1 82 History of the 



tenants to Mr. Edwd Rawstorne in Rockliffewood aforesaid shall for ever 

 hereafter be as Parishioners & belong unto ye sd Newchurch of Rossendale & 

 yt ye sd Thomas Bridge and Charles Whitaker shall either of them pay or cause 

 to be paid to ye Churchwardens of ye Newchurch of Rossendale for & towards ye 

 reparation of ye same four years rent, ye one half thereof at ye feast of St 

 Michael the Archangel next & ye other half at ye feast of St Michael ye 

 Archangel next ensuing. In consideration whereof ye sd Churchwardens of 

 ye sd Newchurch of Rossendale shall presently appoint & assign unto ye sd 

 Thomas Bridge and Charles Whitaker such fit convenient room & places to 

 sit in at ye time of Divine Service within ye sd Church, as shall be decent & 

 meet for their calling. Provided always yt ye Order for ye Assignment of 

 forms & stalls within ye sd Newchurch of Rossendale to certain Inhabitants 

 there heretofore by authority from this Court set down by Mr. Richd 

 Midgley, Clerk, Vicar of Rochdale & Lawrence Nuttall Gentln & exhibited 

 into this Court under their hands in writing, shall be and remain in force & 

 take its full effect, this present order or anything therein contained to ye 

 contrary notwithstanding. Provided alsoe that this present order & decree 

 shall in nowise touch or be prejudicial! to Impeach hurt hinder or contrary to 

 ye true Intent and meaning of ye sd Charter or Grant or anything matter or 

 clause therein specified intended set down or declared.'' 



In the early years of its existence, the Church, as already stated, 

 was served by the Curate of Haslingden, there being no settled 

 minister in charge. The Rev. Mr. Uttley, was appointed to the 

 Curacy about 1730, and ministered there for over forty years. Prior 

 to the erection of St. John's Church, Bacup (A.D., 1788,) Mr. 

 Uttley officiated both at his own place of worship and every 

 alternate Sunday at Bacup, preaching and baptizing in the old 

 schoolroom which stood on the site of the present Mechanics' 

 Institution. 



It is not very clear who succeeded to the Curacy, but there is 

 still in existence an interesting document (t) which throws light 

 upon the subject. This is to the following effect : — 



" Know all men by these [presents] that I, Richard Ortt, of 

 Bury, in the County of Lancaster, schoolmaster, am held and 

 firmly bound to John Holt, James Hargreaves, Richard Saunder- 

 son and Joshua Townsend, of Goodshaw, yeoman, in the sum of 



it) In the possession of \V. S. Weeks, Esq., solicitor, Clitheroe. 



