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Photos of St Peter's Methodist Church?


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Today I've been reading about St Peter's church which I'd never heard of it before. It was on what was formerly Birchall St and is now St Peter's Way, off Battersby Lane. It opened in 1891, was closed and demolished in 1980 and the present houses built on the site. 

 

I've had a Google but can't find any pictures of it, yet seeing as it survived to the modern age I'd have thought there'd be quite a few.

 

Can anyone help?

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Tracey, as you. their doesn't appear to be any public photos of St Peter's, someone on the net stated that they had no luck and that the Library has no images of it either!, there is a 1928 map showing it's position which I have posted below, and for the moment "thats yer' lot" as they say.

One thing that appears odd about this church is that it's orientation was approx. north east to south west whereas I was under the impression that C of E churches faced east to west so that the main altar is at the east end of the church, facing Jerusalem.

 

StPeters_zps9ee9fa3e.jpg

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Thanks for your efforts Algy. 

 

I know it was a Methodist church, don't know if that makes any difference to the orientation? I know nothing about Methodism.

 

The reason I'm looking is that my Great, great Grandfather lived on Birchall St and apparently conducted the St Peter's band for many years. He played during the opening ceremony (or whatever the official church term is!) of the church in 1891. I've found a lengthy newspaper article about the opening which contains a detailed description of the church but no images. It's also briefly mentioned on the 'mywarrington' website but, again, no photos. 

 

.

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I have only been to St Peter's once in my life (1967) & from what i can remember it was brick built so maybe a lot of local photographers have considered it not to have much architectural  or photogenic appeal. I can't remember it having any striking appeal.

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Funny how it works, none of us think to photograph the ordinary street scenes around us yet have a look at Harry Well's site and it's those ordinary streets that suddenly become really interesting once they're gone!

The old story Trace, 'hind site', thank's for the info re-it being Methodist, yes that probably would make a difference.

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My second eldest sister was married at St Peter's and had an album full of photos but unfortunately she is dead now and I have no idea what happened to the photos.

Did you not live in Howley at some time Algy and never heard of St Peter's Church? I wasn't that far away.

Not me Cleo, I had cousins in Ellesmere Street, Howley and used to visit them regularily, they lived across from Lockers factory and there always used to be metal punchings on the ground from when the metal sheets were punch perforated, we would bend them in half and fire them from an elastic band streched between our thumb and forefinger making a mini catapult, how we never took one and others eyes out I will never know.

I had honestly never heard of St. Peter's, I never really travelled across that side of town.

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My Nan used to live on the Barracks Estate and my Mum used to work at the Wheatsheaf, my Aunt lived on Dudley St and I lived on Forster St for a while. When I was a kid I played all along Orford Lane and Battersby Lane but I somehow never heard of St Peter's church. You'd think someone would've mentioned it considering the family connection. V odd. 

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My Nan used to live on the Barracks Estate and my Mum used to work at the Wheatsheaf, my Aunt lived on Dudley St and I lived on Forster St for a while. When I was a kid I played all along Orford Lane and Battersby Lane but I somehow never heard of St Peter's church. You'd think someone would've mentioned it considering the family connection. V odd. 

Wow! Trace, that makes me feel much better at least I was across town. :lol: .

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  • 3 months later...

I have a marriage certificate of my mother's parents who were married at St Peter's in 1912.  It says they were married in the Parish Church according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Established Church, which I take to mean the Church of England. 

I went to Buckley Street Methodist Church and I was certainly never under the impression that St Peter's was a Methodist Church.  I cannot comment about the orientation of the church, but the map of 1910 seems to show it on a north-west to south-east axis, so the altar could be at the south-east end - more in the direction of Jerusalem than due east.

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I'm far from an expert on Methodist but so far as I know it's still part of the Church of England. My ancestor who played in the band also played with the Buckley St Chapel and was a Methodist. I've got newspaper reports from the opening and they record the speech the Bishop of Liverpool made, he talks at length about John Wesley and Methodism in general. This was at the opening in 1891 though so maybe things changed at some point??

