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Bury Unitarian Church

 

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Historical information available on application at our church premises as follows:

Holebottom Cemetery Records

Oct 1881 to March 1909

Dec. 1884 to Feb. 1899
 May 1909 to March 1914
 March 1899 to Jan. 1905
 March 1914 to Nov. 1920
 Oct. 1914 to Jan. 1925
 Dec. 1926 to March 1933
 May. 1933 to Feb. 1949
 Feb. 1949 to Sept. 1973
 Feb. 1944 to Sept. 1954

Holebottom Cemetery Accounts Oct. 1954 to Sept. 1972  

Layout Plan of Holebottom Cemetery Showing Grave Locations and Numbers

Bank St.  

Register of Grave Owners, Bank St. Chapel May 1878 to Dec. 1888
Bank St. Cemetery Records July 1894 to May 1945
Bank St. Burial Records 1852 to 1931
Alphabetic Register of Grave Owners & Burials –
Bank St. Bury
Copy of Memorials of Presbyterian Chapel Bank St. Grave Inscriptions, Monuments in the Chapel & School, Alphabetic List of graves.

Chesham

Register of Deaths, Burials & Cremations at Chesham Chapel
Jan 1953 to June 1958  

Heywood

Britain Hill Register of Marriages & Baptisms 1860 to 1965

Various

Baptism, Marriage & Funeral Services conducted by J. M. Bass
May 1897 to June 1914
Certificates for Disposal Jan. 1926 to Dec. 1934  
Cemetery Cash Book Jan. 1927 to Jan. 1957  
Cheque Stubs from
Bank Street Chapel Management Committee 
Jan 1952 to June 1963  
Index of Correspondence, Deposit of Church Records to Bury Archive

The following list of church records have been assembled and made available by kind permission of Bury Archive Services from material supplied by Bury Unitarian Church and lodged with BAS.  

BRITTAIN HILL UNITARIAN CHURCH, HEYWOOD: records 1865-1969 

Brittain Hill church was established by the efforts of Rev J Wright and Rev B Glover and the Mission Committee of Bank Street Presbyterian Church in Bury. A Sunday school met from 1857, initially at Oak Street, and was replaced by the new church in 1860. The first minister, John Fox, was appointed in 1864. A fire in 1968 and other difficulties led to the congregation deciding to amalgamate with the Bank Street and Chesham congregations in a new church on the Bank Street site in 1970, as ‘Bury Unitarian Church’. 

All the records listed here were deposited with Bury Archive Service by Bury Unitarian Church in 2003. Agreement has been reached in principle to their transfer to Rochdale Local Studies Service and readers are advised to check their current location before visiting. 

For records of Bank Street Presbyterian Church/Bury Unitarian Church, see Bury Archive Service ref. CBS. 

9 items/17 cu.dm.] 

1  Congregational and Committee Meeting Minute Books 1865-1969 

1.      19/2/1865 – 10/1873 [encl. Church rules 1867: damaged by damp]

 [minutes 1874 – 1920 missing, not deposited]

 2.      22/1/1921 – 10/7/1928 [encl. list of caretaker’s duties 1926] 

3.      10/7/1928 – 10/10/1933

4.      24/4/1939 –   13/2/1947

5.      28/5/1964 –     5/6/1969

2  Annual Statements of Accounts & Balances Books 1878-1967

 1.      1878 – 1954

 2.      1954 – 1967  [encl. loose typescript balance sheets 1962-1967]

3  Cash Analysis Journal 1964-1967

 1.      1964 – 1967

 4  Church History Scrapbook 1882-1895

This ‘Record of the Progress of the Unitarian Church and Sunday School, Heywood’ was compiled from c.1882 to 1895. It includes a copy of the 1861 lease for the church site, a published history of the church by Charles Hardman and manuscript annual reports for church organisations including the Sunday school, clothing club and band.

 1. c. 1882 – 1895      [compiled between these dates]

4/12/2003

 CCU   CHESHAM UNITARIAN CHURCH, BURY: records 1908 – 1969

The church was an offshoot of the congregation at Bank Street. Services
began at Chesham in 1883, but a school/chapel was not established until
1898, with J Mason Bass as the first Minister. In 1968, the church closed for
worship, and the congregation amalgamated with those of the Bank
Street and Brittain Hill churches to form the new Bury Unitarian Church on the
Bank Street site in 1970.

