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Morning Chronicle

Monday 13 October 1851

A Township Near Burnley

The township of Hapton, near Burnley, is about four miles in length and nearly the same in breadth, and contains many respectable farm-houses, besides some scattered villages, numbering in the whole not far from 1,000 inhabitants; yet in all this township there is neither church, chapel, meeting-house, Sunday school, clergyman, dissenting minister, lawyer, surgeon, not magistrate. There is an endowed school in the township, but, owing to a change of masters, we are informed that even the schoolmaster is at present "abroad."
Blackburn Standard

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Mel

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St Margarets Church Hapton
St. Margaret's Church Hapton is reached from the road running through the village by turning up a narrow road called Holly Lane. The church stands guard over the village below. There is a tree fringed churchyard and part of the churchyard is cared for as a conservation area. The church has a square tower that was built as an addition to the church in 1848. There is a bell for chiming. The nave and porch are 14th century and there is a blocked 13th century door.

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Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.

I wonder why this news article would suggest that there is no church in the village?

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Mel

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Someone hadn't done their homework before writing that piece.

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Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.

I half think there was another one about Hapton after this one. Will have to see if I can find it and if it corrected the statements made!

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Mel

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The Preston Guardian

Saturday December 13 1851

"The Son of a Prophet."

A paragraph having gone the round of the papers with reference to the township of Hapton, near Burnley, and which contains a population of 1,000, being without a church and clergyman, chapel and dissenting minister, magistrate, lawyer, and surgeon — in a word, Law, Physic and Divinity — a genius full of inspiration, but who has hitherto "blushed unseen, and wasted his sweetness on the desert air," has offered his services as a preacher of the gospel to the Gentiles of that highly-favoured place, in the annexed letter to one of its chief farmers. We give the brilliant document verbatim et literatim:—
"Sir I wright thes fu lines to you to say that i have seen in the publick papers in the newes in the township of hapton near Burnley the County of Lancaisheer abought 4 miles in lenth and 4 in breadth a 1000 inhabintonts nither Curch nor Chaple nor sunday scyole nor Clargey nor Disentre there is a fu Farmers in this Twondship i am righting to the Farmers I hope you will wright a answre to me wither itt is so or not and if yon want one to asistt you in preaching i wold Come to you as soon a itt can bee possible Dun (James Primett of Hitchin in the county of Hertfordshiere a market town Derect to Thomas Hogson Bucklerberry Hitchin Hertfordshier fishmonger Decmber 3, 1851
"For the largest Farmer in Hapto near Burnley Lancishiere."
Of course the application was received with eagerness.

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Mel

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Gloria, that church you mention is Hapton in the Diocese of Norwich and not Lancs. There is an address lower down.

According to Genuki, the church was founded in 1914. http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/LAN/Ha ... aret.shtml

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Mel

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Ooops St Margarets Hapton was founded in 1914------now who hasn't done their homework??

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Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.

Gloria I stared at the other Hapton for ages before I spotted the Norwich address!!

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Mel

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