alsager

Alsager Mere is a small but tranquil lake that is situated in the centre of Alsager, it has been around since medieval times, but now is a lot smaller in size than it used to be. There is a section of the Mere, known as Gallows Corner, and this was the scene of a gruesome tale. At a time when the area was mostly covered with large trees and overgrowth, a man was said to have been deeply unhappy, and hung himself from one of the trees. The exact reason for this has never been discovered. When his body was found, it was quickly cut down, and a stake driven deep into his heart, which, according to legend, was customary at the time. The man’s body was apparently buried at the spot where a sign post once stood, now Wood Corner, on the Sandbach Road. It is reputed that the man’s ghost now haunts this area, but as such, he is mostly heard nowadays, rather than seen. Visitors to the area have often reported the sound of weeping, but whether this is a man or a woman is not known.

Located in the middle of Alsager town centre, this church, dedicated to the memory of St. Mary Magdalene, who originated from a small village north of Tiberius, near to the lake of Galilee. St. Mary was believed to have been a follower of Jesus, and was apparently present at the execution of Christ, alongside Mary, the mother of Jesus. Later, it is thought that it was she who was to embalm the lifeless body of Jesus, only to find an empty tomb. An angel is said to have appeared to state, that as was prophesised, Christ had indeed risen. Unable to comprehend this information, Mary wept inconsolably; it was at this time that Christ spoke to her; informing her of his plans. She was to go to Ephesus, with St. John, who she was to marry. The legend states, according to the Greek Church, that when she died in Ephesus, she was buried in Constantinople.

When the Reverend Edward Duncombe, a member of the powerful Crewe family, succeeded the Reverend Edward Hinchliffe as Rector of St. Bertoline’s Church, at nearby Barthomley, in 1850, he immediately found himself at war with the Reverend Charles Alsager Tryon, who belonged to the Alsager family. Tryon was a patron and incumbent of Christ Church, a chapel of ease, which had been built as a direct result of a Private Act, held in February 1789, by three Alsager sisters, Mary, Margaret, and Judith. As patrons of Christ Church, the Alsager family held the right to appoint the incumbents and school masters. In turn, they would provide the appointee with an appropriate schoolhouse.

Since he was Lord of the Manor, Charles Tryon requested a residency more acquainted with his position, and, as such, he received permission from the four trustees of the Alsager Charity, which ultimately included himself, to convert the present school building into a much larger residence. But this was when the problems started, as soon after, Reverend Edward Duncombe automatically took over the trusteeship of the charity, previously held by the Rector of Barthomley. It was he who objected to Tryon’s plans, refusing to allow them to proceed.

Since work altering the foundations of the schoolhouse had already started, a compromise needed to be reached. Another school would be built, and Tryon agreed to purchase the former schoolhouse from the charity, also agreeing to take over the pastoral care of the township, in return for the tithes, due from Alsager Hall, which amounted to some £20 per year. This arrangement was granted by an Order in Council, thus enabling Christ Church to become an independent district church, along with the authority to solemnise marriages.

By the year 1867, the population of Alsager had almost doubled and in turn, so did the pastoral care. Charles Tryon felt that he should see a greater share of the tithes, some £230, but once again, it was the Reverend Edward Duncombe who stood in his way, flatly refusing his request. Tryon took upon it himself to seek legal advice regarding this matter, to find out if the original agreement was legal. To his delight, the agreement was declared invalid, and he no longer felt that he should serve the community of Alsager, refusing to carry out any pastoral duties. From that moment, until he left in 1876, the township of Alsager was deemed to be “spiritual wasteland”.

In direct retaliation, Edward Duncombe, often described as an impossible man, accused the charity of incompetence and mismanagement and disregard for the founders, in which many of whom had died and not been replaced. Duncombe stated that only four people, Mr. Randle Wilbraham, of Rode Hall, who was the only elected member, and three clergymen, which included himself, Tryon, and the Reverend Edward Clayton, Rector of Astbury, another member of the Crewe family. This, according to Duncombe, left a number of vacancies unfilled. He went on to state that the Barthomley affair, with the school charity much to blame, he also pointed the finger of suspicion at Mr. Twiss, from Odd Rode, and Sir John Boughey, Lord of the Manor at Audley. Many charities at Audley and Congleton had suffered a similar fate. At this, Duncombe wanted to appoint new trustees.

Upon receiving little or no response, Duncombe decided to take drastic action. He printed up and distributed several copies of the 1789 Act, quickly followed up by a pamphlet, called “Church and School Business in Alsager”. in it, he dramatically accused Tryon of ’landlordism’ and ’lord-of-the-manorism’, stating that he involved himself in too many roles, which included curate, patron and schoolmaster; that since he was Lord of the Manor, he was indeed administering the charity, thus paying himself for doing so. This pamphlet caused quite a sensation in Alsager. Charles Tryon left the township of Alsager in 1877 and was succeeded by the Reverend William A. Sheringham. When Duncombe retired, some three years later, he was replaced by George Skene.

When Skene arrived at Alsager, at first he wasn’t fully able to comprehend the problems that faced the town, which was often described as a “thoroughly complex situation”. Since the township of Alsager was growing at an alarming rate, several of the residents needs were simply not being catered for, especially for those who could not get to Christ Church, or to St. Bertoline’s, at Barthomley; in those days, a simple three mile treck would have taken huge risks to the traveller.

