UNITARIAN CHURCH

Honey Hole Road, Todmorden

Photo by kind permission of Frank Woolrych

However, the church is new in comparison to most, and wasn't the first place of worship for the Todmorden Unitarians. Joseph Cooke was a former Wesleyan Minister who had been expelled for heresy. His followers called themselves the Methodist Unitarians and they set up a number of Societies in the Rochdale area, including Todmorden.

John Fielden (1784-1849), the local mill owner, social reformer and later radical MP for Oldham, was of Quaker stock. He dabbled in Wesleyanism and in 1818 was persuaded to follow the break away Unitarians, enticed no doubt by their political aims of social reform in factories, prisons and women's rights.

The old chapel later remodelled as a

Sunday School

His grave is a rectangular stone kerb surrounding a gravel base. There is no headstone and the only inscription on the kerb reads:

Born 17th Jany 1784 - John Fielden - died 29th May 1849

Is it a sign of the times that the man who gave so much to Todmorden rests in a forgotten grave, which is now neglected and overgrown?

Set in to the porch floor is a commemorative plaque to the three Fielden brothers

Erected by Samuel, John and Joshua Fielden

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MDCCCLXVIII

In Memory of Samuel Fielden

Born at Dawson Weir, Todmorden 21 January 1816

Died at Centre Vale Todmorden 9 November 1889.

In Memory of Sarah Jane Fielden

wife of the late Samuel Fielden.

Born at West Dingle, Liverpool

5 November 1819

Died at Centre Vale Todmorden 4 July 1910.

Joshua's' grave is on the left with a simple inscription:

Joshua Fielden born March 8th 1827,

died March 8th 1887 aged 60 years

Photo by very kind permission of Frank Woolrych

Rev. William Gaskell

The Rev. Taplin wrote a note in the front of his new Register of Baptisms, saying:

The new building was opened for religious worship on Wednesday April 7th 1869, on the Sunday following, April 11th, a service was held in the church at 3pm for the christening of young children, who I baptised with water of the Jordan (for which I was indebted to my venerable friend the Rev. William James of Birstal who had lately returned from the east) the following children. Lindsay Taplin

29 children in all were baptised on that day.

The church soon became very loved and popular, and thrived as a centre of the Unitarian faith until well in to the 20th Century, which in the early days upset the local Anglican community, mainly due to the minister Rev. Lindsay Taplin, who was a very outspoken preacher in favour of the Unitarian liberal and humanistic views. Rev. Taplin was the minister from 1856 to 1881. In November 1887 the Rev. Taplin committed suicide whilst pastor of Kingswood Unitarian Chapel.

The first marriage was celebrated at the church on 6th. March 1873. It was between Mr. Joseph Sutcliffe, one of the bell ringers, and Miss Ann Holt, both of Cobden. Mrs. John Fielden of Dobroyd Castle presented the pair with a Family Bible, a copy of Martineau's "Hymns for the Christian Church and Home" and the Service Book used at the church.

The church and Langfield Moor, kindly sent by

Audrey Watts

After Rev. Taplin left Todmorden, the Fielden brothers set up an endowment trust to give the church some sort of independence from the family, who still owned the land and buildings.

Despite this, as time passed and congregations dwindled, there became a shortage of funds.

In the centenary year, 1969, there were great efforts made to raise money to keep the church going, but it finally closed in 1987. Services continued until 1992 in the gatehouse and were then disbanded.

Not all of the Unitarian community were rich and prominent figures. James Graham was an ordinary working class blacksmith who also became a member of the Unitarian Society and worshipped at the original chapel. He was born in 1837, the eldest son of Thomas Graham and Mary. Thomas had arrived in Todmorden as a young man from Whalley and had set himself up as a blacksmith at Bridge End, Shade. His business thrived and he took on 2 local apprentices. He also taught his son the trade, and by the time he was 14 James was already a fully fledged blacksmith.

The family was then living at 10, Little Holme Street. When Thomas died, James took over the business, married Susan, and moved to Dobroyd. James and Susan brought up their two children to be members of the Unitarian Society and would have sent them to the Sunday school at the chapel. Their son, Thomas, was a clever lad and his parents must have been very proud of him. However, James didn't live long enough to see his son's achievements in later life. He died in 1875 at the age of 37 and is buried in the chapel grounds very close to the last resting place of the founder, John Fielden. Thomas was just 8 years old.

In memory of James Graham of Dobroyd Todmorden

Born March 18th 1837 Died February 12th 1875

My sledge and hammer lay declined

My bellows too have lost their wind,

My fires extinguished, my force decayed,

My vice now in the dust is laid;

My iron and my coals are gone

My nails are drove my work is done,

My fire dried corpse lies here at rest,

My soul is waiting to be blessed.

Also of Susan his wife

who died September 18th 1905 aged 78 years.

