The religious life of the inhabitants of Normanton appears to be well catered for as there are within the limits of the township 13 public places of worship. As I have already given a brief history of the Parish Church of All Saints I shall add nothing to my former remarks thereon.
There are however two other smaller churches which are the offspring of the mother church, namely the Church of St. James, Hopetown, built in 1870, and the Church of St. John the Baptist built at Woodhouse in 1903.
This little church is comparatively new and through the kindness of Mr. H. Irving, the reader in charge, I am able to print the following particulars connected with it. Prior to 1903 religious services were held in the school near the present church, the Rev. H.P. Thornton, who had resigned the living at Normanton and become Honorary Curate in charge of the Mission, conducted the services. He started a fund to buy the church but left the district before the church was erected. At the time of his leaving the sum collected stood at £710.13.11.
A plot of land for a site was kindly given by Colonel Smythe, and the church was built. The contractors and builders were R.L. Leake and Sons of Normanton. The building was opened and dedicated by the late Bishop of Beverley acting for the Archbishop of York, on 21st December, 1903. The building is of red brick and oblong in shape. The altar and altar rails were at one time in use at the Parish Church. The choir stalls are of soft pine and were the gift of the men in the district. The oak pulpit the lectern and the sanctuary chair were given to the Mission by a friend in Leeds, where they had been in use before. The kneeling mat was made by Mrs. H.P. Thornton with the help of the Ladies Guild. On July 14th, 1926, the Rev. J.C. Kemm, a curate of the Rev.H.P.Thornton, dedicated a memorial window in the east end of the church in memory of the Rev.H.P.Thornton, and an oak reredos in memory of the late Rev.C.Bird. The church is pleasantly situated, well equipped and contains seating accommodation for 200 persons.
Mr.F.M.Greenwood was the first reader in charge who resigned in 1921, and was succeeded by Mr. Herbert M. Irving, who is at present in charge of the Mission. In a plot of ground near the church stands a war memorial, which bears the names of fifty men who lost their lives in the Great War.
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Nonconformists
Turning to the various nonconformists denominations in Normanton, we find that the history of their establishment and growth is interesting, and calls for a few details which cannot be omitted in these records.
It would appear that the Wesleyan Methodists were the first to establish themselves in the town.
The first room in which they met for worship was a disused library room on the railway station and this room was opened for regular services on 13th April, 1862, when Mr. T.O. Quibell preached and conducted the opening services. It would seem that the membership prospered and increased, for in the year 1868 a chapel was erected in Wakefield Road. This building served their needs for 17 years, when a still further extension was found to be necessary. It was therefore decided to transform the old chapel into a schoolroom and vestries and to erect the present handsome building. The cost of this work was £1,564, and the opening services were conducted by the Rev. T. Champness, on 25th October, 1885.
In 1901 a fine organ was introduced into the Chapel which was opened by Mr. J.A. Meale F.R.C.O. of Westminster Hall and Mr. Fricker and Mr. Bairstow of Leeds have given recitals. The Wesleyans have also a small Mission Church at St. John's Terrace, Normanton, prior to 1892, formed part of the Wakefield Wesleyan Circuit, but in that year Rothwell and Normanton were started in Circuit life on their own account. The Rev. Herbert Nicholls, was the first resident Wesleyan Minister in Normanton. The present Minister is the Rev. Frank Rowley.
The Primitive Methodists, although not the first to own or hold premises for the special purpose of public worship, were the first to come into the town as Mission preachers. In the year 1842 the Wakefield Circuit appointed the late Rev. Joseph Tolson and others to mission the town. There were then only few inhabitants in the place, and the only place of worship was the Parish Church. During his mission Mr. Tolson preached at the old village cross near the Black Swan Inn, and a person named John Lee and his wife were impressed by his preaching and opened their house in the Orchard for the preachers. Mrs. Lee is said to have been the main stay of the rising cause for years, and in her house the preaching services, class meetings and prayer meetings were held. The next stage in the development of the cause was in 1868 when land was leased and a small wooden chapel was erected at Woodhouse, on the site of the present Board schools. It would appear that shortly after this the society became very weak, consisting of only four or five members. But, by hard labour and perserverance they seem to have won their way to prosperity, for in 1874, land was purchased on the east side of Wakefield Road and a good substantial brick building was erected at a cost of £1,442. The foundation stone was laid April 11th,1873 by John Crossley, Esq.of Halifax. The old wooden structure was removed from its original site and placed near the new building to be used as a schoolroom. As time passed the new building became too small for their requirements and activities, and in 1903 the chapel was enlarged to its present size.
