Mission Church and Sunday Schools

Mission Church and Sunday Schools

The population of Skelmersdale had grown to 3000 by 1871, and by 1878 it had reached 5000. This called for a School Board to be formed to meet the educational needs of the town, which the Rev Hollingworth was Chairman for the year 1876-1877. With the population increase a Curate was appointed in 1881 to assist the Vicar in all Parochial duties, he was the Rev T. L. McClean who found residence in Liverpool Road for the first few months but later moved to the Vicarage adjoining the Church grounds, this made for greater convenience in parochial matters and comfort for his family.
From first taking up his role as Curate The Rev McClean devoted all his energy to solving the problem with the population increase of children playing in the streets on the Sabbath Day and there being no Sunday School. He obtained permission from the Local Government Board to commence a Sunday School for Church of England children in the Board Room. The children very quickly learned to appreciate the blessing of Sunday School and the attendance grew so rapidly that the Board Room could not accomodate half the numbers and so larger premises were needed.
The Rev McClean was now getting past his prime and found his numerous tasks and parochial work arduous but was however spurred on by his success in securing the Market Hall in Liverpool Road (later known as the Skelmersdale Shoe Co) as a temporary home for the Sunday School. This proved to be adequate for the meantime but the hire and upkeep of the Hall proved to be costly and the conditions poor, and so a trust was formed in 1882 to build a Sunday School Mission Hall in Liverpool Road and the Foundation Stone was laid on 25th March 1882 after a Service in the Market Hall by John Prescott Esq on a sunny day with many people gathered,and also children to watch their bricks that they had bought being laid at last, they later had a treat of tea and a bun.
The Mission Sunday School was soon opened on 13 October 1882 with a Service attended by parents, friends and supporters and thanks was given to Rev T. McClean for his work in establishing the Sunday School. Later a local Gentleman Mr Brierley offered the loan of his family organ and his daughter Miss Emma Brierley gave her services as organist and was a Sunday School Teacher herself for several years. For many years Mothers used to hurry to the street corners to watch the procession of their little ones wind its way along Liverpool Road and Sandy Lane to the Mission Sunday School.
The Mission Sunday School later still proved to be too small for the numbers of pupils in attendance and so after a suggestion from the Chairman of the Council, Mr John Aspinwall the old Fish Market Hall in Witham Road was let to the Sunday School for a fee of £10 per annum. After a lot of work in making the premises habitable the Christ Church Mission Sunday School in Witham Road was opened on Easter Sunday Morning 6th April 1890 and the Curate at that time was Rev Samuel Gasking who welcomed the teachers and scholars to their new home and so the Sunday School commenced at 9am. The premises was so much better, there were separate classes for the Infant’s Class and the Men’s and Women’s Bible Classes.
The School still proved too small to accomodate all the people and so it was decided to purchase the building outright so extensions could be built, and so the Trustees graciously accepted the gift and offer from Messrs Greenhall, Whitley and Co. towards the purchase price of £400, which was finally completed in 1906 with monies raised. Alterations soon got under way and two large classrooms for Bible Classes were added the following year, with further extensions, a kitchen, outbuildings, toilets and coal storage places all being added around 1918.
During the early 1900’s the original Mission on Liverpool Road was used solely for Worship and was licensed for Services, Marriages and Worship whilst the new St Pauls Parish Church was being built.
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The Mission Sunday School has played a great part in serving the community and here are some fine examples.
• During the coal strikes of 1912,1921 and 1926 the Mission Sunday School in Witham Road was used as a soup kitchen in order that the children of the day schools may be provided with good nourishing meals during the strike periods.
• The Sunday School was loaned to the Urban District Council in 1925 for the Old Folks Treat and has continued each year since to be used so.
• During the Second World War the Sunday School was used as a refuge for locals and others who were destitute. Crowds were brought in evenings and were provided with a meal and a bed to sleep on, facilities to wash in the morning and then another meal before their journey back to Liverpool. This oficial Rest Centre was under the supervision of Mrs Lamb, Central Organiser of the W.V.S. in Skelmersdale.
• The Second World War also helped to form a Boys Brigade at the Sunday School with some of the evacuees being in the Boys Brigade, so Teachers and Parents formed their own B.B. Company under the leadership of Mr C.K. Postlethwaite and assisted by Mr N. Philby and one of the Sunday School boys W.A.(Billy) Hall in 1940. This Company proved most helpful to the evacuees during this time and when the evacuees eventually returned to Liverpool there was a Company of Sunday School boys who reorganised their activities under the leadership of Mr Jack Woods.
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Information taken from the booklet: The Kings Highway