Soon after the Reverend Sheringham had been appointed as incumbent to Christ Church, he paid a visit to Rector Skene, in the hopes of improving the situation between Christ Church and Alsager. With Duncombe gone, and a new man at the helm, Sheringham thought he may be able to persuade Skene in his quest to achieve parish status for Christ Church; all that would be involved was to transfer a few tithes to Alsager, and the matter would be sorted.

Christ Church, Alsager

However, Rector Skene soon found that things were to be a little more complicated than he had first thought. Christ Church would not be able to become a parish church without the passing of a new Private Act. At this, Sheringham declined to promote the new Act, stating that he “could not be responsible for it”. Further invitations by Skene proved fruitless, and so, he decided to take matters into his own hands, and build a new parish church. Upon hearing this news, the Reverend Sheringham immediately distributed leaflets to all residents, where he fully stated his intentions, regarding the township of Alsager. In it, he wrote:- “To my friends and neighbours, the inhabitants of the township of Alsager. It has become my duty to inform you that the Rector of Barthomley, George Skene, having been advised that the Order in Council that constitutes Alsager a separate district is invalid, has intimated to me his intention to assume the personal charge of the people of Alsager as his Parishioners; and therefore, I regret to say that my ministerial connection with you out of Church has come to an end”.

Calling the residents of Alsager for a meeting, opposite Northolme Gardens, Rector Skene explained the facts as he saw them. He explained that the parish was still very much attached to Barthomley, and there was a greater need for another church. He especially placed emphasis on the fact that there was little or no chance of Christ Church becoming the parish church, and that he had only decided to take these decisions after the Reverend Sheringham had published his strong-worded pamphlets. Rector Skene wanted Alsager to pull away from the parish of Barthomley, and become a parish in its own right. At the very heart of this new parish, Skene laid out his intentions to build a new church, one that all the residents of Alsager could, if they wanted, to attend.

With the help of benefactors from the village, Skene’s actions were indeed swift. Erected in the centre of the village was a small corrugated iron chapel. This chapel, known as the “mission room”, was dedicated on the 8th January, 1882, by His Grace, the Archbishop of York, who also happened, by chance, to be related to Skene. With accommodation for some 350 residents, this chapel served the community for some 13 years, before becoming obsolete, as a much bigger and grander church was on the horizon.

On the 25th June, 1883, the decision was taken, by the financial committee at the “mission room”, that a permanent church should be built. This decision was unanimously agreed upon, and a site was quickly sought after. June, 1884, saw a meeting called by Rector Skene, where he admitted that sufficient funds, through dedicated fund-raising, bazaars, and other events, had raised enough capital for work to begin on securing the site, and laying the foundations for the new building. Within a few weeks, a Lancaster firm of architects, Messer’s Paley and Austin, were approached, and it was they who drew up architectural designs, and purchased the land.

Austin, who designed the new church, laid out his plans. He would design a church, with a schoolroom alongside, which would ultimately seat 300 people, with the latter being built first. The contract to build this new schoolroom, which would be secular, was won by a local builder, Mr. Gratton, and work started in May 1885. The foundations were laid on 4th June, by Mrs. Walter Palmer, and six months later, in December, this new build was opened. It was immediately welcomed by the township, noted for its ’quaint prettiness’.

Meanwhile, behind the scene, much dissatisfaction was taking place at Christ Church. The Reverend Sheringham looked upon the whole event with deep suspicion, and old wounds were quickly re-opened. One such example was seen by Rector Skene’s reaction when the Reverend Sheringham offered land, so that the churchyard could be extended. This proposal was quickly dismissed by Skene, who later attempted to develop a similar scheme of his own; his plans were later thwarted. Upon hearing the news that Sheringham, and the Patrons were hoping to attach the Ecclesiastical Township of Alsager to Christ Church, Skene called a meeting at the newly formed schoolroom to discuss these proposals, which were overwhelmingly rejected out of hand, a move which further infuriated Sheringham.

For several years, nothing out of the ordinary occurred in the township of Alsager, although a “Grand Bazaar” was planned for 1889. For the occasion, several thousand tickets were printed off and quickly distributed around the village, with several prizes on offer, many of which had been selected by Rector Skene himself. This event lasted for several days, and was held during the month of September. By the end, the massive sum of £950 had been raised; everyone involved was suitably exhausted, so much so that Rector Skene took a holiday to recharge his batteries.

In 1890, Rector Skene, again gathering several townsfolk together, sought to propose an end to the wrangles between the parish and Christ Church. He proposed to write to the Bishop, asking for permission to build a new church, which would enable Alsager to finally separate from Barthomley, thus making the township a parish in its own right, and with a permanent vicar. He proposed that Christ Church become a chapel of ease, within the borders of this new parish, a move which would prove favourable with the Bishop, but ultimately, it would mean that Christ Church would have to surrender all of their rights and privileges; this was put to the incumbent of Christ Church, the Reverend Daniel Shaw, who agreed, although it was an uneasy agreement.

