click to return to Astley Home & Contents

Astley Unitarian Church, Astley
in the County of
-- Lancashire --

click to return to Lancashire Home

Astley Unitarian Chapel

The Astley Unitarian Chapel was formed during the 19th century due to the dispute as to who had the right to elect the Vicar of Astley (St Stephens).

Many members of the Church left and a number of them began to hold Unitarian Services in barns and cottages in 1821. A Sunday school was opened also. In 1839, however, political and other dissension arose, and services were discontinued until 1856. In 1858 a Sunday school was again started and the Chapel was built and opened by Rev Richard Harwood, Mayor of Salford, well known at the time for his work in the Unitarian cause. Mr Booth, of Monton, was a liberal supporter of the congregation, paying rent for the cottage and contributing towards the cost of the Chapel. Improvements to the Chapel were made in 1876 and the schoolroom was added and opened in November 1883.

Early Chapel ministers

Supplies 1856-1870 
J. C. Farn 1870-1871 
Richard Cowling 1871-1876 
A. M. Rodger 1877-1881 
John Entwistle 1881-1888 
Peter Holt 1889-1927 
George William Deas 1928-1930 
Ernest Alfred Lear 1931-1936 
Thomas Entwistle Nuttall 1937-1947 
John Mather 1948-1952 
 
Astley Unitarian Chapel July 2004
Unitarian Chapel July 2004

Parish records are available as follows:-

Baptisms 1825 to 1837 are held at Leigh library and Wigan history shop as well as available through these pages.

Baptisms 1928 to 1999, marriages 1928 to 1971 and funeral services 1929 to 2004, I have acquired scans of these registers, if you wish to check any name or details please e mail me directly. Astley Unitarian Chapel does not have its own graveyard.

Acknowledgement

I would like to express my sincere thanks to Mrs Mary Barratt, the Lay Leader of Astley Unitarian Chapel, for her assistance in obtaining the parish records and details about the Unitarian Chapel.


Astley Home & Contents ©Lancashire OnLine Parish Clerks

Lancashire Home