St James' Chapel, Chapel Lane Near Rochdale, Greater Manchester.

On a hilltop roughly halfway between Carr Woods (Coal Bank) and School Lane, near Norden, Rochdale, Greater Manchester, there is an early 16th century chapel dedicated to St James, and a graveyard. The little building stands at the top end of Chapel Lane next to a building that used to be the Egerton Arms Inn, but which is now a private house. There are good panoramic views from here. The chapel is rectangular shaped and quite small in size (roughly 9m x 6m 29ft x 19ft), and has obviously been rebuilt on a number of occassions; the present building is of 1789 though it was enlarged in 1837. St James' Chapel was built by Thomas Holt of nearby Ashworth Hall in 1514 for the use of his tenents; Sir Thomas, formerley of Gristlehurst, was knighted at Flodden in Scotland in 1544. He was the first priest to officiate at St James' Chapel, Ashworth; he died in 1563. Sir Thomas's nephew, Robert, succeeded him as priest. By the early part of the 19th century the patrons of St James' chapel were the Egerton family of Tatton. Wilbraham Egerton (1781-1856) very likely had the Egerton Arms Inn, formerley called Chapel House, built just opposite the chapel in the early 19th century; and he also had the school-house built on what is now School Lane, in 1838, for the Ashworth Estate. This building is now St James' parish hall and it is still a pretty little building. St James' Chapel is 3 miles northwest of Rochdale town centre.

H.D.Clayton in his very interesting book 'A History of Ashworth near Rochdale' (1979), tells us more about St. James' Church: He says:

"Ashworth Church is dedicated to St James, but when that dedication took place is not known. Its distance from Ashworth Hall, the ancestral home of a branch of the Holt family, would preclude the idea of its having originally been a private domestic chapel. According to the Ecclesiastical Year Book it was in existence in 1514. It was probably built during the reign of Henry VIII by the Holts for the use of their tenants. Amongst the Holt family records of 1522 occurs more than once the name of 'Sir Thomas Holt, capellanus', and it may be assumed that he officiated at Ashworth. The inventory of Church goods taken by order of Edward VI in 1552 gives details of 'one vestment, chalice and paten as belonging to a chapel called Assheworthe in the parish of Middleton.' It remained in the parish of Middleton until 1867, when it became the parish of Ashworth covering the town- ship of Ashworth. In 1559 Robert Holt left '6s. 8d. to sustentation of Ashworth Chapel to be paid when the church reeves require it.' This Robert Holt, a nephew of Sir Thomas, is thought to have been priest at the chapel from 1548-52. The Chapel is shown on Saxton's Map of 1577. Because it was a Chapel of ease to Middleton for over 300 years, it is still known locally as Ashworth Chapel.

"The church, with the exception of the Chancel, was rebuilt and enlarged in 1789. In 1837 the Chancel, the only relic of the old building, was done away with and the east end of the Church made to assume its present shape. By this alteration and others in the gallery about 110 additional sittings were added, and the whole of the gallery, with the exception of that portion reserved for the singers, was understood to be appropriated 'henceforth and forever' for the use of the Sunday Scholars. The whole building was thoroughly repaired and wooden Gothic Mullions introduced into the windows.

"The church as it now stands is a plain rectangular building with the rather austere interior relieved by a very fine East window, given in memory of the Rev. David Rathbone, Vicar 1832-71, and members of his family. On the wall at the east end are miniatures of the Rev. Joseph Selkirk, Vicar 1821-32, and his wife. Many gifts to the church, too numerous to mention, have been made by parishioners. The Egertons of Tatton, as patrons of the living for nearly 200 years, helped financially when necessary and gave the Font, made of stone from Mount Tabor near Halifax, in 1852; a bell which did duty from 1774 to 1895, and a silver Chalice and Paten engraved with the Egerton Arms and the date 1808. Originally the clerk's desk, reading desk and pulpit were placed one behind the other, each being raised slightly higher than the one in front of it. In some churches these three were contained in a three decker pulpit. In the 18th century this arrangement was altered and, in 1933, Miss E. Baron gave a new pulpit, the old one going to a church in Northumbria. There is an unusual memorial inside the church on the west wall. It reads:

"Requiescat in Pace. Near this place rest the mortal remains of Benjamin Cass of Birtle, aged 64, and Alice his wife aged 78 obt. October 1st 1825

Let the man who lives without God in his life, Give ear to the voice from the grave; Tho' he look for tomorrow, the murderer's knife May attack when ther's no one to save.

We looked for tomorrow as we went to repose Thro the night on our lone humble bed. But the murderer came and the sun never rose To us - for our spirits had fled.

Live then to God whilst thou livest below And to Him give each day as it flies, Prepare for the grave, that when dead thou may'st go To dwell with thy God in the skies."

H. D. Clayton adds that: "Dr. Temple, Bishop of Manchester, preached at Ashworth in 1928 shortly before becoming Archbishop of York."

Source / References:-

Clayton H. D., 'A History of Ashworth near Rochdale', Ashworth Hall, Rochdale, 1979.

http://rochdalenorthwest.org/st-james/ https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Ashworth,_Lancashire_Genealogy