These records were deposited with Bury Archive Service by Bury Unitarian
Church in 2003.

 For records of Bank Street and the new Bury Unitarian Church, see CBS.

[12 items/13 cu.dm.]

1 Congregation/Church Council Minutes 1908 - 1970

These include minutes for some church committees, notably the services
 committee 

1.      13/5/1908 – 1/10/1911 (incl. notes re applications for membership; pages missing; encl. financial estimates 1905, reports & donation lists 1907)

 2.      14/5/1958 – 10/10/1962 (encl. order of service for recognition service at Stand 1962; pamphlet re training for ministry n.d.; incl. congregation address list)

 3. 14/11/1962 – 25/1/1970 (encl. incomplete printed accounts 1951-1970; chapel warden’s final  report 1970) 

2 Account Ledgers 1917 - 1969

1.      1917 – 1948

2.      1949 – 1969

 3 Classified Analysis Books 1929 - 1966

1.      1929 – 1948 (encl. printed accounts and balance sheets 1944, 1947)

2.      1949 – 1960

3.      1961 – 1966 (encl. papers re Bury council mortgage investment & notes

re balance sheet 1966)

4 Cash Book 1935 - 1952

1.      5/1/1935 – 17/1/1952 (approx. 31 pages 1935-1938 removed from this volume)

5 Receipts & Payments Journal 1960 - 1969

1.      3/1/1960 – 17/12/1969

6 Sunday School Minute Book 1959-1967

Covers quarterly and annual meetings of teachers and older scholars.

1.      4/1/1959 – 1/10/1967

7 Calendars (newsletters) 1945 - 1961

In addition to including calendars of church events, these also act as church newsletters, containing printed reports of church events, contact details etc. They were produced monthly (11 per annum), but only a small proportion have survived.

For calendars pre 1941, see the records of Bank St Presbyterian Church (CBS).

1. 1945 – 1961   (bn./14 pamphlets) [none 1951-1959]

KJM 11/12/2003

CBS   BANK STREET PRESBYTERIAN (BURY UNITARIAN1970) CHURCH, BURY: records 1835-1971

The Presbyterian church at Bank Street, Bury was founded in 1719.ThomasBraddock was the first Minister, and  served until 1770.  Although known as a ‘Presbyterian’ Church, it was, in effect, independent or congregational in terms of church government, and by the 1770’s was broadly Unitarian in terms of doctrine.

The Chapel Trustees controlled a number of estates including Holebottom off Rochdale Old Road (partly used as a cemetery from 1855, when the existing churchyard was closed), at Dundee/Holcombe, and at St Mary’s Place. 

The first chapel was replaced by a new building on an adjacent site in 1837,but this proved to have serious defects in construction, and was replaced in turn by a third chapel built in the gothic style, which opened in 1852, and was registered for marriages.

The activities of the Mission Committee, established in 1856, led to the establishment of a number of daughter churches and Sunday schools,
 including those at Chesham and at Brittain Hill, Heywood. In the late 1960’s,
all three congregations faced problems of finance, numbers and buildings,            and it was decided to amalgamate under a new constitution as ‘Bury Unitarian      Church’ in a new building on the Bank Street site, opened in 1970.

From 1966, the church also shared a joint ministry with Ainsworth Unitarian
Church.

A sunday school was established in 1805 at a house in Silver Street: later this met at the church, until a purpose-built sunday and day school was
erected in 1866.  Adult Sunday classes were held from 1849, and weekday
evening classes from 1844. A day school was established in 1845/6, but
lapsed owing to poor conditions in 1853, subsequently being revived in the

new school building in 1866: this included both mixed and infants

departments.

Originally, church administration was undertaken by the trustees, the congregational meeting and the chapel clerk (and later the Chapel Keeper).
After the building of the third church a number of committees were formed, including the Choir and Services committee (1852) the Mission Committee (1856) and the Finance and Estates Committees (1883). A General Management Committee was established in 1904 (replaced by the Church Council in 1968). The Ladies’ committee, established in 1881, was responsible for the internal furnishings and decorations in the church, and catering after services or events.

