AN HISTORIC Bury church has celebrated its milestone tricentennial birthday.

Bury Unitarian Church recently marked the 300th anniversary of its foundation and of “non-conformist” worship in the town.

Over the centuries several chapels and buildings have been built and utilised by the church in Bury.

Unitarianism first sprung up in Poland in the 16th century based on the central tenet of rejection of the Trinity ­— God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit ­— and instead adhering to a strict monotheistic interpretation of the unity of God.

Within a few decades, various indepedent Unitarian movements emerged in Transylvania, England, Wales and the United States of America, which only later came to be influenced by and shared beliefs, philosophies and practices with one another.

Beyond its repudiation of the Trinity there is no overarching doctrine of Unitarianism, however generally accepted beliefs follow a school of “liberal” Christianity, such as understanding Jesus as a prophet of God, but not divine, and as one whose life offers the perfect model for emulation.

Followers of Unitarian Churches also believe in human free will, of basing beliefs on rational enquiry, and that the bible was written by human authors and is subject to human error; as well as rejecting concepts of Original Sin, predestination and eternal damnation.

The 17th century saw the continuation of a chronic a period of religious upheaval throughout England and Europe punctuated by devastating wars and oppression as various sects of Protestants and Catholics vied for religious and political supremacy ­— out of which the Unitarian Churches were born.

In 1662, Lancastrian Revered Henry Pendlebury of Holcombe became one of hundreds of Church of England clergymen to be ejected from their parishes after he refused to accept the revised Book of Common Prayer.

He would go on to spend the next 25 years preaching illegally at various venues around the county, including in a barn owned by Bury man Richard Kay.

Following the moderate relaxation of restraints posed on dissenting protestantism granted by the Toleration Act of 1688, Rev Pendlebury formed a congregation at Kay’s home at Bast House in Walmersley.

This congregation eventually led to construction of what would become the first Unitarian chapel in the centre of Bury, located in Silver Street.

The church was founded by four members of the dissident Lancastrian congregation, Richard Kay, Samuel Wareing, Robert Wareing and Richard Hampson; and was completed in 1719.

Over the succeeding decades the church moved away from the Trinitarianism preached by Rev Pendlebury, and with Reverend William Allard, appointed in 1803, eventually evolved into a “true” Unitarian congregation.

A Sunday school housed in a warehouse off Silver Street was added to the church in 1805, and as the congregation grew a new chapel was built in the location now occupied by The Exchange office block. This chapel was shortlived, however, and after being deemed unsafe was demolished to be replaced by a third chapel in Bank Street in 1852.

The second half of the 19th century also saw expansion of the day school and the opening of a sister church in Chesham.

By the turn of the 20th century the church also boasted a lively social community hosting picnics, Whit Walks, parties and bonfires.

The twin churches and Sunday school continued until 1969 when they amalgamated and were sold off for development to fund construction of a fourth church on the area previously used as the Bank Street chapel’s carpark.

Named Bury Unitarian Church the new building opened in March 1974 and is still in use today.