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St Mark, Bolton, Church of England

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St Mark,
Fletcher St,
Bolton
Lancashire

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Cemeteries

The church does not have a graveyard.

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Church History

It was founded in 1866 and closed in 1973. For more detailed information about the church and its school, take a look at St Mark's pages.

In 1856 the Vicar of Holy Trinity, the Rev Joseph Lowe, realised that an area in his parish covered by fields and lanes would soon become a thickly populated district and noted when children had finished their daily toils they were seen to be roaming the bye lanes or waste lands growing in ignorance and acquiring habits of vice. So he thought of a way to alleviate the problem.

A cottage on Lever St was acquired in 1857 and used as a Sunday School, the Rev Lowe was assisted in this effort by by Squire Openshaw, Mr Thomas Hall Arrowsmith and many others.

The project prospered and in 1858 two more cottages were built next to the original one as more homes were being built nearby so there were more children that needed to have their minds occupied.

By 1859, row after row of cottages were being built for the workers of the factories and mills that were also being built in the district, which was nothing but wasteland two years before.

By 1860 it was becoming clear to the Rev Lowe that the Sunday School was getting overcrowded and he found himself bound to attempt greater things. Mr George Piggott purchased the surrounding land for the building of a proper school and so the present school building came to be built. Piggott St and Piggott Park is named after George.

The Earl of Bradford 'Orlando George Charles Bridgeman 1819-1898' gave £200 towards the £3,255 it would cost to build and equip, it was designed by a Bolton Architect Mr C Holt and consisted of two rooms for boys and girls school each 102ft by 20ft and an infants room 60ft by 20ft and a master's house. The Sunday school was to be transferred into this new building and a day school started.

The School was opened the on the 8th of August 1861 by the Lord Bishop of Manchester at a tea party at which 300 people were present, It was first names Lever Street Holy Trinity National School and it opened it's doors the very next day and the Rev Lowe put one of his curates in charge of the district, the Rev John George Doman. The School was re-named St Mark's in 1867.

On Aug 14th 1866, the Lord Bishop of Manchester licensed the Rev Doman to the incumbency and the Rev Doman began at once to collect funds for the building of a Church, to be dedicated to St Mark. The church was designed by the architect R.K.Freeman

On St Mark's Day (25th April) 1871, the St Mark's the church was consecrated by Bishop Fraser.

On the 26th April 1902, the church tower is completed, dedicated as a Memorial to the late Rev J G Doman; the tower had been part of the original design.

On the 25th April 1971, St Mark's Day, the church is 100 years old. It is also the last day that the church will open it's doors. The decision to close the church was said to be because of dwindling parishioners who were moving further from the parish and also the area was being re-developed, but according to records the school and church had been under threat from the 1950s.

In December the last incumbent the Rev John Wood finally found the last of the movable furniture new homes and left the building.

St Mark's Church was demolished in early 1973.

Vicars and Curates and Staff of St Mark's

Rev John George Doman 1866-1900
J Howden Cole, Curate 1871-1872
W Gordon Macpherson, Curate 1878-1879
John Lewis, Curate 1879-1883
J Wilson, Curate 1884-1886
George Frederick Eyes, Curate 1886-1900
Rev Edwin Wolfe 1898-19??
G E Twamley, Curate 1900-1903
J W Marsh, Curate 1902-1907
Viner George Ballance, Curate 1908-19??
Rev H R Tomlinson 1916-1917
J Binns, Curate 1916-1917
John E Kent, Curate 1917
Rev H A Coleman 1917-1921
John E Lang, Curate 1918-1921
G Belshaw, Curate 1921-1922
Rev Harry G Moss 1921-1937
Harry Isherwood, Curate 1923-1931
F S Sinker, Curate 1926-1929
John Gregson Wake, Curate 1933-1936
Rev J Stanley Leatherbarrow 1937-1944
Joseph Gilbert, Curate 1939
G B Oakley, Curate 1940-1942
Rev John Collingwood Hadfield 1944-1951
Donald Cunliffe Organist and Choirmaster
Rev Eric Ronald Chapman 1951-1958
Rev Cyril A Winters 1958-19??
Rev John N Wood 19??-1972

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Church Records

Whilst every effort has been made to record exact details of record office and library holdings you are recommended to check with them before visiting to ensure that they do hold the records and years you wish to examine. Similarly check with transcript publishers to ensure they cover the records and years you require before making a purchase.

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Maps

It was located at SD7166008053 (Lat/Lon 53.568313, -2.42939). You can see this on maps provided by:

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