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Children of the Parish
pictured in 1950/51.
Included in the picture are:
Elizabeth & Barbara Wallbank;

Norah Beardsworth;
Norah, Kathleen & Eunice

Jackson;
Margaret & Theresa Tootell;

Doreen Higson;
Dorothy Robinson;
Monica Halstead;
Kathleen Brindle;
Kathleen Haydock;

Pauline Bolton;
Ann Hunter;

Isabel Fairhurst;
Marjorie Armstrong

In the 1953 Year Book, Fr Skehan drew attention to two developments from the previous year that had made life
more convenient for parishioners:
… The permission to have Evening Mass on certain occasions has been a great convenience to many of our
people. The first such Mass was said on the Eve of the Coronation, Monday 1st June…….
…. Many of our people use bicycles. In the past it has been customary to prop them up against the church walls.
This was not merely unsightly but it also left the machines exposed to the vagaries of the weather. The situation
has been remedied by the provision of a covered bicycle shed under the trees near the church door….. So –
today’s issues of the use of / state of the car park aren’t the first problems caused by the parishioners’ mode of
transport to church!!

Not every recollection is of purely “enjoyable” social occasions:
A number of parishioners recall that the entire floor of the church was scrubbed clean each Good Friday after the
morning service – the aisles were tiled, the rest of the floor was wooden floorboards, and the whole floor was
scrubbed on hands and knees by the ladies of the parish, with buckets of hot water being carried from the boiler
in the old school: hard work indeed. When finished, the church was closed until the 7am Mass on Easter Sunday
morning…… strange to relate that this activity has only been recalled by lady parishioners!!

An event in the Social Centre in
1956 – possibly the first Annual
Ball that was held there
(previously held at the “Insty”)

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These are probably the organisers of the event pictured across
Pictured are: Back row (l to r) Jimmy Devine, Jack Higson, Albert Derbyshire, Claude Hellewell. Front row (l to r)

Dorothy Fairhurst, Veronica Higson, Agnes Ellwood.

Guilds
One aspect of Parish life which has not survived to modern times are the “Guilds”. For many years in the history
of the Parish, until their demise in the 1960s, Guilds were an important part of Parish life:
Guild of St Agnes for young girls
Guild of St Aloysius for young boys
Children of Mary for single ladies – usually teenage girls but some much older parishioners were also members
Guild of St Anne for married women
Mens Guild

Guilds provided a focus for religious, pastoral and social activities for their different memberships. Moral guidance
was also provided when required: Kathleen McHugh recalls that Fr Skehan left the girls of the Children of Mary in
no doubt that any romantic tendencies they might have should be directed towards “this side” of the A49 and not
the other!

As an example of the importance of the Guilds in Parish life, Fr Skehan’s notes on the procedures to be followed
within the Parish, written in the early 1950s, are illuminating:

Blessed Sacrament Procession
The first SEVEN benches on EACH SIDE will be reserved for the school-children

The next TWO on EACH SIDE will be reserved for the Children of Mary
The next THREE on EACH SIDE will be reserved for the Guild of St Anne

The next SIX on EACH SIDE will be reserved for the Men of the Parish
The last THREE on EACH SIDE will be reserved for the congregation

Order of the Procession

Cross Bearer

Acolyte Acolyte

St Agnes’ Guild

St Aloysius Guild

Children of Mary

Guild of St Anne

Men of the Parish

First Communicants

BLESSED SACRAMENT

The rest of the Congregation

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1950’s photographs believed to be of the
Blessed Sacrament procession

St Agnes’ Guild

Children of Mary

The Blessed Sacrament followed by the
Congregation

As part of the church’s Centenary celebrations Lawrence
Beardsworth received a Papal Blessing to mark the work done for
the parish and its social amenities. Mr Beardsworth was a founder
of the Men’s Club, and was for many years the president of the
Men’s Guild.
Lawrence Beardsworth being presented with the Papal Blessing by
Fr Ames, watched by Sir Stanley and Lady Bell

