History of St. Andrew's Church, Keighley

 

Keighley is recorded in the Domesday Book (1086) as "Chichelai". Until recently it was the smaller neighbour of Haworth and Steeton. It became a market town in 1305, but at the poll tax of Richard II 70 years later the population was only 115. Miles Gale (Rector 1680-1721) records that in his day, Keighley had 100 houses and 600 inhabitants. The opening of the Leeds - Liverpool Canal in 1773 put Keighley on the map, followed by the railways in 1847: in 1801 the population numbered 5,745; in 1851 it was 18,258, and by 1901, 41,564. It now numbers over 60,000. The town was incorporated as a borough in 1882, and in 1974 became part of Bradford Metropolitan District.

The Domesday entry makes no mention of a Church. Our earliest record is when Richard, son of Ralph de Kighley, donated to Bolton Priory certain lands in Schipton (Skipton) and Fernhill (Farnhill), together with the patronage of the Church of Kighley (as it was spelt until the 19th Century). Shortly afterwards, in 1245, the Prior and Canons of Bolton Priory presented the first Rector, William le Vasavour (see list of Rectors). He was later appointed a "Justice of Trailbaston", to try hooligans in the reign of Edward I (unfortunately his successors have not been granted similar powers!).

The original medieval Church was demolished in 1805 with the aid of the amazing new technology of dynamite. In its foundations were discoverd two stones now preserved at the front of the south aisle: a tomb cover and a Celtic cross, possibly the preaching cross which preceded the building of the Church. Two other medieval monuments are also there, and the font dating from 1661. At one point the font was turned out and used as a blacksmith's slaking-trough before being restored to the Church in 1934. The pinnacled font cover was a gift of two members of the Marriner family when the present Church was built. Another monument from the original Church is the grave-slab of John Drake (died 1713), founder of the Grammar School and benefactor to the town, now at the front of the nave.

Its successor lasted only 40 years. The present building dates from 1848. It cost £7,000 raised from public subscriptions. The style is Victorian Gothic. The reredos in stone and alabaster portraying the Ascension dates from 1881. In 1900 a new entrance was made at the west end of the tower. (Previously the South door was the main entrance.) In 1903 the clock was given which chimes to the tune of S.S. Wesley's motet "Lead me, Lord, in thy righteousness". In 1931 the side galleries were removed, leaving only the West gallery. The area under the West Gallery was re-ordered in 1982 and the new room named after Canon Clifford Hamer (Rector 1950-71). The nave and chancel were re-ordered in 1985, with a nave altar (a dining table dated 1678), and chairs replacing pews.

The first mention of a Church Organ was in 1811, the next in 1857. The present organ was built by Brindley and Foster in 1877, and rebuilt in 1955. It consist of an enclosed Choir Organ on the north side of the chancel, with the Great, Swell and Pedal departments housed on the South side. The console is at the front of the North aisle, next to the choir stalls. The Bells were originally cast in 1761 as a ring of six. They were re-cast and re-hung as a ring of eight in 1914.

There are several fine examples of Victorian and 20th-Century stained glass: the West Window bears the arms of Queen Victoria, the Bishop of Ripon (Keighley was part of Ripon Diocese from its formation from York Diocese in 1836 until Bradford Diocese was founded in 1919), the Duke of Devonshire and Earl of Burlington (then Patron), Frederick Greenwood (benefactor) and Rev. William Busfield (then Rector). In the North Chancel wall are illustrated Christ the Light of the world, the Good Shepherd, and St. Peter and St. Andrew. On the South side are Samuel and Elijah, John the Baptist and St. Paul, and symbols of the four Evangelists. The East Window portrays the Te Deum, showing Christ in glory attended by angels, prophets, martyrs and representatives of ourselves, the Church on earth. In the North wall of the Nave is a modern window showing Christ calling the four fishermen, and in the South wall the Transfiguration, and Christ with children.

