Rev. Joseph Chapman M.A. another story from Tony Goulding

I have written before of Chorlton-cum-Hardy's “Chaplains” (1), this is another in the series. Rev. Joseph Chapman served as the chaplain to the Chorlton Union (Withington) Workhouse from October, 1904 until May, 1912 when he was appointed by the Bishop of Chester, Francis Jayne, to the vicarage of St. Paul’s, Sale, Cheshire. 

 Cannon Chapman

He remained in this post for more than forty years. By all accounts, Rev. Chapman was an enthusiastic and popular chaplain, with up to 500 congregants, who organised a choir accompanied by a local volunteer organist.

Withington Workhouse Chapel, 1900

Joseph Chapman was born on the 4th March, 1875 in Hull, East Yorkshire. His parents were Edward John Chapman, a chemist of 69, Queen Street, Sculcoates, Hull and Mary Elizabeth (née Hill). Joseph was the sixth child of the family and his parents’ first son. He was later joined by a younger brother and finally a baby sister to add to his five older female siblings.

Joseph attended Clare College, Cambridge, qualifying with a B.A. degree (2) and meeting his future wife, Violet Mary Gwendoline Hay, (3) the daughter of Stratford Morrison Hay a retired Indian Army Major who was living in the town at, West View, Newnam Croft, Granchester, Cambridge.

Rev. Joseph was ordained a Deacon and posted to St. Luke’s, Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester, by James Moorhouse the bishop of Manchester, at Manchester Cathedral on Sunday 23rd September, 1900.  Shortly after, he and Violet Mary were married on the 12th January, 1901 at St. Paul’s church, Chorlton-on-Medlock. Following their wedding the couple resided for a time in a boarding house at 57, Grosvenor Street, Chorlton-on-Medlock run by two Irish spinster sisters Polly and Rose Hanretty. Rev. Joseph having to move from his previous home at 15, Rosamond Place.

St. Paul’s Church, Sale, 2022

On Saturday the 21st December, 1901 he was further ordained as a priest and remained at St. Luke’s until his installation as the chaplain of the Chorlton Union Workhouse, in October 1904. Rev. Joseph remained in this post until May, 1912 when the bishop of Chester, Francis Jayne, appointed him the vicar of St. Paul’s parish in Sale, Cheshire, a rôle he fulfilled for more than forty years.

Rev. Joseph and Violet Mary had four children, the first a son, Edward McDonald Hay, (4) was born while he was in Chorlton-on-Medlock. A daughter, Phyllis Joyce, and a second son Philip Drummond Hay came while he was the chaplain of the workhouse. 

Finally, after his move to Sale a fourth child, John Drummond Hay completed the family, in the December quarter of 1916.

St. Paul’s Church, Sale, 2022

An electoral register of 1910 records Rev. Chapman’s address as 21, Queens Road, Didsbury, Manchester, however in the 1911 census the family are shown living at 77, Lansdowne Road, West Didsbury, Manchester.

Violet Mary died on the 13th March, 1933 and in the December quarter of the following year Rev. Joseph remarried in Manchester Cathedral, Edith Elizabeth Gibson (née Molyneux) the widow of Thomas, a silk merchant, and a parishioner of St. Paul’s. On the 18th February, 1949 he became a widower for the second time when his second wife died suddenly in the station yard at Harrogate, Yorkshire.

In August, 1952 he was appointed an honorary canon of Chester Cathedral. He died, aged 80, on the night of Saturday the 6th August, 1955; in his study having just conducted the evening service.

Pictures: - Withington Workhouse Chapel, 1900 by T. Morley-Brook Manchester Amateur Photographic Society m. 08951-Courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Archives and Information, Manchester City Council http://manchester.gov.uk/index.php?session=pass St. Paul’s Church, Sale – January, 2022 from the collection of Tony Goulding, Chapman family grave and Canon Chapman courtesy of Mr. Michael Riley.

Chapman family grave 

Notes: -

1) Posted on the 5th June, 2019.

2) Rev. Chapman later upgraded his qualification to an M.A. degree.

3) The couple met when Joseph was engaged to tutor Violet Mary.

4) Just too young to be caught up in the slaughter of World War 1 it seems doubly sad that he should die tragically young while serving his country, as a midshipman in the Royal Navy Reserve, in peacetime. He died in Malta, aged 18, on the 29th November, 1919.

Acknowledgements: - As well as the usual sources of records on Find My Past especially the British Newspaper Archive, I wish to highlight the kind assistance I have received from Mr Michael Riley, an archivist of St. Paul’s, Sale who also kindly provided the photographs of Canon Chapman and the family grave in Brooklands Cemetery.