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Union of Catholic Mothers (UCM)
The Union of Catholic Mothers started in Euxton in 1978. The UCM nationally was originally affiliated to the
Catholic Women’s League but soon established itself as an organisation for ‘ordinary, everyday women’. The
objects of the organisation were to help Catholic married women appreciate their role in marriage, bringing up
their children as practising Catholics, teaching and defending Christian values in family life and ensuring a
catholic education for their children.
The founding President of the foundation in Euxton was Peggy Purcell with Barbara Wright as Treasurer and
Barbara Moore the Secretary. The foundation in Euxton started with 49 members and a further 20 joined within
the first year.
The group met fortnightly. On one week Holy Mass was celebrated before the meeting with the members
encouraged, by Fr Cadogan, to take part by preparing the readings, bidding prayers and offertory procession.
The themes for the masses varied with topics such as “Into the future with God”, “Human Life” and “The purpose
of Christ’s coming”. The group also travelled to other foundations on special occasions such as harvest and
anniversaries and to the Cathedral in Liverpool for the Diocesan Annual mass. They enjoyed retreat days at
various Convents and Upholland College. This gave members the opportunity to meet and discuss topical issues
with members from other foundations.
The alternative meeting night was more of a social evening but always with interesting activities for members to
try. These included cookery, origami, keep fit, cake icing and tea tasting. Then there were more practical
evenings with St John’s Ambulance Brigade, Crime Prevention Officers, a diamond expert and The Samaritans.
Their fundraising events provided help to charities such as CAFOD, Life and locally St Catherine’s Hospice.

St Mary’s Brownies pictured in 1979
Back row (left to right): Alison Perry, ??, Corinne Sealy, Beverly Sage, ??, Nicola Brown, ??, Michelle Earnshaw,
Michelle Butler, Theresa Garside, Karina Bell, Gail McHugh. Middle row (l to r): Margaret Mary Purcell, Bernadette
Griffiths, Michelle Johnson, Joanne Gorman, Sharon Atkinson, Helen Fish, ??, Kerry ??. Front row (l to r):
Caroline Greenwood, Stephanie Owen, Jeanette Fisher, Jenny Benson.

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An unusual turnout for the Baptism
of Kirsty Johnston in February 1979.

Kirsty‘s parents are John and
Maureen Johnston – Maureen was a
teacher at the primary school at that
time and the children of her class
year attended to offer their best
wishes! Non-schoolchildren pictured
are Fr Cadogan and Kirsty’s
godparents, Damian Johnston and
Maurice and Josephine Kobelt.

Fr Cadogan pictured with
his team of Altar Boys in

June 1996

There appear to be no surviving
photographs of the Choir from any
point in the history of St Mary’s.
Retired choir members and organists
pictured here in 2015 are:
Standing (left to right): Peggy
Purcell, Rita Dickinson, Barbara
Belcher, Kathleen McHugh, Monica
Bibby, Jeanette Armstrong, Margaret
Dickinson, Bernadette Houghton.
Seated: Nicholas Loughlin, Anthony
Dickinson

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Recollections of an Altar Server
Tony Dilworth writes:
At the entrance to the church drive from the A49 there were two large stone pillars – one pillar remains today
yards further back than the original place; the other pillar is built into the car park wall.

The car park as I remember in the 1940s was a garden belonging to a house that was originally the Red Lion
pub. One of the occupants was Mr Welsby who was the church organist. Where the Club is today was known as
the plantation, it was full of rhododendrons, holly bushes and trees. At the entrance to the church was an iron
boot scraper to the left of the door. Between the two buttresses that strengthen the back wall of the church there
was a small garden border – in the spring it was full of snowdrops and crocuses, and in summer red peonies.

Inside the church the aisles were tiled, not carpeted like today. The benches were a darker colour and from the
back to halfway down the kneelers were wood not padded like today. The front benches about four deep on
either side were rented benches, the names of families were printed on cards in little brass holders. The big
statue of Our Lady was to the right of the altar (it’s now in the choir gallery) and the Sacred Heart on the left.

The altar was built against the wall in dark wood all fancy carved, this meant that the priest and altar servers had
their backs to the congregation. Altar boys knelt on the altar and answered the priest in Latin.

I became an altar boy at seven years old after making my first Holy Communion.

Weekday Masses were 8am, Funerals 9am, Weddings 11am, Baptisms don’t know. Sunday Masses were 8-30am
and 10-30am, Sunday School was 3pm, and Benediction 7pm.