There were a large number of other organisations associated with the church, records of some of which are included here. The Dorcas Society was established in 1885, initially to distribute clothing among poor children attending the school, but later extended to other charitable activities. The Amateur Dramatic and Operatic Society was formed from two separate societies 1947, and met jointly with the corresponding  society at Ainsworth Unitarian Church from 1967. The Bank Street branch of the British League of Unitarian Women was formed in 1912 to promote the religious life of members, and maintain contacts on moving between churches. It also became involved in various charitable and social matters, as well as fund-raising events. A girls’ club was in existence from 1887, but was reconstituted in 1907 as the Sunday School Guild Girls’ Social Club (later Ladies’ Club). Despite its name, membership was for women over 16 years of age among the congregation as well as the Sunday school, although most members seem to have been younger adults. The club had its own room at the school, stocked with magazines, and ran various social and fund-raising events, plus regular whist or bridge evenings. 

For records of the former Chesham Unitarian Church, see CCU.

For records of the former Brittain Hill Unitarian Church, Heywood, contact the Archivist.

Additional logbooks for the former day school 1866-1909 have been deposited by the Education Department: see SBS.

The choir register, burial register, and miscellaneous school papers (items ,  ,
and  former refs A97.8 and 36MIS) were deposited with Bury Central Library
on the closure of the old church building, and transferred to the Archive Service
in 1991. The remaining records were deposited by the church in 2003:
Bury Archive Service is most grateful to the officers and congregation for the
deposit of these records.

[ 70 items/173 cu.dm./11 boxes]

Contents:

Chapel Trust and Congregation Records

1 Trustees’ Minute Books                                                               1850-1970            2 Trustees’ General (impersonal) Ledgers                                   1928-1976
3 Trustees’ Cash Books                                                                 1956-1976
4 Trustees’  Annual Balance Sheets Book                                   1947-1976
5 Annual Congregational Meeting Minute Book                           1943-1969
6 Transcripts of older Church Records [1735-1895]                    c.1900

7 General Management Committee & Church Council Minutes  1946-1970           8 General Management Committee Ledgers                               1960-1971
9 General Management Committee Cash Books                        1944-1971
10 Ladies’ Committee Minute Books                                            1957-1970 
11 Choir Attendance Registers                                                      1936-1952
12 Burial Registers                                                                           1839-1893
13 Membership Lists                                                                       1936
14 Church Calendars, Newsletters and Annual Reports             1889-1989
15 Miscellaneous papers                                                                1835-1932
16 Miscellaneous Records re Church History                              1873-1969
17 Sunday School Teacher’s Meeting Minute Books                  1844-1854
18 Sunday School Council Minute Books                                     1962-1967
19  Sunday School Admission Books                                           1874-1931
20 Day School Committee Minute Books                                     1886-1894
21  Day School Log Book                                                               1897-1909

22 Dorcas Society Accounts                                                          1957-1979
23  Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society Minute Books          1947-1968
24  British League of Unitarian Women (Bank St branch)          1912-1958            25 Sunday School Guild Girls’ Social Club                                   1908-1977  
                       (later Ladies’ Club) Minute Books

1 Trustees’ Minute Books 1850-1970

These include minutes of the annual congregational meetings and of the
Finance committee of the Trustees, formed in 1906.

1.      17/6/1850 – 18/7/1853 (incl. minutes of building, finance, school & choir committees)

2.      22/12/1870 – 30/12/1884 (encl. Correspondence re D Walmsley accepting ministry 1874; resignation of Mr Wright 1873; sanitary problems 1872

3.      13/8/1890 – 20/12/1895 (encl. papers re reception of Rev J C Odgers 1894-1895)   

4.      20/1/1896 – 7/7/1902 (encl. Calendar 1898, programe for congregational meeting 7/3/1900)

5.      14/7/1902 -  9/3/1908

6.      16/3/1908 – 17/11/1918

7.      24/2/1919 – 29/10/1945 (encl. notice re upkeep of graves at Holebottom; annotated copy of Defence Act 1939; calendar 12/1942; annual report 28/2/1945; notes re army requisitioning of building etc 1943)

8. 11/2/1946 – 11/3/1970  (encl. correspondence & reports re redevelopment of the church site & property at 102 Manchester Road 1967-1969; flooding at Holebottom 1961  etc)  

2 Trustees’ General (impersonal) Ledgers 1928-1976

Indexed by account or fund.

