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Rivington Unitarian Chapel
Rivington Unitarian Chapel is an active place of Unitarian worship in Rivington, Lancashire, England. It was founded in 1703, although its congregation dates to 1667. It is designated as a Grade II* listed building with some restoration in 1990, and hs ongoing preservation.
The Presbyterians had state backing and held power during the Commonwealth, support for the Puritans was strong, a local martyr being George Marsh. The power of the Church of England was re-asserted through the Clarendon Code after the English Restoration in 1660 by persecuting Nonconformists to force them to conform to use of the Book of Common Prayer in services, requiring prayers for the King, resulting in the Great Ejection on "Bartholemew Sunday" in 1662 when 2500 Ministers left their Churches.
Samuel Newton of Rivington Church was one of the Ministers ejected in 1662, many of his congregation followed him and formed the first nonconformist congregation at Rivington. Laws followed including the Conventicle Act 1664 that prohibited unauthorised religious meetings of more than five people and the Five Mile Act 1665 to suppress nonconformist clergy. William Anderton was an early benefactor to the chapel leaving funds in 1670 in his will for Ministers John Walker and Samuel Newton. Newton gained a licence as a Presbyterian Teacher in 1672 and returned to preach at Rivington Church in 1674, his name appears on the list of ministers. In the same year Mr Hill of Rivington, a Presbyterian teacher was also granted license to preach in any place allowed. Newton made his will 6 March and died 11 March 1682, he described his occupation as Clerk, he and his family, to whom he left considerable property in Blackburn and Padiham, resided at New Hall, he was interred in the Chancel of Rivington Church. Newton was succeeded by the Rev. John Walker who died in 1702. The first Minister of the chapel was the Rev. Ralph Ainsworth 1704 to 1716.
Thomas Anderton of School Brow farm left £100 to aid the nonconformists in 1683, in 1686 Rev. John Breres was conducting services at their meeting places. By 1697 George Brownlow and George Shaw added to the Chapel funds. Records of meeting places in 1702 shortly prior to the building of the chapel are in Quarter Sessions 'Record of Dissenting Meeting Houses', properties named were a house belonging to Arthur Davies, Sheepcoate and Pilkington House.
The Willoughbys of Parham, of Shaw Place, Heath Charnock were prominent Presbyterians. and Hugh Willoughby was one of the first trustees and benefactors of the chapel, which was built in 1703 on land named Goosehey given for a peppercorn rent on a 2000-year lease by John Andrews of Rivington Manor, with the stipulation it should only be used for religious services of Protestants dissenting from the Church of England. The chapel was built of four bays measuring 40 by 30 yards. By 1704 a formal trust deed had been signed and by 1737 the chapel was well funded. Rev. John Turner, minister here 1716 to 1717 had assisted the defeat of the Jacobite rising at the Battle of Preston 1715. Between 1717 and 1729 records presented to government show a congregation of 395. At Rivington Chapel the Unitarian doctrine replaced Presbyterianism in 1754 and around that time the chapel became licensed for weddings, the license was changed in 2021 to enable same sex marriages to take place here. Rivington Church and Rivington Grammar School remained under the influence of leading nonconformist figures including the Lancashire Lords Willoughby of Parham and the new nonconformist owners of Rivington Manor, the influence over the Rivington Church lasted until 1763, despite numerous laws to suppress nonconformity.
In 1760 four men, Hugh Makinson, Moses Cocker, Thomas Anderton and John Ashworth, rallied support to build the Presbyterian Lee Chapel in Horwich, in opposition of Unitarianism at Rivington. The chapel joined an existing congregation, which had first met in the house of Thomas Willoughby in Horwich from 1672 and this led to the building of a new chapel there in 1774. In this way the Horwich and Rivington chapels were "rent in twain", to quote the local historian Thomas Hampson writing in 1893.
A manse, or minister's house, was built in 1787. A Sunday school began in 1795 in the adjacent school house and a library was added by Rev James Taylor, operating between 1821 and 1985. The congregation of the chapel stopped an invasion of Methodists who tried to convert them by holding a loud service at the chapel gates in 1893 in an attempt to overpower the congregation of the chapel indoors. The Methodist preacher was overcome by the noise from the banging of a silver tea tray by the occupant of New Hall, who like other villagers was annoyed at the intrusion. J. M. Andrews, the second Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, was married to Jessie Ormrod at the chapel in 1902.
The interior of the chapel had extensive repairs in 1952 and 1960. The chapel was the focus of a national pilgrimage of Unitarians in 1961. The manse is now a private residence; money from the sale was used to create a garden of remembrance in 1970 with surrounding wall containing niches for crematorium ashes. After the library closed in 1985, the building became a café, now known as Rivington Village Green Tea Room. The exterior had major work again more recently, especially to the roof area to preserve it in 2016 at a cost of £35,828, £5000 for land drain repair and for toilet drain repair £3,480 in 2022.
