History of Oldham Churches

There has been a church on or near this site for centuries, since Oldham was a small hamlet perched on the side of a hill. Perhaps originally there was a cross at which visiting preachers would conduct services in the open air. As early as 1280 there is mention in legal documents of a William Scherewind, who was described as "the chaplain" in a deed relating to Oldham, but whether he had a church building or a preaching cross is not revealed. The church, which may originally have been called All Saints, was certainly there by the early fifteenth century and possibly for quite some time before that, because by 1476 it was in serious need of repair and restoration-Before Manchester diocese was formed in 1847, Oldham was part of the diocese of Chester (founded 1541) and before that it came under the Bishop of Lichfield.

For many years it was a parochial chapelry in the parish of rest wich, which was originally very large - as much as fifteen miles long and four miles wide. Oldham was made head of its own district in the 1830s, but close links remained and the name "Prestwich-cum-Oldham" was still in use at the beginning of this century. In the early years the four townships in Oldham(Oldhamitse lf, Chadderton, Crompton and Royton) were financially responsible for the church in Oldham and a church rate was levied to raise the money; Oldham provided the biggest proportion of the funds and the other three townships found the rest between them. The mother church appears to have contributed little or nothing; in fact Prestwich demanded money from Oldham for such things as the costs of the bread and wine used in the mass and for altar candles. Oldham seems never to have been happy with this arrangement and the year 1406 saw a major attempt to break free from the mother church. Oldham refused to pay up and in September 1406 the Archdeacon of Chester wrote to remind them of their obligations.

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The letter obviously had no effect, because in the February of 1446 a later Archdeacon wrote again, demanding the money. He also instructed surrounding parishes such as Rochdale and Ashton not to minister the sacraments to anyone from Oldham until the debt had been settled. The ban must have worked because the money was paid, but it was not the end of the problem because the warning had to be given again in 1488 and subsequently, until the early 1600s when it seems that the obligation to pay was discontinued. The advowson (control) of the rectory of Prestwich-cum-Oldham lay with the Prestwich family until Richard of Langley married the Prestwich heiress in the first quarter of the fourteenth century. It stayed in the control of the Langley family of Agecroft until Elizabethan times when the last of the Langleys, Sir Robert, died without male heir. When Oldham Church was in need of estoration in 1476 Ralph Langley was Rector of Prestwich and he was responsible for ordering and financing the repairs

. The newly restored church was typical of the period, with a square tower, a long nave and a short chancel. It was built with north and south aisles and by the sixteenth century the north aisle housed the private chapel of the Cudworths of Werneth Hall, who were early Lords of the Manor. In the south aisle were the family tombs of the Radcliffes of Foxdenton Hall and their successors, the Asshetons and the Hortons of Chadderton Hall. Controversy reared its head again when the curate appointed in 1580, the Reverend Thomas Hunt, was one of Lancashire's leading Puritan ministers. He was charged with violating the liturgy and ceremonies of the Church of England, given a public admonishment and told to conform. He was in trouble again in 1608, when he was charged with not wearing a surplice at the time of public worship, not making the sign of the cross at baptisms and not meeting the dead at the church gate. He may not have been popular with the church authorities, but the people of Oldham must have liked him, for he became the first master of the new grammar school in 1606 and was minister for 31 years.

South view of the old St Mary's Church

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