Who stole the Sunday School? ………….. walking Chorlton’s past

Who stole the village green?

Now I know exactly who stole the Methodists’ Sunday school and while we along with the local publican who did much the same thing with our village green.

All was revealed yesterday when the band of 32, braved the rain, and potential thunderstorms to walk Chorlton’ past.

The history walks are now in their tenth year and this was one of the annual ones commissioned by Chorlton Book Festival which is now in its 15th year.*

We assembled at the old tram terminus, known locally as Chorlton Office and proceeded to walk down Beech Road, to the village green and on to the Edge Theatre, stopping off at key points to uncover our townships past.

The theme was simply what was Chorlton like in 1848, and who did you have to be polite too?

Pitts Brow, and Scotch Hill, and a big lake

That of course depended on who you were, and while I would have hoped all our residents would be civil to each other, there were nevertheless the “big cheeses” who because of their rank, money and possible influential position were people it would be wise not to cross.

These included the two big landowners, who were the Egerton’s and Lloyds, neither of whom would be seen in Chorlton, down to the 20 or so other landlords who rented out their land and cottages to Chorlton’s population.

Of the 20, the most interesting was Mr. Holt who had made his money in the textile trade in Manchester, owned a fine property in one of the fashionable streets off Deansgate, and in the 1830s retired to Chorlton.

His home was Beech House, set back in extensive grounds which ran the length of Barlow Moor Road, from Beech Road to High Lane, and then down High Lane as far as Cross Road and onto Beech Road.

Of cottages, fields and a laburer's lot

The Holt’s had an extensive portfolio of property in Castlefield and their Chorlton land stretched east from Barlow Moor Road down to Hough End Hall.

Equally noteworthy would have been the banker Cunliffe Brooks who lived in Barlow Hall and contributed to the upkeep of the old parish church, paying for the erection of the iconic lych gate and a large beautiful stained-glass window, which dominated the eastern side of the church.

But I have forgotten the villains, who included Thomas Taylor, farmer, publican and entrepreneur who walked away with that Sunday School.

It transpires that the building which the Methodists had built from local subscriptions was not secured by a trust and so reverted to the Lloyd Estate who sold the building to Thomas Taylor.

Learning about Chorton Rec when it was Row Acre

For a while Taylor charged the Methodists an annual rent but eventually in 1827 served notice on them to quit which was converted into cottages. 

No detailed explanation has survived as to why the Methodists lost control of the building they had sacrificed so much to build but it was on Lloyd land and George Lloyd was devoted enough to the established church to give land for the building of the new National School on condition that “the school to be conducted upon principles consistent with the doctrines of the Established Church”   

But it could equally have been a decision based purely on business.

And in the same way, Samuel Wilton enclosed the village green sometime in the early 19th century and made in his family’s private garden which it remained until the death of his daughter in the 1890s when it reverted to the Egerton estate, who in turn gifted it back to the people of Chorlton.

All this and more was revealed to our hearty band, including the beauty spot known as Pitts Brow, or Scotch Hill and the tribulations of living in a wattle and daub cottage.

After which at the end of the walk, we retreated into the Edge Theatre’s restaurant for a bowl of soup, and a glass of mulled wine.

Chorlton Book Festival rolls on for the rest of the week with plenty of events to enjoy, leaving me just to thank Beverley Williams who organised the Festival, along with the rest of the Library staff, and of course the “32”.

Location; Chorlton

Pictures; walking the past with Chorlton Book Festival, 2019, from the collection of Beverley Williams

*Chorlton Book Festival September 20-28, 2019, https://www.chorltonbookfestival.co.uk/

**The Edge Theatre and Arts Centre, http://www.edgetheatre.co.uk/