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Rivington Unitarian Chapel
Rivington Unitarian Chapel is an active place of Unitarian worship in Rivington, Lancashire, England. It was founded in 1703, although its congregation dates to 1667. It is designated as a Grade II* listed building with some restoration in 1990, and hs ongoing preservation.
The Presbyterians had state backing and held power during the Commonwealth, support for the Puritans was strong, a local martyr being George Marsh. The power of the Church of England was re-asserted through the Clarendon Code after the English Restoration in 1660 by persecuting Nonconformists to force them to conform to use of the Book of Common Prayer in services, requiring prayers for the King, resulting in the Great Ejection on "Bartholemew Sunday" in 1662 when 2500 Ministers left their Churches.
Samuel Newton of Rivington Church was one of the Ministers ejected in 1662, many of his congregation followed him and formed the first nonconformist congregation at Rivington. Laws followed including the Conventicle Act 1664 that prohibited unauthorised religious meetings of more than five people and the Five Mile Act 1665 to suppress nonconformist clergy. William Anderton was an early benefactor to the chapel leaving funds in 1670 in his will for Ministers John Walker and Samuel Newton. Newton gained a licence as a Presbyterian Teacher in 1672 and returned to preach at Rivington Church in 1674, his name appears on the list of ministers. In the same year Mr Hill of Rivington, a Presbyterian teacher was also granted license to preach in any place allowed. Newton made his will 6 March and died 11 March 1682, he described his occupation as Clerk, he and his family, to whom he left considerable property in Blackburn and Padiham, resided at New Hall, he was interred in the Chancel of Rivington Church. Newton was succeeded by the Rev. John Walker who died in 1702. The first Minister of the chapel was the Rev. Ralph Ainsworth 1704 to 1716.
Thomas Anderton of School Brow farm left £100 to aid the nonconformists in 1683, in 1686 Rev. John Breres was conducting services at their meeting places. By 1697 George Brownlow and George Shaw added to the Chapel funds. Records of meeting places in 1702 shortly prior to the building of the chapel are in Quarter Sessions 'Record of Dissenting Meeting Houses', properties named were a house belonging to Arthur Davies, Sheepcoate and Pilkington House.
The Willoughbys of Parham, of Shaw Place, Heath Charnock were prominent Presbyterians. and Hugh Willoughby was one of the first trustees and benefactors of the chapel, which was built in 1703 on land named Goosehey given for a peppercorn rent on a 2000-year lease by John Andrews of Rivington Manor, with the stipulation it should only be used for religious services of Protestants dissenting from the Church of England. The chapel was built of four bays measuring 40 by 30 yards. By 1704 a formal trust deed had been signed and by 1737 the chapel was well funded. Rev. John Turner, minister here 1716 to 1717 had assisted the defeat of the Jacobite rising at the Battle of Preston 1715. Between 1717 and 1729 records presented to government show a congregation of 395. At Rivington Chapel the Unitarian doctrine replaced Presbyterianism in 1754 and around that time the chapel became licensed for weddings, the license was changed in 2021 to enable same sex marriages to take place here. Rivington Church and Rivington Grammar School remained under the influence of leading nonconformist figures including the Lancashire Lords Willoughby of Parham and the new nonconformist owners of Rivington Manor, the influence over the Rivington Church lasted until 1763, despite numerous laws to suppress nonconformity.
In 1760 four men, Hugh Makinson, Moses Cocker, Thomas Anderton and John Ashworth, rallied support to build the Presbyterian Lee Chapel in Horwich, in opposition of Unitarianism at Rivington. The chapel joined an existing congregation, which had first met in the house of Thomas Willoughby in Horwich from 1672 and this led to the building of a new chapel there in 1774. In this way the Horwich and Rivington chapels were "rent in twain", to quote the local historian Thomas Hampson writing in 1893.
A manse, or minister's house, was built in 1787. A Sunday school began in 1795 in the adjacent school house and a library was added by Rev James Taylor, operating between 1821 and 1985. The congregation of the chapel stopped an invasion of Methodists who tried to convert them by holding a loud service at the chapel gates in 1893 in an attempt to overpower the congregation of the chapel indoors. The Methodist preacher was overcome by the noise from the banging of a silver tea tray by the occupant of New Hall, who like other villagers was annoyed at the intrusion. J. M. Andrews, the second Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, was married to Jessie Ormrod at the chapel in 1902.
The interior of the chapel had extensive repairs in 1952 and 1960. The chapel was the focus of a national pilgrimage of Unitarians in 1961. The manse is now a private residence; money from the sale was used to create a garden of remembrance in 1970 with surrounding wall containing niches for crematorium ashes. After the library closed in 1985, the building became a café, now known as Rivington Village Green Tea Room. The exterior had major work again more recently, especially to the roof area to preserve it in 2016 at a cost of £35,828, £5000 for land drain repair and for toilet drain repair £3,480 in 2022.