good Shepherd erected to the memory of William Henry Lowe, a former benefactor of the Chapel. The south wall had two stained glass windows - one to the memory of Joseph Howard, Superintendent, Deacon and Trustee of the Church who died in 1932, the second one to the memory of Walter and Deborah Hull of Arnfield and Stalyhill.
The Chapel celebrated its 250th Anniversary in 1938 but has since been demolished and services now take place in the building in Old Road, Tintwistle which had been the Day School and Sunday School.
In 1918 a men's institute was formed and soon afterwards a cricket club.
In 1920 an illuminated address was presented to Mr. Ellis Dewsnap, the oldest member of the Church and a life deacon.
The second World War took the lives of three more members of the Church, they were: George Casey, John Hoyland and Stanley Russell.
Ministers: The first Minister was Rev. R. Stanton followed by, W. Telfer (1860-1862), J. Jones (1871-1873), C. Robinson (1875-1876), J. K. Kirby (1878-1898), M.Hindles (1899-1901), S. Skelhorn (1902-1909), A. W. Goodwin (1909-1947), J. I. Price & A. Oldfield ( 1949-1952), L.N. Cooper (1952-1954), J. Henderson (1955- ?).
A special service took place on April 28th 1908 to celebrate the Jubilee Year of the Church.
The Centenary of the Church was celebrated in April 1958.
In the years 1964 - 1965 £600 was spent on interior decorations and a further £400 on outside repairs and improvements.
The Church is still in use today. 		Independent Chapel, Tintwistle

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Brookfield Chapel Brookfield Independent (later Congregational) Chapel, Brookfield, Glossop.
In 1849 members of the Independent Churches at Glossop, Charlesworth and Tintwistle convened a meeting at the home of Samuel Shepley (owner of a mill at Brookfield). It was decided to rent the Chapel at Mottram and Rev. P. Davies was Minister.
On 20th April 1852 it was noted in the Annual Report of Derbyshire Congregational Churches at Chesterfield " the operations of Woolley Bridge Mission have been transferred to Brookfield".
The School house built in 1852 on the ground of Samuel Shepley was also paid for by Samuel Shepley. The school house was part of the buildings of Old Brookfield Mill which had been demolished some years previously. Samuel Shepley was the first Superintendent. A library was added to the School in 1856 and in 1858 the building was enlarged. Samuel Shepley died in 1858.
Twenty five years were to pass before the foundation stone for a new Church was laid by his son, William Shepley (the then mill owner) in November 1883. There was a procession led by Mottram Brass Band and in a cavity under the stone several items of interest were placed. When the tower was demolished nearly 90 years later the stone was lifted and the bottle discovered but unfortunately it had been damaged by water seeping in the cavity.
In 1957 Brookfield joined with Littlemoor Church, Glossop to share a group Pastorate which continued for eight years.
The unique relationship between the Shepley family and the Church continued for over a century, ending with the death of Mrs. Harriet Cuthbert in 1960. She was the great grand daughter of Samuel Shepley.
At an annual church meeting on 24th May 1967 it was decided to sell the Church building and convert part of the adjacent schoolroom into a Chapel.
The Church building was sold in 1971. This Chapel was opened and dedicated in March 1972, the service was conducted by the Rev. F. Barker. The service was attended by a large congregation including the Mayor and Mayoress of Glossop. Soon after opening it was to become part of the grater United Reform Church formed by the union of the Congregational and Presbyterian churches.
The Brookfield Chapel (by now United Reform) was closed in June 1981 due to a largely decreasing congregation.
The Chapel is now used as a retail DIY premises and the Sunday School is an Antiques Centre.

