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Longholme Methodist Church
Bacup Road, Rawtenstall
The present Longholme Chapel is the third building to be used
for Methodist worship in Rawtenstall. The
early Methodists held their services in the home
of James Wardleworth at Balladen and then
in the home of Peter Whittaker at Springside
Cottages. In 1812 Thomas Kay moved from Burnley
and built Longholme Cotton Mill on the south
side of the River Irwell close to New Hall
Bridge. Alongside the mill
he built a row of cottages of which four had no
inner walls and it was these cottages which became known as
"Longholme Chapel". The second chapel, was
built on a plot of land next to the Toll Bar in
Rawtenstall The land was sold to the Trustees by
Thomas Kay for £200 and this building, which
retained the name of "Longholme Chapel", was a two storey building
with the chapel upstairs and a school below. It
could seat 600 people and was opened in April
1826. By 1839 the chapel had prospered
sufficiently to appoint it's first resident
Minister, the Reverend James Wilson. It was
also decided at this time to build the present
chapel on land adjoining the second chapel, and
at a cost of £7,000 a building with 1300 seats
was opened on 18th March 1842. The second chapel
was demolished to make way for a new Sunday
School, the foundation stone of which was laid
on 1st June 1855. The Sunday School stayed in
use until about 1956 and was demolished in March
1962 when
site was sold to private enterprise. This led to the chapel
being re-constructed inside with the organ and
pulpit being removed and the gallery space
filled in, allowing the church to be moved
onto the upper level and the lower level being
turned into a general use area. The church
re-opened in this form in April 1962.
Available Registers
At Lancashire Record Office and on microfilm at Rawtenstall
Library.
Baptisms register 1827 - 1979 (not indexed)
At Rossendale branch and Rawtenstall Library on microfiche
(indexed)
Burial register and monument inscriptions 1820 - 1987
The marriage registers and late baptism registers are still at
the church. |
