Church of St Thomas, Broad Street, Pendleton

Designed by Richard Lane in association with Francis Goodwin, although Goodwin appears to have done little apart from some early sketches and correspondence. In later correspondence, Goodwin advised the church building committee to refer all matters of detail to Lane. Church still a preaching box - classical with Gothic detailing, ashlar masonry. Consecrated 7 October 1831 (Wyke).

NEW CHURCH AT PENDLETON The parliamentary commissioners for the building of churches, having recently granted the inhabitants of Pendleton, the sum of six thousand pounds, for the erection of a church in that township, a meeting on the subject took place at the board room in Pendleton on Wednesday morning. It is proposed that the church shall be situated on Pendleton Green and a plan and estimates, which have been prepared by Mr Lane, were submitted to the meeting. The church will contain accommodation for 1600 persons, out of which will be appropriated about six hundred sittings for the free use of the poor. It appears that the expense of erecting the church, according to Mr Lane’s plan, which is divested of every architectural superfluity, and is as plain as would be consistent with propriety, would be about £7,000. It has been suggested, however, that in addition to Mr Lane’s plan, it would be desirable that the church should be erected upon rows of funeral vaults, and that the tower of the church, which, by the plan, is only 80 feet in height, should be raised by an additional height of 30 feet. These measures would increase the total expense to about £8,000, exclusive of the expense of enclosing the grounds. In order to provide for the present deficit in the funds for effecting these purposed, it was unanimously resolved, that a subscription be entered into amongst the inhabitants of Pendleton and the environs, and a committee was appointed to superintend the subscription. A donation from Dauntsey Hulme Esq, of the Crescent, of £100 was announced at the meeting, with a promise that it should be increased in proportion to the liberality with which the measures were taken up by the inhabitants of Pendleton themselves. At the conclusion of the proceedings, a subscription was entered into amongst the gentlemen present. The object of the meeting being almost entirely of a preliminary and even private nature, we refrain from any further detail of what took place. [Manchester Guardian 5 April 1828 page 3]

TO BUILDERS - PENDLETON CHURCH - PERSONS desirous of offering TENDERS for the whole or for the separate works required in the Erection of the above Church, may inspect the plans at the office of Mr Richard Lane, Architect, St Ann’s-street, Manchester, from Thursday the 5th day of March, to Saturday the 28th day of the same month, from the hours of nine to six. The tenders, to be sealed and endorsed, with the names of the parties and their intended sureties. No tender will be accepted unless the party tendering be approved by his Majesty’s Commissioners, to whom they must be addressed, under cover “to Mr Francis Goodwin, London.”  Further particulars may be had at the office of Mr RICHARD LANE, St Ann’s-street, Manchester; or Mr Francis Goodwin, Frances-street, Bedford Square, London, the architects of the said church. [Manchester Guardian 21 March 1829 page 1]. Note   This notice appeared immediately below that for the new concert hall in St Peter’s Square.

In September 1829 agreement was sought to the proposals for vaults under the church. Plans prepared by Goodwin and Lane

ST THOMAS’S CHURCH, PENDLETON – This conspicuous and ornamental edifice, the foundation stone of which was laid by the Vicar of Eccles 23 September 1830, was consecrated by the Bishop of Chester on the 7th instant. The church, which is built after a design furnished by Mr F Goodwin, of London, and Mr Lane of this town, contains 820 pew sittings and upwards of 700 free sittings for the accommodation of the poor. Mr Patteson, of Oxford Road was the contractor for is erection. In front of the altar is a splendid picture by Paul Veronese, representing the taking of Christ from the Cross, presented to the church by John Greaves Esq of Pendleton, one of the magistrates for this county. The original cost of this painting is said to have been 500 guineas. [Manchester Guardian 15 October 1831 page 3]

PENDLETON NEW CHURCH - His Majesty, as Duke of Lancaster, has just made a free grant to the inhabitants of Pendleton, for the use of their new Church, of the part of Pendleton Green which is not already included in the site of the Church and Church Yard. The land now granted comprises nearly 4,500 square yards. [The Observer 21 November 1831 page 4]

Reference    Manchester Guardian 22 March 1828 page 2
Reference    Manchester Guardian 5 April 1828 page 3
Reference    Manchester Guardian 21 March 1829 page 1 - contracts.
Reference    Manchester Guardian 26 September 1929 page 1 – vaults
Reference    Manchester Guardian 15 October 1831 page 3
Reference    The Observer 21 November 1831 page 4
Reference    Port 148