By January 1891, the advowson of Christ Church had been purchased, and in May of the same year, the site for this new church was finally approved, although funding only stood at £2,145, no where near enough, so for three years, not much happened in Alsager, regarding the church. By 1894, the fund stood at £4,200, and it was agreed that the materials could be bought and taken to the site; drafts were drawn up, and plans laid, to be carried out by Mr. Fielding of Alton. On Wednesday, 13th June, 1884, at 11.00am., the parish treasurer, John Keen, placed a spade and turned the first sod of earth; work on the erection of the new church began soon after. Some three months later, amid a gathering of townsfolk, Lord Houghton laid the first foundation stone.

Under the direction of the site foreman, Mr. Hart, the building of the church appeared to go smoothly. Soon, the decision was taken to sell the old iron mission church, which saddened the parish greatly, but ultimately brought in a further £150 in revenue for the new build. In February, church services were held at the schoolroom for the very first time, and this would last for three years, under license from the Bishop, although the parish hierarchy stated that this arrangement would only be temporary. Gifts for the new church came from all corners of Alsager, and included various items, such as chairs, kneelers, and a lectern. As the church grew, the obvious need for greater funds soon became apparent, and in September 1895, the decision was taken to hold another Grand Carnival Bazaar, which lasted for four days but raised the paltry sum of just £450. Since the estimated cost of the church was set at £7,100, of which £6,100 had already been raised, there was an obvious shortfall of £1000.

In December, it was accepted that work had to grind to a halt, so a temporary tiled roof was quickly put into place, to enable the church to at least be ready for worship; the north aisle, inside the church, remained unfinished. On Friday, 8th January, 1897, the church was opened and dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, with the ceremony being performed by the Venerable Archdeacon Woosnam; it would later be consecrated on St. Peter’s Day, 29th June, 1898.

Inside St. Mary's, at Alsager

Although furnishings were at a premium within the church, it wouldn’t stay that way for long, as donations from far and wide soon poured in, but it would be a further forty years, in 1937, before the north aisle would be completed. Of particular interest to the church of St. Mary Magdalene are the stained glass windows. In the South Aisle, the Goss memorial window features St. Michael and St. Gabriel, designed by Karl Parsons, and implemented by the London Glass Company of James Powell and Sons, in 1926. Since the church is dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, many of the windows illustrate various examples of her life, with the east window depicting that of Jesus rising, and appearing to Mary after the Resurrection. Below this, two smaller images illustrate Mary at the Entombment of Christ, and visiting the tomb on the morning of the Resurrection.

Other windows in the church depict the Sermon on the Mount, the Calming of the Tempest, Healing the Sick, and Feeding the Five Thousand. Below are the angels, and they bear shields of Humility, Love, Faith, and Hope. At the windows on the west side of the church, St. Mary Magdalene can be seen holding the box of precious ointment with roses, deemed to be symbolic of love; also depicted are St. Mary of love, Bethany reading a book, Martha, who represents a service, and various other symbols, including bread, wine, and love. At the South Aisle, other windows portrait St. Mary Magdalene, with two smaller lights, on each side, showing Mary and Martha of Bethany. Also there is a portrait of St. Mary Magdalene drying the feet of Jesus Christ with her hair.

It is indeed a sad state of affairs that St. Mary Magdalene remains unfinished, whilst the temporary roofing is still in place, some 100 years later. What needs to be admired, more than anything else, is the vision and dedication of Rector Skene, and his ability to see through what he originally set out to achieve, to make the village of Alsager a parish in its own right, with a church for his parishioners to worship in. To achieve these goals in the face of such adversity, especially from Christ Church, is indeed quite an achievement, and one that both he, and the residents of Alsager, both young and old, can now be proud of.

The historic Christ Church, in the parish of Alsager, has its beginnings in the year 1789, when the English government, led by George III, passed a Private Act, on February 3rd, that enabled three sisters, Mary, Margaret, and Judith Alsager, who were the Ladies of the Manor of Alsager, to build and furnish a new church, within the parish of Barthomley, at a site known as Alsager Heath. Under the Act, it was stipulated that only they could appoint Curates and Churchwardens to the church, but that under the diocese of Chester, it was also made known that the church, and all of its associates, were to be under the jurisdiction of the Lord Bishop, meaning that diocesan visitations would occur from time to time. Above all, Christ Church would not be considered to be an actual church, it could only attain the status of a Propriety or Private Chapel, as there simply was no parish attached to it; as such, none of the parishioners from Barthomley could be held responsible for any such repairs to the church, the Curates stipend, Churchwarden’s expenses or any other such items; these were to come out of the pew rents. When the Alsager sisters realised that none of these plans were feasible, they provided an endowment from which the rents from their Brookhouse estate were also to be used for the stipends.

One such paragraph of the 1789 Act was liable to cause palpitations to the residents of Alsager, and especially the parishioners of Christ Church for many years to come. It read “Provided always, and be it further exacted and declared, that nothing in this Act contained shall extend to defeat or prejudice any Right, Title, Interest, Claim, or Demand of the Rector of the said Parish of Barthomley, or of any Tithes, Offerings, Surplice Fees, Oblations, Obventions or other Ecclesiastical Rights or Dues, arising within the said Parish, and belonging to the Rector thereof”. What this meant was from the moment of consecration, all baptisms and burials that were carried out at Christ Church were to also be entered into the registers of Barthomley, a source of constant annoyance to the parishioners of the new church. More to the point, all burials and churchings at Alsager carried a double fee, half of which was due to the Rector of Barthomley; this despite the fact that he had nothing to do whatsoever with any of the services at Christ Church.