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Littlemoor Chapel, Whitfield.
The land was given for this Chapel by Samuel Dearnally of Crosscliffe, Glossop. The first Trustees being George Hadfield, Moses Hadfield, John Kershaw, William Kershaw, Thomas Shaw, James Shephard and John Platt. The Chapel opened in 1811 and the formation of a Church made in 1812. The first Pastor was Rev. J. Harrison who was succeeded by Rev. J. Fielding until 1825.
In 1840 a new school was built and this was enlarged twelve years later in 1852 costing £300. The Chapel was enlarged at a cost of over £1,000 in 1845. £400 of this was subscribed and a further £220 collected at the re-opening services. By 1860 the debt on the Chapel and the Manse ( Gladstone Street) had been liquidated and in 1863 an organ was introduced.
Mr. W. Shepley laid the foundation stone for a new and enlarged school premises which were to cost £3,300 and in 1881 these opened as a Day School with 81 pupils. 		Littlemoor Chapel, Whitfield
A new organ for the Chapel was purchased in 1924 and in 1927 Choir stalls were erected.
In 1949 the Church closed for decorating and was re-opened in 1950. Three memorial windows were unveiled in 1950 by Mrs. A. M. Jackson in memory of her husband and son, with the Good Samaritan, an open bible and reference to the Royal Corps of Signals.
In 1956 Littlemoor and Brookfield came together for joint Pastorship under the care of Rev. W. E. Joseph.
Pastors: 1812-1825 J. Harrison & J. Fielding, 1825-1838 G. Partington, 1838-1876 T. Atkin, 1876-1883 G. Sadler, 1884-1908 W. L. Parker, 1909-1914 W. P. Rankin, 1915-1920 A. Penellagon, 1922-1928 J. H. Robinson, 1930-1943 T. A. Bairstow, 1944-1956 Lloyd Lister, 1957-? W. E. Joseph.
The graveyard containing 13,000 bodies was exhumed and re-interred at Glossop Municipal Cemetery in April 1976 and a memorial stone to those once buried at Littlemoor can now be seen there.
The Chapel eventually closed and is now used as a Fitness Centre.

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Mount Pleasant Congregational Church, Glossop Mount Pleasant Congregational Church, Glossop.

In 1858 , Fourteen people - eight men and six women banded together to form a Church. This number increased quickly to 23 and they met together in a room at Charles Street, Glossop. Membership increased so quickly however that the room was soon too small and larger premises were sought. The main cause of such a rapid increase in the congregation was probably the strong evangelistic nature of the work. In order to accommodate the extra members arrangements were made whereby services could be held in the Temperance Hall which was later used as a Labour Club. Ten years from the commencement of the cause the present church was erected.
The foundation stone was laid on May 23rd 1868 by Henry Lee Esq. of Manchester with the Rev. G. Conder, Professor F. S. Williams and the Rev. R. Stanton taking the Ceremony. Twelve months later the building was opened for Divine Worship.
When the debt on the Church was cleared the congregation began a scheme for building a school. They were successful and on Good Friday 1875 the foundation stone of the Sunday school was laid by Henry Flint Esq., founder of the Church. Henry Flint died in 1878.
On 17th November 1896 an organ was installed and dedicated.
Membership of the Church and School rapidly increased and the men's class had a membership of 50 and was turned into a Brotherhood. There was a Band of Hope with upwards of 250 members.
A memorial to the memory of Mrs. Deborah Higginbottom, wife of one of the first members and donor of the Manse, was erected in the Church in 1915.

The first World War took the lives of eight members of the Brotherhood. They were: Privates Fred Bradbury, Herbert Taylor, Walter Taylor, George Haughton, Robert Hague, Louis Hadfield, Tom Haughton, Arthur Haughton, Frank Cartwright and Arthur Sandham. The five windows in the front of the Church and a tablet were given in their memory by the congregation at a cost of £400.
In 1918 a men's institute was formed and soon afterwards a cricket club.
In 1920 an illuminated address was presented to Mr. Ellis Dewsnap, the oldest member of the Church and a life deacon.
The second World War took the lives of three more members of the Church, they were: George Casey, John Hoyland and Stanley Russell.
Ministers: The first Minister was Rev. R. Stanton followed by, W. Telfer (1860-1862), J. Jones (1871-1873), C. Robinson (1875-1876), J. K. Kirby (1878-1898), M.Hindles (1899-1901), S. Skelhorn (1902-1909), A. W. Goodwin (1909-1947), J. I. Price & A. Oldfield ( 1949-1952), L.N. Cooper (1952-1954), J. Henderson (1955- ?).
A special service took place on April 28th 1908 to celebrate the Jubilee Year of the Church.
The Centenary of the Church was celebrated in April 1958.
In the years 1964 - 1965 £600 was spent on interior decorations and a further £400 on outside repairs and improvements.
The Church is still in use today. 		Celebrations at Mount Pleasant

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Page last updated: 24 October 2009.