Ramsbottom Heritage Society

The April meeting of the Ramsbottom Heritage Society included an illustrated talk entitled Non-Conformist Churches in Lancashire” presented by Kathy Fishwick. Non-conformist Churches started after the Act of Uniformity in 1662, when priests who refused to conform to use the Book of Common Prayer had to resign. Tockholes United Reformed Church was the first non-conformist Church in Lancashire and the building has the pulpit at the centre rather than the altar. The Quakers also started at this time, as they refused to pay tithes to the Church of England. The Quaker meeting hall in Crawshawbooth was built in 1736 and is still in use today. Other non-conformist denominations include Baptists, Methodists, and Unitarians. As the churches were independent, they rely on their finances from the congregation, so initially the buildings were modest, but as the congregations grew, the buildings became more ornate, and Kathy showed photos of Haslingden Road Methodist Church in Rawtenstall, which was built in a Greek style. Most of the buildings built in the 18th and 19th Centuries are now no longer used by the Church, but some have been preserved by English Heritage, including Goodshaw Baptist Church. The newly built buildings have returned to the simpler style, and Kathy showed 2 photos of Accrington New Jerusalem Church, one from the 19th Century and a recent one to illustrate this.