There are two other Primitive Methodist Chapels in the town which may be said to be off-shoots from the one in Wakefield Road, namely - Beckbridge, built in 1902 and one in Castleford Road built in 1897.
Normanton formerly formed part of the Wakefield Primitive Methodist Circuit but it was separated and made a separate Circuit in 1879. the first resident Minister was the Rev. John Waite, the present Minister is the Rev. J.T. Clarke.
The United Free Church at Hopetown stands on the east side of Pontefract Road. It is of brick and not large. It was erected in 1871. The Memorial stone in the front wall of the building was laid by Mrs. Henry Briggs on May 22nd, 1871.
The Normanton Congregational Chapel, situated on the south side of Market Street is a substantial building in the Gothic style. The memorial stone was laid by John William Baines, Esq. of Leeds, on 14th August, 1871. It is interesting to note that the Baines family were, at that time, the proprietors of the "Leeds Mercury'' which was then one of the most influential newspapers in the North of England. Edward Baines, one of the founders, was also a great historian. Among other writings which came from his pen may be mentioned his two great works. "The History of the Wars of the French Revolution,'' published in 1817, and "Yorkshire Past and Present.'' The first Congregational Minister was the Rev. Thomas Slevan, who had a large following, and took an active interest in the affairs of the town. He was elected a member and was vice-chairman of the first Normanton School Board.
At the present time the chapel seems to be passing through a depressing period and there is no resident minister; but the little band of members are struggling bravely with their adversity, and regular services are still held, the pulpit being occupied every Sunday by local lay-preachers of the town and surrounding district.
The Baptist Chapel which occupies a good position in High Street is the largest and contains most seating accommodation than any place of worship in the town. The Baptists, like the other non-conformists sects in Normanton, started in a very humble way. Charles Hampson who for many years carried on a boot and shoe business in Wakefield Road, was one of the founders. About the year 1874 they hired a large room over the Co-operative Stores, where a few enthusiasts met regularly week by week for public worship. On January 26th, 1876, a plot of land was purchased, and on 18th August, 1877, the memorial stone of the present building was laid by Joseph White, Esq., of Heath Hall. A stone over the front entrance bears the date 1877. The Rev. John Myers was the first resident Minister.
In 1906 a large addition was made to the premises by the erection of a fine spacious schoolroom, a number of classrooms and the chapelkeeper's house, at a cost of over £3,000. The large schoolroom has a commodious platform, is well furnished and is suitable and often used for concerts, lectures and public meetings. The Rev. T.P. Skillings is the present Minister.
The Chapel was opened for public worship on the 7th May, 1878, when the Rev. Hugh Stowell Blour conducted the services and preached to large congregations.
Charles Hampson, mentioned above was grandfather of the writer and second son of John Hampson, a native of Thorne, near Doncaster. John Hampson, when six years of age, lost his sight from injuries received from the throwing of a stone, and was totally blind the remainder of his life. His misfortune, however, did not prevent him from living a very active, useful life. He learned the trade of basket and mat making, and was able to support himself and family until enfeebled by old age. In early manhood he was an ardent nonconformist, and of ten occupied the pulpit amongst the Independents round about Selby. Afterwards he settled down at Rothwell, where for many years he earned his living by working at his trade, and became one of the local preachers amongst the Wesleyans.
John Batty, in his ''History of Rothwell" published in 1877, devotes a chapter to the old local preachers of Rothwell, and is a paragraph dealing with the respected and venerable John Hampson he says - ''He had good natural abilities, and was a sound doctrinal preacher." When unable to work his deserving case was brought before the Worn-out Local Preachers Society, from whose funds he received a pension until the time of his death, which happened on 12th March, 1864, when in the eighty- fourth year of his age.
Mrs. Mary Davidson, now living in Normanton, and who is 78 years of age; is granddaughter of the above John Hampson, and she well remembers how, when a girl, she used to read the Bible for her grandfather when preparing his sermons, and conduct him to the villages where he went to preach.
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Roman Catholic
The history of Roman Catholicism in Normanton is quite as interesting as that of any other religious body in the town. About the year 1845, James and Martha Byrne, who resided in a block of houses at Normanton Common, then known as ''the Irish Row" threw their cottage open for religious services. Priests from Pontefract and afterwards from Wakefield attended weekly to conduct the services, amongst whom may be mentioned Father Sherlock and Father Clifford, the latter usually making the journey on the back of a pony.
Religious services were carried on in this manner until 1871, when a small building was erected at Normanton Common which fulfilled the dual function of a school during the week and a chapel on Sundays. There was, however, no resident priest in Normanton until the first Roman Catholic Church was built at Woodhouse in 1889. This church remained in use for public worship until 1904, when it was transformed into day schools, being superseded as a place of worship by the present church also at Woodhouse.
