I remember as a child attending Christingle services at St Johns and all my children were christened there but it wasn't until I began researching my family history that I discovered who closely my ancestors were connected with St Johns. My Great Grandparents on my paternal side were married there on Christmas Day 1896  and many of my ancestors had connections with the church either through Baptisms or marriages.  I recently discovered that  one of my Grandmas cousins Laura Jones married the Rev Vickers English in 1917 he was the Rev of the church form 1910 until 1929.

 

On the 16th August 1788  Dr Cleavey, Bishop of Chester consecrated St Johns church. The steeple was built ten years later. The national school was built in 1829 paid for by subscription. The Rev Joseph Ogden was the first incumbent, he came from Sowerby Bridge returning there after several years at Bacup. The next resident Reverend in 1796 was from Cumberland, he was the Rev William Porter.

 

At this time the Burial fees were, Seven years of age and upwards 4s 10d each. 1s 8d out of this was paid to Newchurch, the Rev of St John received 1s 6d, his clerk 2d and the sexton 1s 6d. Under seven years of age the fee was 2s each. The Baptismal fee was 10d each. The first burial to be recorded in the Parish register is that of Susan Wife of Nicholas Slater Backup aged 60 years October 12 1788. The second entry is that of Mr Nicholas Slater himself who died six days after his wife. The first Baptism entry in the Baptism records is that of  John son of Lawrence Fielding of Spotland Carrier  and is dated 29th October 1788.

 No marriages were performed at St Johns until 1837. The first Marriage entered there is of James Butterworth Bachelor of Full age Calico Printer Upper Brandwood in the Parish of Rochdale to Elizabeth Ashworth Spinster of Full age of Bacup.

 

Mr Porter died on May 4th 1839, however a year before his death he employed a curate by the name of the Rev Robert K Cooke. In June 139 The Rev B Allen came to Bacup and stayed for just under ten years. Succeeded by the Rev Benjamin Tweedle who arrived in Bacup in 1850. Rev Tweedle left Bacup for Lytham for health reasons and died there in 1858.He was succeeded by the Rev J.F.Brindle,7000 internments had taken place in the St Johns churchyard up to the time of it's closure in 1863.

 

When the Rev Arthur Phillips arrived in Bacup in 1877 he  found himself with no church because the first St Johns Church had collapsed 6 years earlier on April 19 1871. The Sunday school was used as a temporary  place of worship however that also had to be repaired before it could be used.  The new church was opened on 21st June 1883 by the Lord Bishop of Manchester the Rt Rev. James Fraser. The greatest service that the church ever saw was for the memorial service of Queen Victoria on the 2nd February 1901 when over fifteen hundred people assembled. By 1907 the Sunday school like the old church had now collapsed and a grand scenic bazaar was held for four days from April 17th April 20  in the Mechanics Institute to raise funds for the rebuilding of the Sunday school were a grand total of 15,000 was raised.