The Church Registers date back to 1562. In that year there were 25 baptisms, 14 marriages and 32 burials; in 1662: 39 baptisms, 13 marriages and 59 burials; in 1762: 116 baptisms, 24 marriages and 90 burials. The registers, with the churchwarden's accounts books from 1661 and other documents are now kept by the West Yorkshire Archive Service. We read that "Tho. Rownson was stocked and whipped Ap. 28 1642" (the stocks were by the West door). Special collections were made such as October 8th 1666 for "Ye poore of London who suffered from ye late fire ye sum of £1-17-10", October 19th 1678 for building St. Paul's Cathedral 14/2d, August 15th 1680 "Collected in ye Parish of Kighley towards ye redemption of captives by ye Turks ye sum of nineteen shillings and a penny", and April 16th 1682 "Collected in ye Parish of Kighley for reliefe of ye French distessed protestants the sum of eighteen shillings and sixpence".

© Keighley Shared Church Ecumenical Council 2005

Rectors of St. Andrew's Church, Keighley

Inducted	Rector	Patron
1245	William le Vasavour	Prior and Canons of Bolton Priory
before 1270	Thomas Parson
1272	Walter de Langton
1295	Robert de Nassington
about 1406	Robert de Nuffield
1420	Robert Browne
1446	John Bradford Cappell
1477	Robert Thompson alias Darnton
1503	Robert Mason
1524	Christopher Ashton
1555	John Medehope	Henry, Earl of Cumberland
1572	Antonius Forde	Collated by Archbishop of York
1578	Richard Patchett (or Paget)	Executors of Henry, Earl of Cumberland
1616	Thomas Browne	Francis, Earl of Cumberland
1636	Francis Claver
1660	Thomas Danby	Richard, Earl of Cork
1675	Jonathan Dyden
1680	Miles Gale
1720-21	Tobias Wickham	Charles, Earl of Burlington
	Benjamin Collins	Richard, Earl of Burlington
1736	Richard Scott
1747	John Pidding
1753	Charles Knowlton
1814	Theodore Drury	The Duke of Devonshire
1840	William Busfeild
1871	William Malan
1878	Henry Longsdon
1888	Canon Frederick Cramer
1899	Canon Henry Palmer
1909	Canon Ludovick Robinson
1918	Canon Edward Hunter
1927	John Merin
1932	Canon John Hood
1945	Canon Eric Treacy
1950	Canon Edward Hamer
1971	Richard Gregory
1983	Canon Peter Hutchinson	Collated by Bishop of Bradford
1996	Michael Hardy
2001	Peter Mott	Licensed by Bishop of Bradford

© Keighley Shared Church Ecumenical Council 2005

The old Market Cross, has been moved several times, it was at Whinburn, the home of Prince Smith for many years, at some point it was on the roundabout on High Street, Keighley in front of the Albert Public House.
It is now in a prominent position in front of the Parish Church.

Thomas Rankin was a native of Dunbar. He heard Wesley preach at Morpeth in May 1761 and rode on with him to Newcastle. He wrote to him in October about his call to preach and was sent to Sussex. When the work in America began, Wesley appointed him General Superintendent. He sailed on April 9th 1773, but he returned in 1778 and spent his last years in London where he died in 1810.

This letter from John Wesley to Thomas Rankin was donated to Temple Street Methodist Church. The text of the letter is:

"Bristol. March 20, 1762
My Dear Brother,
You should act as an Assistant in Sussex. Therefore see that our Rules be everywhere observed; and spread our books wherever you go, particularly Kempis, Primitive Physic and Instructions for Children.
Before eight weeks are ended the Societies will be able to secure you an house. O be simple! Be a little Child before God!
I am
Your affectionate brother J Wesley
Read and pray much.
To Mr. Tho. Rankin, At Mr. Barker's, In Sevenoaks, Kent":

http://www.keighleysharedchurch.org.uk/kscmethhistory.html© Keighley Shared Church Ecumenical Council 2005

Brief History of Temple Street Methodist Church, 1742 - 2002

Methodism arrived in Keighley in 1742 with the conversion of John Wilkinson a journeyman shoemaker. Under his leadership a group of 10 people met together each week in his cottage where they sang a hymn or a psalm, read a prayer and held discussions. After three months of meeting in this way the Lord spoke to Wilkinson and he began to preach. His first convert was Thomas Colbeck a twenty-one year old town businessman who played a great part in taking Methodism to the towns and villages for miles around and became one of the main trustees for most of the early Methodist Chapels in Yorkshire and Lancashire.

