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Preston Chronicle
20 September 1834
St John's Church, Worsthorn
The first stone of this edifice, one of the two for the erection of which zealous exertions have lately been made in Burnley, and the neighbourhood, was laid on Thursday week, by the Rev. Wm. Thursby, M.A., of Ormerod House. The day was fine, and was ushered in by the ringing of bells, and other tokens of rejoicing. Soon after one o'clock, a procession was formed at the National School, Burnley, composed of the clergy and gentry of the neighbourhood, the churchwardens, the builders, the Odd Fellows, and other societies, headed by a band, -and brought up in the read by twenty-five children of the National School. The whole, interspersed with flags and banners, had an exhilirating effect, as they marched to the site of the intended church, which is nearly in the centre of the village, surrounded by several picturesque old mansions, and shaded by two fine ashes. After a hymn had been sung, the stone was duly laid, with, as usual, the coins of the reigning sovereign, and a brass plate, recording the date, and the names of the parties concerned. A prayer was then offered up by the Rev. R. M. Master, the incumbent of Burnley. The Rev. W. Thursby then addressed the assembly in an eloquent and powerful speech, in the course of which he paid a high compliment to the late Col. Hargreaves, (his lamented father-in-law,) who, during his life, gave £200 to the building of the church, and who, had he lived, intended to have endowed it with £1,000, for securing to the village the benefit of a resident minister. This his intention (added the rev. gentleman) he did not live to fulfil, but it would be faithfully fulfilled by those who had succeeded to his property, and as their representative, he (Mr. Thursby) assured them they would feel a melancholy satisfaction "in carrying into execution all the charitable intentions of their late parent, and this in particular." The 100th Psalm was then sung, and the national anthem concluded the solemnities of the occasion. The procession returned to Burnley, and broke uo after partaking of some refreshments in front of Bank Hall. By the kind attention of its owners the children of the Worsthorn Schools, 300 in number, with many of their friends, were regaled with buns and coffee immediately after the ceremony, and the societies, and other parties who took a share in the proceedings, were hospitably entertained in the evening. There is, we believe, but one other instance of the performance of such a ceremony within the extensive and populous parish of Whalley, since the reign of King Henry the eight, a sufficient proof that the exertions made for the accomplishment of this good work had been long and urgently needed.
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