1.       1928 – 1960 (encl. Valuation of property in chapel 1888; Bury Presbyterian benevolent Society printed rules 1827; photocopy statement of building fund accounts 1969-1974)

2.       1956 – 1976      

3 Trustees’ Cash Books 1956-1976

1.      1956 – 1976 

4 Trustees’  Annual Balance Sheets Book 1947-1976

1.      1947 – 1976

5 Annual Congregational Meeting Minute Book 1943-1969

These include reports and accounts from the various sections within
the church. For minutes pre 1943, see Trustees’ minutes.

1.      22/2/1943 – 3/12/1969  (encl.printed annual reports & centenary souvenir;      some pages for Feb 1946 have been removed)

6 Transcripts of older Church Records [1735-1895] c.1900

These transcripts are undated, but may have been made about 1900.  The original documents from which they were taken have not been deposited, and their whereabouts are currently unknown.

1.  Deeds for trust properties and bequests [1735-1895] [vol.]              c.1900        2. Minutes and accounts [1775 – 1831] [vol.]                                            c.1900

7 General Management Committee & Church Council Minutes 1946-1970

The committee was formed in 1904, and consisted of representatives of the trustees, the Sunday school and the congregation.

1.      30/9/1946 – 22/1/1951  (vol.) (incl. Finance Committee minutes 1949 encl. ‘plan for reorganisation of the GMC’ n.d.; printed cemetery fees &  regulations 1946; printed Sunday school rules 1962  NB some pages have been removed from this volume)

2.      5/3/1951 – 21/11/1966 (vol.) (incl. partial index & list of representatives 1949-1970; encl. various letters & reports.)

3. 20/2/1967 – 11/2/1970 (file)(incl. minutes of Nine Churches Grouping 14/3/1967; encl. Sunday School rules 1962; proposals for establishment of           church Council 1968; papers re role of chairman n.d.; schedule of chapel-keeper’s duties n.d.)

8 General Management Committee Ledgers 1960-1971

1.      1960 – 1971       

9 General Management Committee Cash Books 1944-1971

1. 1944 – 1971

10 Ladies’ Committee Minute Books 1957-1970

1.  9/12/1957 – 20/8/1970  

11 Choir Attendance Registers 1936-1952

Includes names of members, note of whether soprano, alto etc, and attendance details.

1.  1936 – 1952        

12 Burial Registers 1839-1893

Information given generally includes name, date of death, date of burial, age at death, place of residence (eg ‘Heap’, ‘Pimhole’), and person performing the ceremony (usually the minister). From c.1857 to 1873,notes of grave numbers are also given. At least some post-1855 burials are listed as being in the chapel graveyard, but it is not clear whether the remainder were in the new Holebottom cemetery.

1.      1839 – 1893 

13  Membership Lists

Covers officers and members of the church, school and allied institutions,
giving names and addresses. Also includes church rules 1904-1923.
This copy heavily annotated with revisions etc.

1. 1936           (vol.)

14 Church Calendars, Newsletters and Annual Reports 1889-1989

 In addition to listing the times of services and meetings, these include
reports from various church organisations (including sports and social
groups), details of baptisms, marriages and burials, and other items
such as lists of Sunday school scholars, or church members serving
in the armed forces in wartime. From 1899 to 1941, similar information
for Chesham Unitarian Church is included (for later Chesham calendars,
see CCU/7) and from 1966, some information for Ainsworth Unitarian
Church is also given.

There were generally 11 issues per year (June-July being a single issue)
and a printed annual church report: the reports are generally missing post
1951, except for 1955, 1957 and 1966.

1.       1889 – 1895  (vol.)

2.       1896 – 1900  (vol.)

3.       1901 – 1903  (vol.)

4.       1904 – 1906  (vol.)

5.       1907 – 1909  (vol.)

6.       1910 – 1913  (vol.)

7.       1914 – 1917  (vol.)

8.       1918 – 1921  (vol.)

9.       1922 – 1925  (vol.)

10.  1926 – 1929  (vol.)

11.  1930 – 1933  (vol.)

12.  1934 – 1937  (vol.)

13.  1938 – 1941  (vol.)

14.  1942 – 1944  (bn.)

15.  1945 – 1949  (bn.)

16.  1950 – 1954  (bn.)

17.  1955 – 1959  (bn.)