By the 18th August, 1852, this practice was cancelled by an Order in Council, which went on to create a new District Chapelry of Alsager; later known as the Township of Alsager, and surrounded by the parishes of Barthomley, Sandbach, Church Lawton, and Audley. Together with the fact that marriages at Christ Church were to become solemnised for the first time, with the fees being handed to the Alsager incumbents made life appear sweet for its parishioners. For the next few years, life at Christ Church, and in particular, at Alsager, appeared, in general, to be good. However, this happiness would come to a crushing end, some sixteen years later, when it appeared that all of the marriages that had taken place, at Christ Church, were in fact void. In the case, Fitzgerald vs. Champneys, it was deemed that the power of assigning Districts didn’t reach out far enough to include a Chapel that was regulated by a Local Act. On 29th December, Henry Casson, from Lincoln’s Inn, declared that, as with the case of Christ Church, Alsager, the two were similar, and that they could not be distinguished, in principle at least. Henry Casson cast serious doubts on the legality of all marriages that had taken place at Christ Church, so much so, the people who had solemnised their vows began to question whether they were actually married. This crisis was resolved in 1881, when the Alsager Chapel (Marriages) Act legalised all marriages that had taken place at Christ Church, and declared the following “All marriages so solemnised shall notwithstanding that the Order in Council of 18th August 1852 may be found to be invalid be as valid as they would have been if the said Order in Council had been validly made in pursuance of the above mentioned Acts”.

The Cemetery at Christ Church

In 1883, some two years after the marriage crisis had ended, another bombshell was about to hit Christ Church. The quarter-acre burial ground, that had been opened in 1789, was now full to capacity and the Burial Acts Department of the Home Office had stated that no further burials were to take place, other than in existing graves. To resolve this matter, the Reverend William Sheringham, during his role as Lord of the Manor of Alsager, offered to give half an acre of glebe land, to be used to extend the existing cemetery, with the condition that the parishioners themselves pay for a wall to be erected, to protect the boundaries. This was duly carried out, at a cost of £200, and in the process, freed up space for a further 800 plots. Whilst the members of Christ Church were celebrating another landmark victory, more bad news was just around the corner.

A circular letter, sent to the incumbents of Christ Church from the Rector of Barthomley, informed them that it was his right, under the conditions of the 1789 Act, to claim burial fees for any new interments within the parish of Alsager. This finally brought an end to the simmering hostility that had been ongoing between the incumbents of Christ Church and the Rector of Barthomley. Charles Alsager Tryon, in 1867, had already made an unsuccessful attempt to end the Rectors’ rights to any tithes. Once again citing the case between Fitzgerald vs. Champneys, the Rector of Barthomley, Edward Duncombe, saw a way to finally end the Alsager Lord’s of the Manor Curates, a move which eventually led to the resignation of the Reverend William Sheringham. He issued the following statement: ’It has become my duty to inform you that the Rector of Barthomley, having been advised that the Order in Council considering Alsager a separate District is invalid, has intimated to me his intention to assume the personal charge of the people of Alsager as his parishioners, and therefore I regret to say that my ministerial connection with you out of Church has come to an end’. It was signed W.A. Sheringham, Incumbent of Christ Church, Alsager, April 1881.

It is presumed that the resignation of the Reverend Sheringham was mainly due to despair. In his role as the new Rector at Barthomley, George Skene wrote that the Alsager incumbent was advised by his legal councillors that it would have been almost impossible for Christ Church to become part of a parish without making a new Private Act. Indeed, this decision was confirmed when an Alsager deputation made an unsuccessful visit to the Bishop of Chester, in the hope of getting Alsager separated from the parish of Barthomley. At one point, the Archbishop of York even became involved, but again, when faced with legal technicalities, was defeated.

Taking the thoughts and considerations of the townsfolk of Alsager, the Rector of Barthomley, George Skene decided direct action was needed. His proposal was to leave Christ Church to its own devices, and to concentrate on moving operations more into the middle of Alsager. Following the Reverend Sheringham’s resignation, church services were held in a local field, before moving to private residences along Crewe Road. In January 1882, a building known as the ’Iron Church’, or more commonly, the ’Tin Tabernacle’, which was a mission church, was erected; this was quickly followed by the publishing of ’The Barthomley and Alsager Parish Magazine’. At a meeting, the parishioners of Christ Church, chaired by the Rector of Barthomley, laid down the suggestion that the Ecclesiastical Township of Alsager be attached to Christ Church; a proposal immediately dismissed, with many reasons given, the main point being ’that it was, in effect, totally undesirable at the present moment’. In the summer of 1886, the incumbency vacancy at Christ Church was to be at last filled, after five long years, by the Reverend Daniel Shaw, who was immediately faced with similar problems to that of his predecessor, William Sheringham.

