Holy Trinity Shaw -0005

Shaw Parish Registers commence in 1704. Local people used the chapel for Baptisms and Burials. For Marriages a certificate from either Oldham (3 miles) away or Prestwich (10+ miles) was required. A considerable distance on foot both for the Banns and the Marriage. By 1739, the chapel was inadequate for the growing population and a new stone chapel costing £1100 was built. At the time a skilled worker earned 1 shilling a day (£1 = 20 shillings), so this was a considerable sum for a small community. To raise money, Briefs or King's Letters were issued to authorise collections to be made at other churches. Prestwich collected £7 10s in 1735 and Milnrow Chapel raised 7s 10d. By 1778, the new chapel had serious structural defects. On Trinity Sunday 1791, Mr. Mashiter durst not preach for fear of the chapel falling. A new restored and enlarged chapel was reopened in 1800. This was used until the present church; Holy Trinity was built in 1870. In 1826, a poll was taken in Oldham and its townships about the rebuilding of Oldham Parish Church. Nobody in Crompton or Shaw voted in favour of rebuilding and the residents refused to pay the rate levied for the new Oldham church. In 1835, the township of Crompton was freed from its obligations to Oldham and Prestwich churches and a separate parish was created. This parish was the Old Shaw Parish but the township was Crompton.

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