18.  1960 – 1963  (bn.) [calendars 1964 missing, not deposited]

19.  1965 – 1971  (bn.) [all except Jan, Nov missing for 1965]

[newsletters 1972 – 1985 missing, not deposited]

20. 1986 – 1989  (bn.)   

15   Miscellaneous papers 1835 –1932

1.  Box of miscellaneous documents including:

tradesmens’ accounts & financial notes 1835-1932

letter re use of day school                                                                   1872

letters re induction service                                                                   1874

complaint of William Lightbown re dismissal from choir                   1892

application & references of Jane Thompson for post of day school teacher 

                                                                                                                1895

sunday school financial estimates                                                       1910

2.   Church seating plan                                            c.1870   

16 Miscellaneous Records re Church History 1873-1969

1. newscuttings book (mostly cuttings re general history of Bury) 1873 – 1901

 2. newscuttings book  (re current church events and history, incl.annotations
eg re salaries of ministers)                                                                 1886 – 1896

 3. typescript ‘History of Bank Street Chapel’     (bn.)    c.1915

4. Church 250th Anniversary Souvenirs etc  (incl. Order of Service, dinner menus, historical souvenir pamphlet, anniversary programme, MS accounts and reports,   newscuttings)  (bn./6 items)                                                             1967 – 1969

17  Sunday School Teacher’s Meeting Minute Books 1844-1854

1.      10/11/1844 – 13/8/1854 

 18 Sunday School Council Minute Books 1962-1967

The council replaced the old structure of committee and teachers’ meetings in 1962.

1.      5/2/1962 – 17/1/1966 (incl. Reports, accounts, and correspondence)

2.  7/3/1966 - 6/2/1967 (encl. Chesham Scholars’ festival rules 1949; Arts & Crafts Festival rules & results 1967-8; order of service, Sunday school sermons 1967; copy statistical return to National Sunday School Union 1966)

19  Sunday School Admission Books 1874-1931

include information on: scholar’s name, parent’s name (& sometimes occupation), address, age, time at any previous school and reason for leaving, and signatures.

1.      1/4/1874 – 31/1/1899  [application forms: surname index, c.1300 entries]

2.   1889 –      1/1931  [class details: includes teachers: in surname order                      by date: covers girls only]

20 Day School Committee Minute Books 1886-1894

Include staffing matters, building, head-teacher’s reports and exam results, Inspector’s reports, finance

1. 28/7/1886 – 18/6/1894

21  Day School Log Book 1897-1909 

Head teacher’s notes re school closures due to holidays and sickness; attendance levels; appointments of teachers, alterations in lessons taught; HM Inspector’s reports; disciplinary matters etc. Note that other log books for the school covering the period 1866-1909 have been transferred to Bury Archive Service by the LEA: see ref SBS.

1. 1/11/1897 – 29/7/1909    [mixed department only]

22 Dorcas Society Accounts 1957-1979

1.      cash book and accounts 1957 – 1979 (env.)

23  Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society Minute Books 1947-1968

1. 27/5/1947 – 19/11/1968

24  British League of Unitarian Women (Bank St branch) Minute Books 1912-1958

The minutes include annual reports, news cuttings and lists of officers.

1.       3/4/1912 –   3/12/1919

2.       28/1/1920 – 15/11/1933

3.       15/1/1934 –   15/1/1958

25 Sunday School Guild Girls’ Social Club (later Ladies’ Club) Minute           Books 1908-1977

General meeting minutes include annual reports, and all minutes
include lists of members or officers.

1.         1/1908 – 8/1/1921    (committee)

2.         27/2/1921 -  3/2/1930   (committee)

3.         3/2/1930 – 13/11/1946 (committee)

4.         7/3/1947 – 19/1/1971   (committee)

5.         16/2/1913 – 9/1/1921   (general meetings)

6.         20/2/1921 – 23/9/1934 (general meetings)

7.         29/1/1935 – 30/1/1968 (general meetings)

8.         28/1/1969 – 11/1/1977 (general meetings)

K J Mulley

17/12/2003

 

INTRODUCTORY BOOKLET:

A FAITH WORTH THINKING ABOUT



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Bury Unitarian Church
1 Bank Street
Bury
Lancashire
BL9 0DN

0161 761 3785

 

 

 

 

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