During the autumn of 1890, the Reverend Daniel Shaw, together with Rector Skene, were summoned to see the Bishop of Chester, who was equally determined to resolve the crisis that had been apparent for so long at Alsager. The Bishop proposed to develop a new parish, within the boundaries of Alsager, which would be served by a new church, one that could cater for all residents; it was deemed that Christ Church would play no part in these plans. The proposal was as follows:

1) advowson (or the right of presentation to a benefice) to be purchased and vested in the bishop;
2) a new church to be built and situated in a venue of the Bishop’s choice, it shall become the new church within the new parish;
3) a new parish to be built, consisting of the Township of Alsager, and embracing Christ Church, taking its endowments, including house and glebe land, from the date of the next arriving vacancy;
4) Christ Church is to become a chapel of ease, the burial ground shall remain, used by the new parish;
5) A Private Act, endorsing the above proposals, so far as is necessary

A letter, dated 11th October, 1890, written by the Bishop, and addressed to the Rector of Barthomley, clearly states that the above scheme was to be tolerated by all parties: “We are requested by the Bishop to inform you with reference to the various comments and representations received by him on the proposals for the establishment of a new parish, that he cannot accept any modification of these proposals, and particularly that the suggestion to constitute Christ Church as the parish church is not one to be entertained on account of the structure and situation of that edifice, so long as there is any prospect of a new and more commodious building being erected in a central position”.

With his five point programme firmly laid out, the Bishop set the wheels in motion. In January 1891, he wrote to the Rector George Skene to thank him for paying the £240 needed to purchase the advowson. In February of the same year, the signing of an indenture, between the surviving members of the Manor of Alsager, and the Bishop of Chester, saw him granted the advowson, pews, rights and privileges that had been conferred upon the Lords and Ladies of Alsager, in return for the sum of £576. The Bishop of Chester now had all the power that was needed, including the perpetual right of nomination and representation, along with the right to appoint Curates, Churchwardens and Clerks at Christ Church.

St. Mary Magdalene's, Alsager

In September, 1894, the foundation stone of the new parish church, dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene, was laid; it was consecrated on St. Peter’s Day, 29th June, 1898, and cost the sum of £9400, most of which came from donations and subscriptions. With the building of this new church, many of the problems that had troubled the Township of Alsager were now in sharp decline. Gone were the irritating double fees, paid to the Rector of Barthomley, along with the tithes, which were now due to the incumbent of St. Mary Magdalene’s; the patronage of Alsager was now firmly in the hands of the Bishop of Chester. For those who still hoped that one day Christ Church would have its own parish, another crushing blow came into effect, with a Representation, drafted by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, and signed by the Bishop of Chester himself, Francis John. Inside, it asked for a district chapelry to be assigned to St. Mary Magdalene, within the parish of Barthomley, which would co-exist with the Township of Alsager. This Representation was officially confirmed, by an Order in Council, dated 18th July, 1898. At long last, it seemed that the troubles that had plagued both Christ Church and Alsager were over, but unfortunately, more problems were just around the corner.

Since all of the legal irregularities at Christ Church had ended, the incumbents faced an entirely different problem. The Reverend Daniel Shaw, after battling a long and drawn out illness, finally succumbed and passed away in October, 1906. The problem here was that there was no obvious replacement to choose from; this was quickly followed by the resignation of the vicar of St. Mary Magdalene, in the April of 1907. The Bishop of Chester hit on an ingenious plan, the Reverend H.A. Arnold was appointed as the holder of two beneficiaries; he became the Vicar at St. Mary Magdalene, and the perpetual curate at Christ Church. Now, at long last, the Anglican community at Alsager were served by one man, bringing peace and harmony with him.

The First World War seemed to bring a number of problems to the small Township of Alsager. Many of the young men from the town went to France to fight for their country, and, to combat this, a ’War-Working-Party’ was immediately set up in August 1914. Working day and night, for some 12 months, this group sent a number of items, including shirts, scarves, socks and mittens. Many of the clergy and parishioners both suffered losses during the War; the Reverend Arnold, who was replaced at Alsager by the Reverend A.H. Waller, lost both his son and nephew in the atrocities. With many of the clergymen at Alsager, and its surrounding villages, joining up as chaplains in the forces, Christ Church was soon forced to cut its services, being held only one evening per month.

War Memorial at Alsager

With the end of the First World War in sight, peaceful activities once again took over at Christ Church. In 1919, a joint Parochial Church Council was founded, with membership solely being allocated to the clergy, churchwardens, and five other representatives of both Christ Church and St. Mary Magdalene’s, with meetings being held quarterly. An annual joint Sale of Work was introduced, based on the number of seats at both churches, was also held; St. Mary Magdalene’s had 500, whilst Christ Church sat at 275. In 1924, Christ Church faced another problem. Throughout the whole of the year, there was no curate available at St. Mary Magdalene’s, and the Reverend Waller, who wasn’t in the best of health, had to single-handedly look after both establishments. Against doctor’s advice, he went on his yearly walking holiday in Scotland and died of a heart attack.

