FEATHERSTONE CHURCHES AND CHAPELS
1086
Featherstone, Purston, Hardwick and Nostell are put together in the Domesday Book of 1086 which says there are two churches. It is assumed one church was at Nostell and the other at Featherstone called the Church of All Saints. At that time Featherstone was a small settlement on the hill now called North Featherstone. Photo - a postcard.
1100's
The people of Purston would have found it difficult to get to church in bad weather. This was a national problem and it was agreed chantries (chapels) could be built for the ease of the inhabitants of outlying hamlets, so Purston had the chapel of St John the Baptist in the 12th Century. Where it was is not known but there may be a clue on the 1949 Ordnance Survey map where one track is named Chapel Lane.
1546
In 1545 King Henry VIII passed an Act to dispose of all chantries, and commissioners were appointed to survey them. Those in Yorkshire were done in 1546, Over the years people had donated land to the Purston Chantry which was then rented out, and the commissioner totalled all the rents up to a sum of £4 19s 8d. The King claimed 8s a year, the bishop 12d and Thomas Huntingdon, the incumbent who had now lost his job, was given the rest as a pension. So after 400 years Purston lost its chapel.
1641
Queen Elizabeth passed the Act of Uniformity in 1559 which made attendance at church compulsory. It was aimed at Roman Catholics who refused to attend the Church of England. There could be fines of up to £20, an enormous sum, or even imprisonment. In 1641 14 Featherstone and Purston residents were charged at the West Riding Quarter Sessions with non-attendance. The penalty they received is not known.
1816
The Wesleyan Movement began in the 1730's but it was 1816 before a chapel was built in Hall Street, Purston. This 1849 Ordnance Survey map shows it situated near to the junction with Ackworth Road.
1844
By the 19th Century the fabric of All Saints' Church was deteriorating,
and in 1844 it was closed for repairs. It was crowded for the reopening
and £15 16s was collected towards the repair fund. Mr T B Faviell of
Featherstone Hall paid more than half the cost of the repairs (the press
report did not state the sum). Arthur Heywood of Ackton Hall gave £60
for further work to be done.
1846
Another Wesleyan Chapel was opened in Willow Lane, (North) Featherstone, in 1846. It is also shown on the Ordnance Survey map of 1849. Photo - a postcard.
1865
The Purston Wesleyan Chapel was rebuilt in 1865 on the same site. The 1890 map shows it was larger then that of 1816.
Purston National School was enlarged in 1865 to cope with an increase in pupils, so the archbishop gave a licence for it to be used for divine service. The first service was conducted by Revd T Hinde, Vicar of Featherstone. It was intended to have a service every Sunday night initially conducted by Revd T H Hall of Purston Hall, and then Revd B Hinde, Curate of Featherstone, would take over.
1868
By 1868 there were two services every Sunday in the school, Litany in the morning and a full choral service in the evening. Revd Hall's wife, Elizabeth was the organist and there was what was described as an excellent village choir.
1875
The large number of miners coming into Featherstone seeking work at the new mines meant the parish was becoming too populous for the mother church at Old Featherstone so an Order was decreed all the part of the parish of Featherstone south of the railway line would be made in to the parish of Purston cum South Featherstone.
Plans were prepared for a parish church to be dedicated to St Thomas. The design included a tower and spire but they would be omitted at first. The church would accommodate a congregation of 530 and would cost £5,000. Mrs Elizabeth Hall of Purston Hall donated £1,000. Drawing - Purston Parish Church.
The foundation stone was laid for the South Featherstone Primitive Methodist Chapel in Wakefield Road. Photo - a postcard.
1878
The Purston Church of St Thomas was consecrated by the Archbishop of York. It was lighted by gas, and the cost had risen to over £6,000. The east window and organ were donated by Mrs Hall. The map shows the original roadway from Pontefract Road and the footpath from Victoria Street.
The photo shows the church as it looked to the people of Purston when it was built. The access road is just off the photo at the right. The footpath for residents of South Featherstone was at the back. Photo - a postcard.
Featherstone All Saint's Church was in a very dilapidated condition and it was decided to set up a restoration fund. Special services were held and sermons preached to give it a good send off.
1880
Enough money was raised to make a start, and it was announced "A commencement has been made of what, it is hoped, will be a complete restoration of the ancient church here at present in a very advanced state of dilapidation. The portion undertaken at present is the south chapel which will be almost entirely rebuilt".