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I'm not qualified either, but "The Church of England" was (as far as I know) the church set up by Henry VIII when he dissolved the monasteries in his dispute with the Pope.  It has a lot of things in common with the Catholic Church.  Some Anglican churches are referred to as "High Church", and they are even closer to the Catholic Church.  But Methodism and other Protestant Churches are much more distant in their forms of worship from the Anglican (Church of England).  The Bishop of Liverpool would be Church of England (for sure), and why he was talking about Methodism I have no idea. The Methodist Church does not have bishops.  Although Wesley held that he was a member of the Church of England, Methodism and the Cof E separated about 1800.

On the one hand I cannot understand why a Methodist church would invite a CofE bishop to its opening ceremony, but on the other hand I cannot understand why a CofE bishop would talk at length about Wesley and Methodism at the opening of a CofE church.  St Peter's did not look like a traditional CofE (parish) church, but that might have been because it was so "new".  I used to play on the patch of smooth tarmac in front of St Peter's - it was the only smooth area for quite some distance, everywhere else being cobbled.

I hope you can sort it all out - and get some photos.

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I spoke earlier this evening to a chap who has been a member of the congregation at Buckley street for at least 60 years.  When I asked him if St Peter's was Methodist or Cof E, he did not have to think twice before saying it was definitely CofE.  I realise that is not proof, but it is good enough for me.

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I lived nobbut a stone's throw away from St Peter's Church for around 21 years and never heard it referred to as a methodist church. It was always referred to as Church of England. I think it being called a methodist church is the result of the propagation of someone's mistaken belief.  (pardon the pun)

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This should hopefully clear any confusion:-

Taken from 'Lancasire OnLine Parish Clerk Project', C of E Section.

 

St Peter's, Birchall Street, began with a temporary church which was reportedly founded in 1874, though the registers suggest an earlier date, beginning in 1873. A new building was erected in 1890, with the duties being shared between the rector of Warrington and the vicar of St Paul's.

The church was closed in March 1978 and demolished in April 1980.

Sources:

'Townships: Warrington', A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3 (1907).

Church of England website

 

St. Peter’s is an ecclesiastical parish formed Oct. 20th, 1874, from the parishes of St. Elphin and St. Paul: the church, in Birchall street, and erected in 1890, at a cost of £5,000, from designs by Mr. Medland Taylor, of Manchester, is of red brick in the Gothic style, and consists of chancel, nave, south aisle, baptistery, organ chamber and vestries: an organ was provided in 1900: there are 700 sittings. The register dates from the year 1874. The living is a vicarage, net yearly value £300, with residence, in the gift of the rector of Warrington and the vicar of St. Paul’s alternately, and held since 1892 by the Rev. Barwise Percival, of Ayerst Hall, Cambridge.

 


 

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  • 3 months later...

A bit late in the day I know, but better later than never!, while 'doing my time' on Facebook posting my photos of Old Warrington a lady by the name of Brenda Massey posted a picture of St Peters Church and as we could never find one I am posting it here, I'm sure she won't mind as 'I have shown her mine so its about time she showed hers', so to speak.

 

St Peters Church.

stpeterschurch-brendamassey_zpsf22b3ae4.

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A friend of mine moved into St Peter's Way in about 1979, right opposite the church. We watched it gradually being demolished (it took a very long time) and then the site was used for what is basically sheltered housing. I never saw it when it was in use but the picture above, that Algy has posted, is how I remember it when he first moved there.

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Can you post a link to the Facebook page you are referring to, please, Tracey?

The photo looks like a newspaper cutting. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but if you knew the newspaper, perhaps they could supply some more photos.

The fact that it was described as having a south aisle would imply that it had an east-west axis.

If other people's wedding photos are like those of my Mum and Dad, they will mainly show people standing in front of the entrance, or by a wall.  They will not likely show the whole church.

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