Up until the February of 1925, the combined parish of Christ Church and Alsager was again without an incumbent, where it was taken up by the Reverend Arthur Lowndes Moir, a young enthusiastic vicar. Over the ten years of his tenancy, the parish of Alsager, along with Christ Church, saw some much needed stability added, but again, he was faced with overwhelming staffing problems, as were many of his predecessors. For every year that passed, there were comings and goings of every variety; the Reverend E.C. Collier, who had often assisted at Christ Church, died in 1926. In the October of the same year, the Reverend P.L. Dickson was appointed, but he promptly took another post at Huyton instead. The Reverend Albert Maturin helped out for a while in 1927, but was eventually diagnosed with sunstroke and promptly retired to Harrogate. Once again, the call was put out for an assistant at Christ Church, and it seemed that finally, prayers were answered when the Reverend J. Bennett was appointed, but after a few months, he left for pastures new in Canada. It seems that all of these people had one thing in common, they were all single. Christ Church had severe problems attracting married men to the church, simply because there was no residence for them to live in.

Still the young Reverend carried on regardless. During the year of 1927, he planned to carry out almost a thousand visits to his parishioners, planning to visit each and every household in Alsager. Soon after, he founded the Christ Church Children’s Church, in which it helped to establish and work with young children, and raised money for various charities across Cheshire. On September 4th, 1929, Arthur Moir married Miss Aline Parkin at Chester Cathedral, and no sooner had the happy couple returned from their honeymoon that the Vicar faced severe staff shortages, which threatened Christ Church with closure, and, in the process, almost ripped apart the relationship which had been slowly maintained over the years between the two Alsager churches.

In 1929, Arthur Moir managed to secure the services of two clergymen, Mr. R. Hughes, from Colwyn Bay, and Mr. H. Grey, a Warrington Headmaster, albeit only on a temporary basis; they were gone after a few months. By this time, the Vicar, who was quickly running out of options, took the only available course of action open to him, and opted to conduct the services at Christ Church and St. Mary Magdalene on alternate Sundays. These actions seemed to ruffle more than a few feathers, and it wasn’t long before the rural dean, Canon Armistead, became involved, citing that it was in-fact illegal to close the official church of St. Mary’s for even a single service. Once again, Christ Church would suffer, as it was decided that since there was insufficient staff available, the church would have to close, commencing in the New Year, until a suitable curate could be found. With fury amongst the Christ Church congregation, several hundred signatures were placed onto a petition, and sent to the Bishop of Chester, but this was in vain, so the closure went ahead as planned.

Throughout the first six months of 1930, the future of Christ Church appeared to be doubtful. Through this uneventful period, the church remained shut, with the choirs of both churches being amalgamated, and notices handed to all of the choirmasters. Towards the middle of the year, it appears that a solution may well have been found as the Vicar announced the appointment of Canon Francis J. Ashmall as curate. However, it appears that as one problem ended, another quickly began, as the staffing crisis was immediately replaced by a constitutional rights situation, involving the rights and privileges of the churchwardens at Christ Church. In April, the Vicar issued a notice, in which he stated his intentions to nominate Mr. Vincent Brooke, as Vicar’s Warden, at Christ Church, in place of the current incumbent, Mr. George Earnest Baker. It was quickly proposed, as a temporary solution, that a vestry meeting be called, in which two people would be nominated as acting churchwardens, under the 1789 Private Act. It was understood that these proposals were unacceptable to both parties, with the existing wardens, George Barker and Thomas Edwards flatly refusing to recognise the term ’acting’. They realised that they would have no legal status, and as such, appealed to the Archdeacon of Macclesfield for his opinions on the subject; he simply implied for them to carry on as normal. This was quickly followed up by a May visitation, in which the Archdeacon appointed the two renegade wardens from Christ Church, a move which infuriated the anti-warden brigade at St. Mary Magdalene’s, many of whom were astounded by the actions of the Archdeacon, stating that prompt and thorough steps must be taken to correct another illegal act.

The Archdeacon’s reply was unrepentant and swift. He stated “As to your own positions as Churchwardens, I do not think you need to be in any uncertainty. You were admitted last year by the Chancellor in due form and as no persons have been appointed in your stead, you shall continue in office”. This brought little comfort to the Churchwarden’s opponents, despite their initial cause for optimism. Kenneth Macmorran initially agreed that, in his humble opinion, the right to appoint Churchwardens at Christ Church fell to the Lords and Ladies of the Manor of Alsager, and more to the fact, he also felt that the Vestry meeting, where Messers. Barker and Edwards were originally appointed, was entirely illegal, but that the moment of objection had since passed. Since nothing could be done until the next Easter Monday, it was decided that the Lords and Ladies of the Manor of Alsager should appoint their own churchwardens, in time for the Archdeacon’s next visitation.

Both parties involved in the dispute sought comfort and support from the counsel’s opinion. As far as the Bishop of Chester’s solicitors were concerned, the Archdeacon’s actions were justified, in that the Deed of 1891, which granted the advowson of Christ Church to the Bishop, had terminated the rights of the Lords and Ladies of the Manor of Alsager to appoint their own churchwardens. The reply from the Bishop did, at the time, seem entirely plausible, although the opposing party were not convinced, leaving Arthur Moir to describe Alsager as “having the most complicated system of any parish in the whole of Christendom”.