The Methodist New Connection (Primitive Methodists) Chapel in Lord Street off Green Lane was opened. There is no known photo but the map shows where it was situated.
1882
It took nearly three years to do the restoration work at All Saints' Church which included almost completely re-erecting the south wall and adding battlements, replacing part of the east wall, the porch, the window mullions and the ceilings. The new south wall with battlements is shown in the photo below. Photo - Tony Lumb Collection.
1883
A special service was held at All Saints' Church to commemorate the repair of the belfry and the re-hanging of the three bells. One was said to date from the 15th Century and the other two from the 17th.
1887
The worshipers at the Wesleyan Church in Purston fell out and some left to form their own church, the United Methodist Free Church, in about 1880. They met in a room in Wakefield Road, and in 1881 decided to set up a fund to have their own church, which was built and opened in 1887. The map shows its position. It was accessed from Station Lane.
The Featherstone Corps of the Salvation Army was formed. They didn't have a band and had to obtain the services of the Normanton Salvation Army Brass Band.
1888
The Salvation Army moved into the premises in Wakefield Road vacated by the United Methodist Free Church. The address is not known but it was probably the building to the right of the Primitive Methodist Chapel at the other side of the three houses.
A
branch of the Gospel Hall movement was started in North Featherstone
headed by Alfred Holiday who came to Featherstone to be Lord Masham's agent. Mr
Holiday was well known for preaching in the open air.
1891
The Salvation Army celebrated their fourth anniversary and also the inauguration of their brass band.
1892
Another branch of the Gospel Hall was opened in Station Lane in what was then called South Featherstone.
1895
A Saturday night service was held in Purston Parish Church for the benefit of the Welsh parishioners. The hymns, lessons and sermon were all in the Welsh language.
1896
St Peter's Mission Church was opened in Green Lane on a site given by Lord Masham.
1897
Revd Hugh Jones came form Liverpool to conduct services in Welsh in the Girls' School for the benefit of the many Welsh inhabitants.
1901
For the past 18 months the congregation of All Saints' Church had been raising money to put a clock in the tower. It was now installed and was set going on 1 January.
1902
The United Free Church on Featherstone Lane was opened. The photo shows the front of the building.
1903
After using temporary premises for two years the Primitive Methodists of North Featherstone Lane opened a new chapel nearby. This later photo shows it with a Sunday School building at the back which was opened in 1913.
1904
The Wesleyan Chapel in Hall Street was not large enough for the growing population of Purston, so a new chapel was built at the junction of Wakefield Road and Girnhill Lane.
The Primitive Methodist Chapel in Wakefield Road was so badly affected by mining subsidence it had to be dismantled and rebuilt using the same materials as much as possible after the foundations were reinforced.
1907
There was a small Welsh community in Featherstone of miners who had come to work in the local pits. They formed a Welsh Mission and took over the premises left empty by the Primitive Methodists in North Featherstone Lane . When they left, the premises were converted in to a shop. Photo by Ian S.
The Methodist New Connection merged with the United Methodist Free Church to form the United Methodist Church. The chapel in Lord Street was vacated and taken over by the Salvation Army.
1910
An organ was installed in Purston Wesleyan Church aided by a grant from the Carnegie Trust.
1913
The Salvation Army moved out of the Lord Street Chapel (it isn't recorded where they went) and it was taken over by the 250 Roman Catholics in Featherstone who had previously made do with a warehouse.
1925
The Salvation Army moved into new premises in Post Office Road.
1932
The tower at Featherstone Parish Church had been decaying for years. In 1925 a decision was made to encase it with new stone work. A fund was started and it was 1932 before the work was finished. The line of the casing can be seen in this photo of a window.
There was a merger of various Methodist branches. Purston Wesleyan Chapel became Purston Methodist Church, the Primitive Methodist Chapel in Wakefield Road was renamed the South Featherstone Methodist Church, and the Primitive Methodist Chapel in Featherstone Lane became Featherstone Lane Methodist Church.
1934
A special reopening service was held at the Welsh Mission Church in Featherstone Lane after renovations. The service was conducted in Welsh.
1936
The Roman Catholics built a church in Station Lane. They gathered for one last time at their premises in Lord Street and then walked to their new church.
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1950
The Wesleyan Chapel in Willow Lane, North Featherstone, had fallen into disuse and the Council gave permission for it to be converted into a pair of semi-detached houses. The photo below shows the conversion.
