Religion and Education.

~ Religion and Education ~ Until the year 1823, there were no organised religious services for nonconformists in the town; and there was not even a building where such groups could meet to worship. This was soon destined to change, for the number of people belonging to other denominations was beginning to increase as people came to the town from other parts of the country in search of work. Soon, with the rapid growth of the local mining¹¹ industry, the trickle was to become a flood; but in the beginning their numbers were small. The opposition they encountered from the established church and its supporters was quite severe. According to one source, the birth of nonconformity in Dalton came about as follows:
The Wesleyan Methodists had at this time a small meeting house in Ulverston¹⁷, to which, one Sunday morning in 1823, three earnest Dalton young men were walking, when they were accosted by a Primitive Methodist missionary, the Rev. F. H. Jersey, who inquired where they were going, and on hearing their answer, asked them to return with him, saying 'I am going to storm Dalton'. They returned. An open-air service was held at the Market Cross³ that morning and on several subsequent Sundays. Organised opposition of a formidable kind soon showed itself. One morning someone had engaged three men to blow horns close to the ears of the missionary, and a quarrel ensued between these and others who wished to hear the preacher. The result was that a few days later Mr. Jersey was served with a warrant, 'for conductibg riotous and tumultous worship at the Market Cross, Dalton', and was by the magistrates committed to Lancaster Castle for four months, but he was afterwards bailed out. On that Sunday morning when Mr. Jersey first visited Dalton he concluded his open air service before the regular church service began. He was strongly condemned by the clergy, and so reproached were those who had listened to him that they decided to find a separate place of worship of their own. A room was not easily secured, and services were held for some time in a Quarry Hole at the top of Skelgate. At length an 'upper room' was placed at their disposal, which was no other than a hayloft over a stable situated at the foot of Skelgate. In this room in the year 1823 the Wesleyan Methodists established a society³ and a Sunday School. It is uncertain at what date the chapel⁵ was built at the top of Skelgate, but it was occupied as early as 1828. From that time until 1864, it was the only non-conformist place of worship in the town, and the Wesleyans held it with a growing society and Sunday School, which necessitated once during that period, its enlargement. The present chapel in Wellington Street was built in 1864 ... The first Wesleyan minister resident in the town was the Rev. Ralph Spoor, who came in 1865.

The other churches and chapels⁶ built in the 19th century were the Congregationalist, Market Street in 1869; St Margaret's (C. of E.), Ulverston Road (built in 1872 and rebuilt in 1902); the Bible Christians, Broughton Road, in 1873; the Catholic Church, Ulverston Road, in 1879; the Primitive Methodists, Chapel Street, in 1883; and in 1885, the Baptists, in Broughton Road.

St Margaret's Iron Church

Click Here Netscape Users

St. Margaret's Iron Church, Ulverston Road.
By the early 1880s the structural condition of the parish church⁷ was causing concern. This, together with the general feeling that Dalton's growing importance merited a much finer church, was sufficient to persuade the church authorities that if the necessary funds could be guaranteed, the old church should be demolished and a new one built on the same site. The idea was generally accepted, and a financial appeal received enthusiastic support from many sources including the Duke of Devonshire, K.G., who was to become the largest single contributor to the fund. So in 1883 demolition work commenced on the old church which had served the town for centuries. During the course of this work, the Dalton News reported on 1 December 1883 that when the old church was being pulled down, a number of stones bearing ancient markings, believed to be runic symbols, were discovered in the fabric. If indeed they were runes, and not masons' marks, it would tend to strengthen the popular belief of the antiquity of the church at Dalton.

The Church before 1884

Click Here Netscape Users

The old church from the cemetery⁴; a photograph taken before 1884.


The New Church after 1884

Click Here Netscape Users

The new church from the same location after 1884.
The designers of the new church⁸ were Messrs. Paley and Austin of Lancaster, and the result of their work was a fine example of church architecture. The stained glass window at the east end of the building was presented by the Duke of Devonshire, and the west window in the south aisle by Miss Cleator of Thornton House, Dalton. Other gifts included the oak pulpit (from Mr. Wadham⁴ of Millwood), and the lectern and brass eagle (from many friends of the late Mr. A. W. O. Roberts, in his memory).

[education³]. At the beginning of the 19th century the school⁵ accommodation in the town consisted of the Grammar School, reputed to have been built in 1764, the Free School, dating from 1622, and a small number of private academies. Tyson gives a list of masters of the Grammar School and also the elementary school, which in all probability was the old Free School on Goose Green⁸. The increasing population towards the end of the century necessitated the building of more schools, and four out of a total of five new schools were opened within six years.

The Boys' National School⁶ on Goose Green⁹ (which replaced the free school), was opened on 3 November 1862 by Isaac Helliwel, who earlier that year had been appointed headmaster. Thanks to the meticulous entries made in the log books, it is possible to reproduce here the following extracts which give us a fair idea of the living conditions of these times. The first entry is dated 3 November 1862.
The opinion of some of the Trustees with respect to the deplorable state of degredation and ignorance of the children was soon made manifest. As a proof of this it may be remarked that several instances of the most dirty habits occured - also spitting on the floor, wiping noses on their jacket sleeves and collars etc., etc. They were exceedingly filthy in their dress and person - hair uncommonly long and uncombed. They had no idea of order or discipline, but were extremely noisy, rude and ignorant.

162 present.

Thursday 27th Nov.

The school began to assume the appearance of order and work.
The children were much pleased with their lessons

25th Jan. 1864

There is so much sickness (some contagious) that, by order of the Rev. J. M. Morgan, chloride of lime was procured and the rooms sprinkled with a solution of it.

The Dalton Board Girls' School⁷ was opened on 7 January 1878, and there were 66 pupils. Lately it was the Chapel Street Infants' School, and Mrs. B. Craig was the headmistress. A note in the log book written by the Rev. J. M. Morgan in March 1879, tells us that for many years prior to the 1870s there was a great shortage of school accommodation in the town (presumably only the Free School existed after the Grammar School closed), and despite the fact that many parents wanted their children to be educated⁴, there was nowhere for them to go. As a result of this, many of the children who came to attend the Board Schools in the 8-11 age group would have been more suitably placed in an infant school.

The Board School⁸ Boys' Department in Broughton Road was opened on 7 January 1878, and its first headmaster was Mr. E. Myers. On the first day 102 pupils enrolled. On the second day this figure rose to 117, and to 134 by the end of the first week. By the end of the second week there were 177 pupils and 200 by 25 January! The Catholic School in Ulverston Road was opened on 2 August 1880, and had 30 scholars attending in the mornings, and 31 in the afternoons. The Nelson Street School was opened in 1884 as a Junior Mixed School. In January 1887, it became a separate boys' and girls' school, and on 9 January 1929, a girls' school only. The following extract from the log books was taken in 1970 by kind permission of Mrs. Smith who was the headmistress at that time: 'Nov. 28 1899. Walter Davies, although having been warned previously is too familiar with the boys and allows them to take liberties. The boy (McDowell) on being sent out said "Eh! Walter Davies thou's nivver let me off yance - let's off yance". Davies allowed this to pass without rebuke. In telling a boy not to talk he uses such expressions as "Stop your chitter"'.

Next Part: (Twentieth Century Dalton):- 'The End of the Industrial Era'

*Thursday 27th Nov.*	The school began to assume the appearance of order and work. The children were much pleased with their lessons
*25th Jan. 1864*	There is so much sickness (some contagious) that, by order of the Rev. J. M. Morgan, chloride of lime was procured and the rooms sprinkled with a solution of it.