Young Thomas was left, at the age of 8, with his widowed mother and a younger sister. His mother had to work to keep her family and she became a laundress. She made sure her son was fully educated and would no doubt have noticed his intelligence and thirst for learning. He continued to follow in the Unitarian tradition of liberalism and social reform, and became a part time "extension" student of Oxford University, a little similar to our present day Open University students, whereby he would attend lectures by travelling Oxford Lecturers as part of the University's scheme to encourage adult education amongst the working classes and especially amongst the non-conformists. At the age of 24 he was awarded a £5 grant towards attending a summer meeting of Oxford Extension students at Oxford. The following year, 1891, he was awarded a £5 scholarship by the Oxford Examiners along with 2 other Todmorden men, the examiners reporting "the historical essays show much thought as well as reading, and the best show a high standard of excellence."

Thomas remained at Dobroyd, delivering talks to the Liberal Club and other organisations, one of which was entitled "Drink and Poverty". He was a committee member of the Todmorden Sunday School Union and an active participant in the Unitarian Sunday school as well as a member of the Band of Hope. When his mother died in 1905 and was buried next to her husband in the chapel burial ground, the headstone was inscribed accordingly. I wonder if it was Thomas who penned the lovely verse in remembrance of his father, the blacksmith? In July 1907 Thomas left Todmorden to take charge of the Lewins Mead Unitarian Domestic Mission in Bristol.

The old chapel was converted for use as a school when the new church opened in 1869 and was enlarged and remodelled in 1899. It was reported at the time:

During the afternoon of this date, a memorial stone of the additions to the Todmorden Unitarian Sunday School was laid by the Rev. S. Alfred Steinthal of Manchester, in the presence of a large crowd of friends. Mr. Jas. Crabtree, a warden, presided, and Councillor W.S. Hollinrake of Waterside House presented the trowel and mallet to Mr. Steinthal. The memorial stone consisted of a slab fitted into a recess on the first floor level and bearing the following inscription:

To the memory of Samuel, John and Joshua Fielden.

Constant benefactors of the Unitarian Church and School.

This stone was laid by S. Alfred Steinthal

June 17th 1899.

The Unitarian Church baptisms 1868-1934 and burials 1832-1931 are held in Touchstones Local Studies Library in Rochdale, opposite the Town Hall

http://www.rochdale.gov.uk/leisure_and_

culture/local_history_and_heritage/local_studies_library.aspx

The Old Chapel Burial Ground

The burial ground adjacent to the old chapel and Sunday School is quite small but has several graves, including of course those of John Fielden M.P. and James Graham, blacksmith. Most of them are in reasonable condition and easy enough to read, although the ground is neglected and beginning to become overgrown.

In Loving Memory of Richard HALSTEAD of Dobroyd

who died July 16th 1861 aged 68 years

Also Hannah HALSTEAD relict of the above

who died September 26th 1869 aged 77 years

James Richard BRAMLEY son of William and Hannah BRAMLEY

of Wadsworth Mill Born July 27th 1883 Died Jany 26th 1890

Also of the above named William BRAMLEY

who died December 29th 1913 aged 53 years

Also of Hannah wife of the above

who died April 13th 1917 aged 60 years.

At Rest

In loving memory of Thomas Haigh SIMPSON of Fair View

born August 25th 1825 died January 11th 1899

"Often weary, now at rest"

Also of Hannah his wife born January 19th 1839 died February 5th 1906

In loving memory of Harriet wife of William GREENWOOD

of Longfield Farm Todmorden who died May 2nd 1851 aged 51 years.

Also of the above William GREENWOOD

who died March 3rd 1876 aged 80 years.

Also of Jane PICKLES their daughter

who died Feb 2nd 1883 aged 57 years.

Also of Ann their daughter who died March 11th 1897 aged 68 years.

In loving memory of Elizabeth wife of Richard STEPHENSON of Joshua St.

born June 30th 1842 died Feb 25th 1896.

Also of above Richard STEPHENSON who died Sep. 29th 1905 aged 62 years.

In loving memory of Stephen OLDFIELD grandson of the above

who died March 18th 1918 aged 10 years.

Also Ellen STEPHENSON of 53 Laneside Littleborough

died Aug. 9th 1951 aged 71 years.

Also Mary STEPHENSON her sister died dec 31st 1959 aged 86 years.

In loving memory of Emma daughter of George and Ellen WHITEHEAD

of Crescent Todmorden

born Nov. 25th 1870 died March 22nd 1889.

Also of Alice their daughter born March 20th 1861 died April 20th 1890.

Also of William WHITEHEAD son of the above

who died April 18th 1909 aged 62 years.

In loving memory of William son of William and Mary SUTCLIFFE

of Major Street Todmorden

born May 19th 1891 died jan 12th 1893.

Also of Mary wife of William SUTCLIFFE

born June 26th 1848 died Dec. 13th 1904.

Also of the above William SUTCLIFFE

born Jan. 24th 1854 died Jan. 26th 1913