1955
The Ebenezer Methodist Church in Featherstone Lane closed because membership had fallen to below 20. It was originally the United Free Church opened in 1902. It was to be sold, and the Council gave permission for it to be used for light industry.
1957
The Salvation Army celebrated its 70th Anniversary in Featherstone with a week week of special events. At one the names of all the officials since 1887 were read out.
1960
Representatives of the Featherstone Methodist churches met to consider amalgamating into one society. They agreed in principle, and the individual societies would discuss details.
1963
An
evening service in April at Wakefield Road Methodist Church had ended
and the congregation were making their way out when the floor of the
porch caved in. A dozen people fell a few feet but the only thing broken
was a woman's shoe heel.
Other members of the congregation ran to the rescue and hauled the
shaken victims out of the gaping hole. They all had bruises, some pretty
bad ones, and scratches and grazes, but nothing more serious.
The members had always thought the floor was solid because the surface
was concrete. Little did they suspect under a couple of inches of
concrete were floorboards, and beneath those a big hole. Repair work
started a few days later. The photo is from the Express.
1964
Members of the Methodist churches met to be informed of the proposals
for amalgamation set out by the Leeds District Methodist Committee.
There would now be separate meetings of the churches concerned so the
members could discuss the proposals among themselves. The details were not made public, but it was later revealed a property company of Leeds was to build shops, maisonettes and a church in Station Lane.
1965
The Methodist Churches of Featherstone Lane, Wilson Street and Wakefield Road decided to amalgamate and have one new church for all the congregations. In the meantime the services would be held at the Wakefield Road church renamed the South Featherstone Methodist Church. The Featherstone Lane church was closed, and the Council gave planning permission for it to be used by Alexander Rose Ltd. Wilson Street Church was changed to a Methodist community centre. Purston Methodist Church decided not to join in with the other three.
Vandals broke into Purston Methodist Church and did considerable damage, especially to the organ. They tried to continue by using a piano, but gave up and decided to join in with the other three Methodist congregations.
1966
It was decided to build a new Methodist Church alongside the original one in Wilson Street. The Council agreed to buy Purston Methodist Church subject to the district valuer's valuation, and being able to obtain a loan for the purchase. Planning permission for the new church was granted.
1967
The Council had built residential homes for old people at Jaglin Court, Ferndale and New Priory, plus community centres for groups of old aged people's bungalows. The South Featherstone Gospel Hall began a series of visits to them all.
1968
The new Methodist Church in Wilson Street was opened. The cost was £23,000 which had been put together by special efforts, grants and loans. The anticipated sale of the old Methodist churches would enable the new church to start debt free. The photo of the new Methodist Church and the old church converted to a community centre are by Betty Longbottom.
The Salvation Army decided to buy Wakefield Road Methodist Church, and they were allowed to move in while negotiations were continuing. The eventually agreed price for the sale was £1,750.
St Peter's Mission Church in Green Lane was closed because of increasing overhead costs and dry rot.
1971
The Council decided to buy Purston Methodist Church and demolish it as part of an open plan scheme. The district valuer was negotiating a price.
St Peter's Mission Church was converted into a youth club. This Wakefield Libraries photo shows it with the bell removed and the doorway to the choir's vestry bricked up.
1972
The Salvation Army Citadel in Wakefield Road had deteriorated inside and out, and a surveyor from London headquarters came to carry out an assessment. he said it would cost more than £5,000 to renovate it. It was agreed to go ahead.
Featherstone Methodist Church bought an Allen 200 electronic organ at a cost of £2,600. It was said to be the only electronic church organ in the district.
A Featherstone Council of Churches was formed with Revd R H Taylor as chairman. A united service was held in Purston Parish Church.
1973
The Salvation Army moved back into their Wakefield Road Citadel. The final cost was £5,500.
1974
North Featherstone Church had been trying out the experimental Series 3 service which had modern language such as saying you instead of thou when referring to God. It was decided to return to the traditional form.
1983
Attendances at the Salvation Army services had dropped until it was no longer viable to keep the Wakefield Road premises open so it was closed and worshipers had to go to Pontefract or Castleford.
1998
Vandals set fire to North Featherstone Church. The organ and both vestries were destroyed, and the alter area was badly damaged. As a temporary measure, services were held in All Saints School.
2008
The Roman Catholic Church in Station Lane closed and the worshippers had to go to Pontefract.