A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



courts and slums, almost every house, however small, 

 having garden plots at front and back. 



The parish church of North Mcols, 

 CHURCHES already described, is now within the 

 borough. Christ Church was built in 

 1821;' it has since been transformed by numerous 

 alterations. A separate district was assigned in 

 1865.' Mr. Bibby-Hesketh is the patron. Holy 

 Trinity church was opened in 1837;' St. Paul's 

 in 1864;' and St. Andrew's in 1872.' The 

 patronage of these three churches is vested in 

 various bodies of trustees. All Saints' Church was 

 opened in 1 87 1, as a chapel-of-ease to North Meols ; 

 a separate district was assigned in 1878.* Mr. Bibby- 

 Hesketh is patron. St. Luke's was opened in 1880, 

 and consecrated in 1882.' The patron is the vicar 

 of Holy Trinity. St. Philip's was opened in 1886, 

 an iron church having preceded it. The vicar of Christ 

 Church is patron. St. John's, Crossens, was first 

 erected in 1H37. An ecclesiastical district was formed 

 in 1 860.' The incumbents are presented by trustees. 

 Emmanuel and SS. Simon and Jude's, built in 1895, 

 as chapels-of-ease to the parish church, became sepa- 

 rate parish churches in 1 905 ; Mr. Bibby-Hesketh 

 presents to the former, and trustees to the latter. 

 St. Stephen's-in-the-Banks was built in 1897 ;° the 

 rector of North Meols is patron. 



The Southport Clerical Conference, an annual 

 assembly of the Evangelical (or Low Church) clergy and 

 laity, was inaugurated in i860. 



Wesleyan Methodism is supposed to have originated 

 here in visits paid by Wesley in 1765 and 1770 to 

 North Meols ; but the first regular minister was not 

 appointed until 1806.'° In Southport itself the 

 Methodists are stated to have had a preaching place in 

 1 809. Two cottages in Eastbank Street were used in 

 1 8 1 I , and these were succeeded by Wesley Chapel in 

 1824. In 1847 this was replaced by a new chapel 

 in Hoghton Street, in turn superseded in 1 861 by 

 the present church in Mornington Road. In I 861 a 

 second chapel was erected, known as Ecclesfield 

 Chapel." In 1864 Trinity Church was built; 

 Southbank Road in 1877, Leyland Road in 1880, and 

 High Park in 1881. A mission at Blowick was 

 begun in 1863 in a workshop, a chapel being opened 

 in 1865. The Primitive Methodists are said to have 

 begun preaching in the neighbourhood as early as 

 1830, but their first chapel was built at Banks in 

 1849. In Southport one was built in 1862 ; there 

 are now three ; also others at Crossens and Church- 

 town. In 1 85 1 a Methodist Reform agitation resulted 

 in Southport in the expulsion of certain members 

 from the Connexion, and two years later the 

 Reformers, now known as the United Methodist Free 

 Church, opened the old dispensary as a chapel. 

 They now have two churches in the town, and others 

 at Churchtown and Crossens. A Methodist New 

 Connexion Church was opened in 1 864. There are 

 three Independent Methodist Churches, 



The history of Congregationalism in the parish 



begins in 1 801, when the Rev. William Honeywood, 

 stationed at Ormskirk, began to hold meetings at 

 Churchtown and Southport. He was succeeded in 

 1802 by the Rev. George Greatbatch, who died at 

 Southport in 1864. The first chapel was built at 

 Churchtown in 1807, the minister fixing his residence 

 there, and preaching in many neighbouring villages. 

 In 1 808 he preached in Southport during the season." 

 What was known as the Calvinistic chapel was erected 

 in Eastbank Street in 1823 ; it has given a name to 

 Chapel Street." As an offshoot from this the West End 

 church was built in 1862. A division of opinion in 

 this congregation in 1 871 led to the church in Port- 

 land Street, opened in 1877. There are three other 

 Congregational churches, and there is also a chapel for 

 Welsh-speaking members of this denomination. 



' Hall's Chapel ' in Little London was built about 

 1835 f""" ^" Anglican clergyman who had adopted 

 Calvinistic doctrines and ' sold his living.' His con- 

 gregation quickly died away, but from the building 

 Hall Street took its name." 



In 1868 Presbyterian services were begun in the 

 town hall; the congregation built, in 1873-4, 

 St. George's Church. There is a Welsh Calvinistic 

 Methodist church, opened in 1871. 



A congrcg-tion of Baptists assembled at the town 

 hall in l86l,and in the following year acquired a 

 chapel in Hoghton Street from the Wesleyans. The 

 Tabernacle was opened in 1892, and th«re is also a 

 Strict Baptist chapel. 



A Church of Christ was the outcome of meetings 

 held in 1878 ; there are two places of worship. The 

 Plymouth Brethren have two meeting places. There 

 are several mission rooms, one used by the Catholic 

 Apostolic Church (Irvingites) and another by the 

 Mission of Love. The Salvation Army has a barracks. 

 The Society of Friends have held meetings here since 

 an early period in the town's history. Their first 

 building, however, was erected in 1865. A Uni- 

 tarian congregation was formed in 1866, a church 

 being opened the following year. The New Jeru- 

 salem Church was opened in 1875. 



In 1 809 it is stated that mass was said in South- 

 port, no doubt during the season ; the guide book of 

 1826, however, shows that this had been discontinued, 

 the chapel at Scarisbrick being apparently the nearest. 

 Services were re-started in 1827, and in the map of 

 1834 a chapel is shown in Lord Street, near Union 

 Street. Its successor, St. Marie's church, from designs 

 by A. W. Pugin, was opened in 1841 ; and the 

 church of the Holy Family in 1893. There is a 

 convent of Sisters of Charity. 



A Jewish Synagogue was opened in 1893, in a 

 building formerly used by the Plymouth Brethren. 



BIRKDALE 



Erengermeles, Dom. Bk. ; Argarmeols, xiv. cent. ; 

 Birkedale, 1 3 1 1 . 



The greater part of the area of this township, which 



1 There is a view of the original build- 

 ing in Bland. 



"> LonJ. Gaz. 19 May, 1865. 



^ A district was assigned at the same 

 time as to Christ Church. 



* Ibid. 4 Nov. 1864. It was preceded 

 in 1 86 1 by an iron church. There is a 

 mission church. 



s Ibid. 18 Oct. 1872 ; 27 June, 



6 Ibid. 9 April, 1878. AU Souls', 

 Blowick, is an iron mission church. 



' A district was assigned in the follow- 

 ing year ; ibid. 16 Mar. 1883. 



8 Ibid. 30 Aug. i860 ; 15 Oct. 1861. 



* A preceding church was built in 1 866. 



'" Two cottages in Churchtown were 

 fitted up for services, and in 1816 * Sugar 

 Hillock' chapel was erected. 



^^ Now used as a mission room. 



236 



^' In 1 81 2 he used a room in ' Duke's 

 Folly.' The lords of the manor at first 

 refused land for Nonconformist places of 

 worship, and a wooden tabernacle erected 

 in 1821 was the best that could be done 

 until they relented. 



^ Nightingale, Lanci. Nmconf. vi, 25-9. 

 For the later history see pp. 30-44. It 

 was rebuilt in 1867, 



" Ibid. 25 ; a view is given. 



