Dukinfield Moravian Church facts for kids

Dukinfield Moravian Church was started in Dukinfield, Cheshire, England, in 1755. Before that, people from the Moravian Church had been sharing their beliefs in the area since 1742. Today, Dukinfield is part of Tameside in Greater Manchester.

History of the Church

How it Started (1740s-1785)

Around 1740, people like David Taylor began spreading Christian messages in Lancashire, Cheshire, and Derbyshire. They formed a church group in Dukinfield. Taylor met Reverend Benjamin Ingham, who was a big supporter of the Moravian Church.

In 1742, two Moravians, George Prosky and David Heckwälder, visited Taylor. This led to the creation of a Moravian Society in 1743. This group followed Moravian ways of worship and sharing their faith, even though they were linked to the local parish church.

In May 1751, they laid the first stone for a Moravian chapel on Old Road in Dukinfield. Later, in 1755, the Moravian Society officially became a full church congregation. Bishop Johannes von Watteville visited and introduced their first minister, Francis Oakley.

In the 1700s, Moravian churches often had special "settlements." These were like small villages where church members lived, worked, and worshipped together. They had a chapel, houses for single men, single women, and widows, and even schools. Sometimes, they had their own doctors, bakeries, and shops. The church members were also organized into groups called "Choirs," like the Married Choir or the Single Sisters' Choir.

The chapel in Dukinfield was meant to be the center of one of these settlements. They bought land for a burial ground. Houses were set up for single women and single men. In 1758, bigger houses were built for these groups. A girls' school started in 1761, and a boys' school in 1769. The chapel was made bigger in 1764 because so many people attended. On Easter in 1769, about two thousand people came to the sunrise service in the burial ground.

The Dukinfield church was very active in spreading its message. They set up preaching places in nearby towns like Macclesfield and Manchester. Their work in Oldham eventually led to the creation of Salem Moravian Church in 1825.

However, the church couldn't get more land to expand the Dukinfield settlement. So, the main leader of the Moravians in Britain, Benjamin La Trobe, found new land at Fairfield Moravian Church in Droylsden. In 1785, the single men moved to the new Fairfield settlement. Soon after, the whole congregation gathered for a farewell service in Dukinfield. On June 15, 1785, the new chapel at Fairfield was officially opened.

Dukinfield Church After 1785

Even though the main settlement moved, worship continued in Dukinfield. In 1788, Samuel Watson became the minister. The Sisters' House was reopened, and a girls' boarding school began in 1792. By 1802, the Dukinfield church was allowed to hold its own communion services again and manage its own affairs.

By 1820, the old chapel needed a lot of repairs. A new chapel was started in 1826 and opened in November of that year. An organ was added in 1827. A house for the minister was built in 1836. Gas lighting was installed in the chapel in 1841, along with a heating stove.

Charles E Sutcliffe, who was minister from 1852 to 1870, was a very popular speaker. Many new members joined because of his sermons. The 1826 church building became too small. So, in 1859, they laid the foundation stone for an even newer chapel. This building opened on May 9, 1860. It cost £1,120, but the community quickly raised all the money. In 1867, a bigger organ was installed.

Some members from Dukinfield helped start a new Moravian church in the Westwood area of Oldham in 1865.

In 1907, the church was renovated. They replaced benches with pews and installed a new boiler. In 1908, an important meeting called a Provincial Synod was held at the renovated church. Two Anglican Bishops attended to discuss working more closely with the Moravian Church.

After the First World War, the church continued to grow. They had many social activities, like a Men's Institute, Football Club, Cricket Club, and a Dramatic Society. They also continued their worship and shared their faith.

In 1956, the Dukinfield church started a new location on Yew Tree Lane. A chapel opened there in 1973, and the original Old Road site was sold.

Day School and Charles Hindley

In 1853, a Day School was created and opened on Easter Monday. This school was set up so that the Moravian Minister would provide religious education. The school cost about £1,500. Most of this money, and the land for the school, came from the Hindley family, especially Charles Hindley.

Charles Hindley was a Member of Parliament for Ashton from 1835 to 1857. He had studied at the Moravian school in Fulneck, Yorkshire. He also taught at the church's academy in Gracehill, Northern Ireland. He had planned to become a Moravian minister. But when his older brother died, he had to take over the family cotton business. His biggest achievement in Parliament was helping to pass a law. This law reduced the working hours in cotton mills for men, women, and children from fifteen hours a day to ten.

The Dukinfield School, strongly supported by the Hindley family, was very successful. In 1866, there were 400 children enrolled. In 1923, the school was given to the local education committee. However, the church kept access to the building to use it as a Sunday School.

Nearby Incidents

Across from the church, there was a mill. The church committee often complained about smoke from its chimney and noisy workers during Sunday services.

More seriously, on September 21, 1854, there was an explosion at the mill. The mill's steam boiler flew through the air towards the Minister's House. Luckily, the boiler turned in mid-air. If it hadn't, the house would have been destroyed, and people inside could have been hurt.

In 1917, an explosion at a nearby factory that made war supplies caused £165 worth of damage to the church property. Many local people went to nearby farmland because they were worried about more blasts.

Ministers

Many ministers have served the Dukinfield Moravian Church since its founding. The first minister, Francis Oakley, started in 1755. Later, Samuel Watson served several times. In more recent years, ministers like Tom McQuillan and Dorothy Moreton have led the congregation. The current minister is Patsy Holdsworth, who began serving in 2023.