Chorley Unitarian Chapel
nurturing faith, embracing life, celebrating difference
The aim of the Unitarian Church is to promote: a free and inquiring religion through the worship of God and the celebration of life; the service of humanity and respect for all creation; the upholding of a wide range of liberal religious views from all world religions, in a spirit of peace and collaboration.
We aim:
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to encourage and unite in fellowship bodies which uphold the religious liberty of their members, unconstrained by the imposition of creeds;
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to affirm the liberal religious heritage;
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to learn from the cultural and intellectual insights of all.
A Brief History of Chorley Chapel
Our Chapel has a long and interesting history as can be seen from the following (slightly amended) account written by the Civic Society on the Centenary of the death of Sir Henry Tate in 1999.
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The will of Abraham Crompton of Chorley Hall, who died in 1724, provided £150 to buy land and build the Chapel and £850 as an endowment of a minister. The chancel was added in 1815 when his descendant, Susan Crompton, bequeathed a further £1000.
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Inside is a board, listing the ministers of the Chapel, with dates.
Prominent among former ministers is the Reverend William Tate, minister from 1799-1836, and father of Sir Henry Tate (born 1819), founder of Tate & Lyle plc and donor of the Tate Gallery in London.
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Sir Henry was a generous benefactor to Chorley, providing money to buy books in the new Free Library in Avondale Road. The organ and central choir seats in the chancel were donated by Sir William Tate - Grandson of the Reverend William Tate - in 1902.
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In the churchyard is the tomb of the Reverend William Tate and members of his family.
The chapel was completely restored and refurbished by Leonard M Fairclough in 1963 in memory of his father, Leonard Fairclough, who was born in 1849 and died in 1927.
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The old Manse, contemporary with the chapel but with additions to the front about 1819-1820, adjoins the Chapel grounds and was the childhood home of Sir Henry Tate. This is commemorated on a plaque erected by Chorley Civic Society. Sir Henry was educated there at a school run by his father which helped supplement the Minister's small stipend.
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The cellar of the Manse and the Chapel were used by Bonnie Prince Charlie in November 1745 as the quarters for 36 of his men on their way south towards London. The prince stayed at the nearby Chorley Hall. It is recorded that the soldiers ate 41 lbs of cheese before supper. It is also recorded that the Minister, the Reverend John Bent, was awarded £5 (a considerable sum in those days) 'on account of his sufferings from the rebels'.
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The previous owner of the Manse, the late Miss Hilary Mayer, occasionally opened the cellar to the public on the anniversary of the visit.
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The Unitarian Chapel and Manse are situated within the St Laurence's Conservation Area. The Manse is now in private ownership.
Activities
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We have a number of activities in addition to the services. A monthly Business Meeting is held when members discuss matters concerning the organisation of the Chapel. A major concern is that we are losing more members than are joining us. We are currently addressing the question of how we can best tackle the challenge of appealing to the younger generation. Our message of reason freedom and tolerance is one which should be attracting enquiring minds, looking at personal values and spirituality.
Although the Unitarian Church, in this country, started as a liberal Christian movement, when the non-conformists split away from the creeds of the orthodox Church, we have come a long way since then. A spectrum of beliefs has emerged over the centuries and we have become an inclusive church which welcomes those from all religious and ethnic backgrounds, especially those willing to bring their own form of spirituality to fuel our flame of Truth. Our national symbol, The Flaming Chalice, has become a true symbol of personal faith, different for us all as individuals and formed by the interaction with others who seek religious freedom. This means that our sacred flame is fuelled by all who meet her and exchange ideas.
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When Mark Hutchinson, as a mature student Minister, spoke on Chorley Radio recently, he was interviewed by a reporter who put up her hands and admitted to not having heard of the Unitarian Church. This gave him a great opportunity to explain a personal philosophy which is different for everyone and does not necessarily emerge from attending Sunday Services in a church or Chapel. As we browse the web, we respond more to some postings and video-clips than others. The challenge for our Unitarian congregation, here in Chorley today, is to attract a new generation who want to explore personal values with like minded individuals. Connecting with you (if you are one of these people) is high on our agenda of "activities"
Members of the Chapel are involved in a number of active groups in Chorley. Our Treasurer is a member of the Chorley Historical Society and regularly gives talks about the history of the Tate Family and their connection with a Unitarian "presence" here.
Several of our members are involved in regional and national Unitarian activities, including visits to the Nightingale Centre, our National Unitarian Holiday Centre in Derbyshire, for walking activities, conferences and activities like The Unitarian Music Society. We also raise funds for charities like "Derion House" and "Send a Child to Hucklow", a charity which gives holidays to children from inner city deprived areas where the children have never enjoyed a holiday in the countryside before. Much of the time we spend at Great Hucklow is for relaxation and fun. Conferences there look at issues such as "This Planet" what are we leaving for our children… This year, there was a conference with the theme of "Inequality and its effects on Society".
New members are encouraged to get involved in all these activities, as well as representing our Chapel at the Annual General Assembly Meetings, where they will meet Unitarians from all over the United Kingdom.
CONTACT
Charity number: 1174964
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Lancashire Collaborative Ministry CIO, 2022