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“John Bird by Divine Permission Lord Bishop of Chester. To our beloved in Christ The Reverend Harold Hopley Sherlock Clerk Officiating Minister of Holy Trinity in the Township of Ashton in the Parish of Winwick in the County of Lancaster and Diocese of Chester. Whereas Edward Earl of Derby Patron of the Rectory and Parish Church of Winwick aforesaid [and] The Reverend James John Hornby Rector of the same Rectory and Parish Church by a certain Instrument in writing under their respective hands and seals bearing date the thirteenth day of November one thousand eight hundred and thirty eight have certified and declared their consent and approbation that we should in pursuance of the powers of the Act of Parliament made and passed in the sixth and seventh years of the reign of His late Majesty King William fourth intitled “An Act for Marriages in England” grant our Licence to authorise the solemnization of marriages in Holy Trinity Church Ashton aforesaid under the restrictions hereinafter mentioned, that is to say for and in respect of persons residing within the Chapelry of Ashton aforesaid. We therefore by these presents do grant our Licence faculty and authority that it shall and may be lawful for you the said Harold Hopley Sherlock and all and every other lawful officiating Minister of the united Church of England and Ireland to publish the Banns and solemnize marriages according to the rites of the said united Church for persons lawfully Inhabiting the District which we have assigned to Holy Trinity Church aforesaid, but not further or otherwise reserving nevertheless to ourselves and our Successors power of granting similar licences to any Church or Chapel now or hereafter to be erected or built in the said Township or Chapelry of Ashton aforesaid. Given under our hand and Episcopal seal the First day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty nine and of our Consecration the eleventh. [Sealed and signed “JB Chester”.]”
The first registered marriage at Holy Trinity was that of James Heaton and Mary Anne Bailey on 13 October 1845.
Image from the copy at Wigan Archives ref. DP2/2559/1. The original Holy Trinity registers are at ref. DP2/1.
On 5 March 1846 a Vestry Meeting of the rate-payers of the Parish was held to consider the recommendation of “an experienced Architect” that, “as the only way of preventing the dry rot from infesting the wood-work in the Gallery and the Roof, the whole of the wood-work in the body of the Church should without delay be entirely removed and replaced by new....”. A second matter for consideration was what further internal alterations would be needed to facilitate “the worthy celebration of Divine Worship” in conformity with “all the requirements and directions of the Rubrics in the Book of Common Prayer...”.
The Meeting agreed to implement the architect's recommendation, the cost of pew replacement to be “borne by private subscription” whilst the cost of cleaning and painting the Church throughout - “not including the new wood-work” - would fall on the parish as a whole. Agreement was also given to:
a proposed rearrangement of the pulpit, prayer-desk etc;
the purchase of an organ “by private subscription”; and
“thankful” acceptance of the offer of a gift of a stained glass East Window.
An “Appeal to Parishioners” was duly made by the Rector and wardens in these terms:
“RESTORATION AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE PARISH CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRINITY ASHTON-IN-MAKERFIELD
The above Church was built in the year 1838, chiefly at the cost of the Rector of Winwick. Last year, by the passing of the Winwick Rectory Act, it was constituted a Parish Church and its maintenance and repairs made obligatory on the inhabitants of the District. In the year 1842 it was discovered that the flooring in the body of the Church was infected with the dry rot, and extensive repairs were immediately made to remedy the evil. These repairs, however, have proved ineffectual: the dry rot has spread so fast and so widely that two experienced architects have recommended as the only way of preventing its infecting the woodwork in the roof and the gallery, that all the wood in the body of the Church should be immediately removed.
At a vestry meeting of the Parishioners and ratepayers on the 5th it was resolved to carry the architects' recommendations into effect by entirely removing all the present pews, flooring, joists etc., and replacing the same by others of more durable material. As the Church has only lately become a Parish Church, and as the ratepayers are already overburdened with numerous local taxes, it has been deemed advisable that the cost of this restoration should be borne by private subscription.*
The estimated cost of replacing the woodwork and making the needful improvements amounts to £435. Towards this sum and the purchase of an organ the Rector of Winwick (the Founder of the Church) has given the handsome donation of £120. Several members of the congregation have also contributed liberally; still, owing to the excessive poverty of the inhabitants composed chiefly of colliers, hinge-makers, lock-makers, nail-makers and handloom weavers, we cannot expect to raise the required sum unless our more wealthy neighbours and friends will generously help us. We therefore venture to solicit from our fellow-Churchmen any donation their charity may afford, feeling assured that they will cheerfully co-operate with us in a work which tends to the glory of God and the benefit of His Holy Church. In addition to the subscriptions already received several costly offerings have already been promised, amongst which are a Window of stained glass for the Chancel, a Chandelier (being the second one from the same generous donor – James Clough Esq) and two side Windows of stained glass for the Nave.
From the feeling already exhibited, we are confident that every member of our own congregation will assist us to the utmost of his power, humbly endeavouring to imitate the conduct of God's ancient people, when, as we read in 1 Chron. Xxix, “With perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord”.
HAROLD H SHERLOCK, Rector
JAMES BILLINGE [and] WILLIAM MILLINGTON, Wardens
Rectory, Ashton, near Warrington, 12th March 1846”.
At a further Vestry Meeting on 25 April 1846, notice was given of the Church's closure from 26 April “for the purpose of being repaired.... In the meanwhile Divine Service will be celebrated in the School-House adjoining the Church”. A Meeting on 1 May 1846 “to consider and determine the nest means for preventing the reappearance of the dry-rot in the flooring of the body of the Church... [and] to make and levy a rate for the repairs and maintenance...” concluded with agreement by the parish ratepayers “to erect the heating apparatus of Mr Bennett and prepare the dwarf walls for the flooring” and to levy a rate of 2d in the pound.
Notwithstanding these and other steps taken to prevent it, the dry rot problem would recur periodically during the subsequent decades.
*At the national level mandatory “church rates” would be abolished in 1868 (31 & 32 Vict., c. 109), further increasing reliance on voluntary donations and pew rents for funding repairs etc.