In the October of 1930, the flames of controversy burst out again, when, after a Finance Committee meeting was held at St. Mary Magdalene’s, the treasurer reported the non-receipt of the Assistant Clergy quota at Christ Church. With the understanding of the Bishop, it was agreed that each church was to pay the sum of £2.00 per week into the fund. It seemed that the Christ Church treasurer had been paying his contribution direct to the clergymen involved. The Vicar of Alsager clearly thought that this was a situation that simply couldn’t go on, and wrote directly to the Bishop of Chester in November, asking who was in control of the finances at Christ Church, to which the Bishop replied that it was the Parochial Church Council of St. Mary Magdalene.

After the financial crisis had slightly died down, Canon Ashmall decided that it was time for both Alsager congregations to live together in peace and harmony; at least until some sort of settlement was obtained. Meetings were arranged to bring about a Committee of Joint Co-operation, between Christ Church and St. Mary Magdalene. Canon Ashmall departed in the July of 1931, and was replaced by the Reverend J.R. Brunskill; thus began a period of relative harmony for both churches, assured, in principal, by the Bishop’s solicitor, in a letter dated February 24th, 1931, that Christ Church, until notified by change in the legalisation of the Private Act of 1789, would remain a separate entity, with a separate endowment.

As 1934 came to an end, both the Reverend Brunskill and Vicar Arthur Moir had left Alsager far behind, with the latter being transferred to Burleydam, near Whitchurch. His farewell message stated that he been obliged to resign his position as the Benefice of Alsager on health grounds, adding that it had been nigh-on impossible to run both Christ Church and St. Mary Magdalene. The immense struggle to safeguard the autonomy of Christ Church had finally ended. Next to hold the post of Vicar of Alsager and incumbent of Christ Church was the Reverend Charles C. Potts, from Altrincham, and he was inducted into the position on 2nd January, 1935. Luckily, he had inherited a church that was in a far healthier position than any of his predecessors of the last ten years. Since the beginning of October 1931, Christ Church had its own Church Council, chaired by the curate-in-charge; the opening minutes recorded that “The Council was to be responsible for all of the affairs that related to Christ Church”. Also, it was now down to the curate-in-charge to nominate any churchwardens, a role previously held by the Vicar.

War Memorial at Alsager

With the onset of World War Two, Christ Church was close to gaining full independence. It was during the dark days of December 1940 that the Vicar first became aware of the sweeping changes that were being thrust upon Alsager. He later wrote: “We are becoming ever so familiar with the sound of traffic passing through the streets. Empty houses are being turned into hostels, and soldiers, munitions managers and workers are settling into the village, whilst our old residents are tirelessly overworked, coping with new duties”. In May, a meeting was called by the Reverend Potts, and he expressed that, if it was possible, a welfare worker should be provided to care for the many numbers of young girls who were coming to live at these hostels, as he felt the village was, at that time, being almost unrecognisable; first came the children from Liverpool, many of whom were refugees, and they were quickly followed by the establishment of Britain’s thirteenth Royal Ordnance factory, located at Radway Green. Munitions workers needed accommodation, housed behind Lawton Road, and finally, the Royal Navy launched a ’stone’ frigate, in the shape of H.M.S. Excalibur, a training base.

Even during the darkest hours of the War, the parishioners at Christ Church had not forgotten their dream of parochial independence. In May 1942, a meeting of the congregation was held, where it was decided that all of the seats in the church would be free, a first in the history of Christ Church; the loss of revenue would be made good by the formulation of a free will offering scheme. This was deemed essential, simply because the parish of Alsager could not be divided without a guarantee from each church that it would pay a stipend of £400 per year. In May 1944, this event was sadly overshadowed by the news that the Reverend Potts passed away. Even so, it seems that Reverend Pott’s death was not in vain, because two years later, after an incredible amount of work and tiresome delays, the news was announced in the 2nd August 1946 edition of the London Gazette. It stated “We, the Ecclesiastical Commissioners for England have prepared the following Scheme for constituting a part of the parish of St. Mary Magdalene, Alsager, in the county and Diocese of Chester, a new parish. We are satisfied that a suitable endowment therefore will be provided. There is within the said area a consecrated Church or Chapel known as Christ Church which has been approved by us as suitable to be the parish church of the new parish. Now, therefore, with the consent of the Right Reverend Douglas, Bishop of Chester, we do propose and recommend that as from this date, there shall be a new parish, the parish of Christ Church, Alsager”.

This news was simply music to the ears of the parishioners of Christ Church; in some respects, the Second World War had managed to accomplish what years of legal wrangling had failed to do. This unbelievable u-turn by the Bishop of Chester was ultimately put down to the fact that the population of Alsager had increased so dramatically, that it was now far too big for one church to manage effectively. All previous trials and tribulations were long forgotten in August when Dr. Douglas H. Crick, the Bishop of Chester, formally inaugurated the new ecclesiastical parish of Christ Church. Among those present were the Reverend Bernard Pemberton, the Vicar of St. Mary Magdalene and the Reverend Dan Nicholas, the first Vicar of Christ Church. It seemed that at long last, a new era was dawning for Christ Church.