On 25th February 1746 John Wesley made his first visit to the town and met Wilkinson and Colbeck. From small beginnings grew the great ‘Haworth Round’ as the Circuit was called, stretching from Keighley to Whitehaven. Within a year the ten original people who met in John Wilkinson's cottage had grown to 100.

The first Meeting House was in a granary above John Wilkinson's cottage. In 1753 the Society had grown too large for the granary and Thomas Colbeck bought land on Temple Row to build a larger House. This new Preaching House was opened in 1754. The building was enlarged in 1764 and by 1777 it had to be enlarged again. The membership in 1810 had risen to 363 and once again the building was too small. The building of Eden Chapel began and was opened the following year, Temple Row being used as the Sunday School. From 1816 - 1826 a continuous revival centred around Eden Chapel and the membership grew to 884.

In 1884 more land was bought and a new Chapel was built on the site of the first one in Temple Row. Eden Chapel was converted into a Sunday School. Work began in 1845 and the new Wesley Chapel, with a seating capacity of 1,600, was opened on 27th November 1846.

In 1784 a Sunday School was opened with 100 children. By 1785 there were nearly 300 children attending. In 1792 the school was reorganised and it was used by all denominations. By 1815 almost 900 children were attending.

In the 1950's and 60's there was tremendous growth in the youth work at Temple Street, begun by Rev Frank Thewlis and continued by Rev Archie Bradford. Over 300 young people were involved in a wide variety of activities including: Sunday School, Cubs, Scouts, Guides, Brownies, Boys Brigade, Life Boys, Girls Guildry/Girls Brigade, Youth Club, Film Club, Saturday evening Jazz Club with a ‘God Slot’ and Youth Choir. Activities for older members included: Young Wives, Sisterhood, Ladies Supper Club, Mens Supper Club, Twentieth Century Club and Choir.

The continued use of the Temple Street premises became increasingly difficult due to the cost of maintaining such a large suite of premises with a dwindling membership. In 1973 discussions were opened with the PCC of the Parish Church. A Declaration of Intent was to be in place by 1 September 1973 to be effective by 1 September 1974. A Sharing Agreement was signed on 21 July 1975. The Temple Street premises were sold to the local Council for £35,000, the memorial windows were removed (with a grant from the Victoria and Albert Museum) and put on display in Cliffe Castle Museum. The old premises are now used as a Mosque.

A Methodist Hall was built in the grounds of the Parish Church and was officially opened in September 1982. The Hall is self-supporting and is used on a regular basis. As well as providing a home for many Church and Circuit activities, and for community groups, the Church holds Coffee Mornings every Friday and Saturday throughout the year.

Since 1973 the two Churches have shared buildings and have worked together in many ways. On the 27th February 2000 the two Churches joined together and became known as Keighley Shared Church when a Local Ecumenical Partnership agreement was signed.

© Keighley Shared Church Ecumenical Council 2005

 

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Cavendish Street Methodist Chapel, Keighley
Devonshire Park Methodist Chapel, Keighley
Exley Head Methodist Chapel
Fell Lane Methodist Chapel
Hainworth Methodist Chapel
Heber Street Methodist Chapel, Keighley
Hermit Hole Methodist Chapel, Keighley
Keighley Catholic Apostolic Church Congregation
Keighley New Church (Swedenborgian)
Laycock Methodist Chapel
Long Lee Methodist Chapel, Keighley
Lund Park Methodist Chapel, Keighley
Morton Banks Methodist Chapel, Keighley
Oakworth Road Methodist Mission, Keighley
South Street Methodist Chapel, Keighley
Sun Street Methodist Mission, Keighley
Temple Street Methodist Chapel, Keighley
Victoria Park Methodist Chapel, Keighley
Wesley Place Methodist Chapel, Keighley
West Lane Methodist Chapel, Keighley
Worth Primitive Methodist Chapel, Keighley
Worth Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Keighley