The first building at Normanton Common is now converted into cottages, it was displaced by a much larger building in 1898 which however, still serves the dual purpose of both school and chapel. The above mentioned James and Martha Byrne were the parents of the late Hugh Byrne, who was for many years a popular figure in the public life of Normanton. He was an active worker in the Trade Union movement, and held various important positions in the Yorkshire Miners' Association. He was a member of the Burial Board and one of the first members elected to the Normanton Urban District Council, which position he held, without intermission, until his death in 1899.
There is at the present time only one building in Normanton devoted exclusively to Roman Catholic worship, and the building together with its fittings and decorations calls for more than a passing reference.
The Normanton Roman Catholic Church situated off Wakefield Road in Newland Lane, is a fine red brick building with stone dressings in the gothic style. There is an unusual feature about the tower, inasmuch as the chimney connected with the heating apparatus of the church runs the whole length of the structure. A stone tablet over the main entrance bears the cross of the Knights Hospitallers of St. John. Built into the front wall, on the west side of the entrance, is a stone which bears the following inscription:-
"To the greater glory of God, and in honour of St.John the Baptist, this stone was blessed by the Reverend William Gordon, Bishop of Leeds, and duly laid by John Warrington Esq. of Cragwood, on the 3rd of May, A.D. 1904"
The architect was Edward Simpson of Manningham, Bradford. The contractors and builders were R. Leake and Sons of Normanton. The Building without fittings and furniture, was erected at a cost of approximately £4,500. The windows which were all made in Holland, have some very beautiful designs and the roof (inside) which is of pitchpine, is a fine example of wood-roofing. There is ample seating accommodation and all the seats are in oak. The west window was presented to the church by John Warrington, Esq. in memory of his wife, and also to the memory of William Locke and his wife. The east window is in three sections. The right hand section (as you face the altar) was given by the Byrne's family, the left by John Broadhead Esq., and the middle section by the Dutch students.
On the walls, on each side and behind the altar, are a number of very fine oil paintings, representing Biblical and other scenes, executed by Archibald Jarvis, of Ipswich, which were presented by Mr. P.W. Sheer of Normanton. The altar is of oak, with marble base, and was erected to the memory of the late Father Heafkens, whilst the altar gates, which are of brass and show fine workmanship, were given by Mr. B. Brook, of Normanton. The pulpit is of oak and hexagonal in design, each of the six sides showing exquisite carving work depicting scenes in the life of St. John the Baptist. Under the tower is the Lourdes Chapel with fine paintings and a life size statue of our lady of Lourdes, given by Mr. James Crane of Normanton. A tablet on the wall in the south chancel bears the names of 33 members who lost their lives in the great war. Attached to the church is the priest's house. The Rev.Father Herfkens was the first priest of this church, and the Rev.Father Imkamp is priest at the present time; to whom I am indebted for the foregoing particulars.
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Salvation Army
The Salvation Army established a corps in Normanton in 1881. Their first Barracks was a large shed, where previous to that date, the late John and Charles Foster, for many years, carried on their business as joiners and builders. The first Captain (a woman) was Captain Avery, who soon became very popular in the town and secured a large number of recruits. In 1897 the Army took up their quarters in the disused building which was originally built for a Primitive Methodist Free Church, situated at the Woodhouse end of Church Lane, which they occupy at the present time. The chief officer now in charge of the corps is Captain Ivy James.
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Spiritualism
There are at the present time two spiritualist churches in Normanton. This sect established itself in the town about 35 years ago. Their first meetings were held in the workshop of the late Mr. H. Holmes, boot and shoe dealer, Wakefield Road, on the site now occupied by the Empire Picture House. In 1893 they obtained a room over a stable in Mopsey Garth, the opening services were conducted by Mrs. Midgley of Sowerby Bridge. This room, however was found to be altogether unsuitable for their activities, and it was decided to purchase land and build a church of their own and the present national spiritualist church, situated in Queen Street was opened on 11th February, 1894. The opening services were conducted by Mr. Inman of Sheffield. In the year 1896 Mrs. Emma Hardinge Britten, a famous exponent and pioneer of modern spiritualism, addressed large audiences in the Normanton Assembly Rooms, which brought a number of converts to the spiritualist creed.
Two years later (1898) we find a number of the members left the parent body and opened a room in Assembly Street. This room they occupied until the present year, (1928), when they removed to a building in Watson Street. Among the founders of spiritualism in Normanton the names of Mr.and Mrs. Holmes, Mrs.Cape, Mr.& Mrs. Illingworth, Mrs. Backhouse and Mr. E. Rothery are worthy of mention.