It would soon be apparent to both the Vicar of Christ Church, and his parishioners that a further two buildings would be needed, if the new parish was to succeed in a satisfactory manner. The first, and most important, was a new Church Hall, to accommodate children on Sunday’s and also so social events could be held during the week. But with most of Britain still recovering from the War, this was going to be an almost impossible task. At a meeting, held in February 1946, the Reverend Dan Nicholas delivered the damning news that the Ministry had informed him that no building materials would be available for at least a further 12 months. In February 1951, as a temporary solution to the growing accommodation crisis, two ex army huts, from the former United States camp at Blythe Bridge, were purchased, but this lasted only six months as they were later sold in July of the same year for only £175, a loss of some £300 on the original purchase price.

In November 1951, the search for a new church hall was temporary called to a halt with the tragic news that the Reverend Dan Nicholas died after battling a short illness. Under the chairmanship of his successor, the Reverend W. Gwynne John, the quest was once again stepped up. The new Reverend soon announced that he had managed to loan some £1450 from the Chester Diocese; added to the £1500 that had already been raised from the Church Hall Fund that had been set up, it was decided that building work on the new hall should begin. On November 24th, 1956, the Dan Nicholas Memorial Hall was finally opened, being dedicated by the Bishop of Stockport; it comprised of a main hall, a small but tidy kitchen and dining area, and two committee rooms. At long last, an essential venue for Christ Church and its organisations was finally in place. Some twelve months later, the Bishop of Stockport was again in action, this time to conduct the induction and collation of a new Vicar, the Reverend T.G. Lewis, whose wings would spread much wider than any of his predecessors.

Also being dedicated to the work of the Reverend Dan Nicholas was a new mission church, in the neighbouring village of Oakhanger, placed under the care of the Vicar of Haslington. It was proposed that the wishes of the Reverend Dan Nicholas be taken into consideration, and that Christ Church should take over the Oakhanger Mission Church. Held in February 1952, the Parochial Church Council unanimously voted that this indeed should be done, and that an application be immediately made to the Church Commissioners for a scheme that would alter the parish boundaries, to include this new church. By December, 1952, the Order in Council stated that the Vicar could announce that the Mission Church of St. Luke, as it was called, could formally be linked to that of its ’Mother’ church, at Alsager.

The Old Vicarage on Church Road

Another problem for the congregation was to be the provision of a suitable Vicarage for its incumbents. At the time, there was a Vicarage in existence, at 17 Church Road, Alsager, but now this was deemed to be in a sad state of disrepair, although it had actually been bought with renewed optimism in January 1947. On May 7th, 1963, another meeting was called by the Parochial Church Council, chaired by the churchwarden Reginald Piggin, and it was he that informed his colleagues that “three parsons, in turn, had each visited the parish of Christ Church, and of the three, two had declined to take the living. The reasons given for this was always the poor condition of the Vicarage’s kitchen and scullery area”. This speech was supported by the Rural Dean and Diocesan Surveyor, and together, they both felt that the only solution would be to provide new premises. To carry out work and improvements on the existing Vicarage would cost a considerable sum of money, so after another emergency meeting, a unanimous vote was held to ensure that the funds would be available for the building of a new premises. The Reverend T.G. Lewis departed Christ Church in 1963, and was replaced by the Reverend Hugh Llewelyn Williams, and he was housed in a bungalow on Hassell Road until the building of the new Vicarage was complete. By the turn of 1966, he was able to move into the new premises, built at the corner of Church Road and Hassell Road; it was described by the Diocesan Architect as being one of the finest Vicarages in the Diocese of Chester.

In 1976, an all too familiar problem reared its ugly head again. As with the internment crisis of 1883, where Christ Church’s burial ground was temporary closed, because of the lack of plots, which was ultimately only solved by the generosity of William Sheringham, lord of the manor of Alsager, and again in 1935 where extra boundaries had to be defined. Some forty years had passed since then, and once again, Christ Church found itself in exactly the same position as before, as the population of Alsager had increased. To this end, a further extension of the boundaries were needed, but, as before, legal obstacles had to be overcome. As in 1883, the land was found not to belong to Christ Church, but since it was defined as ’glebe’ land, it was seen to be part of the personal benefice of the incumbent, at the time, the Reverend Cecil Siviter, from Pott Shrigley. In the March of 1976, the Reverend Siviter was informed that if he was to sell this glebe land to the Christ Church Parochial Church Council, then he would also need the consent of the Patron, the Parsonages Board, the Bishop of Chester, and the Church Commissioners, to name but a few! Mr. Siviter was also told that he would lose valuable benefice income, but he was prepared to forego this, as the rent for the land was only going to be set at £5 per year, and paid by a local farmer, who worked on the land. By October 1977, when it seemed that all legal matters had been positively exhausted, another problem arose. The Church Commissioners, together with the lawyers for the Bishop of Chester, stated that the deeds for the glebe land didn’t actually exist, but fortunately, a witness, who had lived in the vicinity for over thirty years, swore that during his residence, the proposed churchyard was indeed part of the benefice glebe land. It appeared that another problem had been solved, and the newly extended burial ground was consecrated by the Bishop of Stockport on the 15th October, 1978.

Selected Bibliography

Alsager: The Place and Its People, Written By The Alsager History Research Group
Christ Church Alsager 1789 - 1989, Written By T.R. Anelay
Alsager - Past and Present, A Collection of Short Historical Essays