The altar was railed off, when communion was given the congregation knelt at the altar rails, the altar boys
assisted the Priest by holding a silver plate under the chin of the communicant – no wine was given, only the
priest had wine. Altar boys wore black cassocks with white cotters until 1949 approx when the cassocks were
changed to Roman purple. Before Mass the altar boys put the wine and water and the dish and cloth for washing
the priest’s fingers on the altar, plus the bells that were kept in a cupboard in the Vestry. We would also put the
book that the priest read from on the stand in the pulpit, then we would light the candles. Father then put on the
Alb, stole and chasuble – this was a different colour depending what the service was, funerals were always black.
Last of all he put on the Biretta, the priest’s hat.

To the left of the altar was the Anderton Chapel, fenced off in dark wood with red curtains. To the right of the
altar was the confessional, behind where the baptism font is today.

When Sir Francis Anderton died (the last of the Andertons) he was interred in the Anderton Vault under the
Anderton Chapel. This was in 1950. The altar servers were instructed by Fr Skehan to be half an hour early so
that he could instruct us what to do as this was not an ordinary funeral. We had to wear black boots or shoes,
not the usual black plimsolls. In the Vault there were two other coffins on flag shelves. The coffin bearers placed
the coffin on a shelf, Father said some prayers before blessing the coffin. Outside, Father then blessed the
entrance, I was standing next to him, he said “this vault will be sealed, and will not be opened until Judgement
Day when God will come to judge the world”.

Another big event that I served was the Ordination of Fr Roscoe, an Euxton man who went to school in Euxton.
There were a lot of clergy there. All the servers were introduced to Archbishop Downey, when introduced we had
to bow and kiss the Archbishop’s ring on his finger.

We as altar servers were treated: Funerals one shilling, Weddings half a crown.

Fr Skehan had a live-in housekeeper named Mrs Gibson – she had a son named Danny who was, I guess, 12
months younger than me, he was also an altar boy. After Mass on Saturdays Father would ask us to wash his
car, then he would take the pair of us on a trip down School Lane, along Pear Tree Lane, then Euxton Lane
returning to the church via Wigan Road– this at a time when cars were relatively rare. The car was a black
Austin, then one day Father turned up in a new car – a silver Standard Vanguard. The following Saturday Father
sent me home to ask my mother if I could go with Danny and his mum to visit Father’s sister in Blundellsands for
the day. Danny and myself sat in the front: the car had three seats in the front, real leather – there were no such
things as seat belts in those days, the gears were on the steering column. This ride was the furthest I had ever
been – in the late-Forties people did not travel far, I think that Preston was the furthest by bus I’d ever been.

Another surprise of Father’s was one day when he told me that he had got two little pigs from Pennings farm (the
Pennings family were parishioners – they rented the first bench on the right hand side). He asked whether I
could bring the school dinner waste (that was put into metal bins) after school and feed the pigs, then with his
help Friday nights was mucking out, this was tipped in the orchard at the back of the house and was later spread
on the raspberries and other plants, gooseberries and red and black currants. I did this up to leaving school then
a lad named Desmond Gorman took over……… In the church yard going down the footpath past the water butt to
the end of the wall there was a small iron gate, from this was a hawthorn hedge that separated the orchard from
the church yard, and some lovely apple trees yum yum!!!!

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An Organist Looks Back

Written by Joe Welsby in 1987:
At the start of a new year, a year that sees the completion of 54 rewarding years as a church organist, it crossed
my mind that it might be a good idea to let my memory go back and reminisce on some of those years. By way
of a prologue my mother, who was musically inclined and loved to sing, ‘put me to the piano’ at the tender age of
8 under the expert and eagle eye of a dear old lady called Miss Birchall whom I can still clearly recall sitting on
my right, holding a long knitting needle in her hand. Now this needle played a dual role as a music pointer and
also a knuckle rapper and woe betide any of her pupils who let their eyes wander unthinkingly from the music or
allowed their arched fingers or wrists to fall to the keyboard. (Note reference to Miss Birchall “presiding at the
organ” in 1893 on page 45)

I have somewhat painful memories of the dreaded needle but have since been grateful for the lesson it taught
me. I must here confess that the bitter pill of piano lessons was sweetened by Miss Birchall’s housekeeper who
afterwards plied me with scones, china tea and the most delicious home-made pickles I have ever tasted!

However I digress. In 1931 at the age of 15 I succeeded, after great exhortations from my teacher and my
mother, in passing with honours the bronze medal grade of The International Union of Musicians (an
achievement that has never failed to amaze me). At that time I lived with my parents at St Mary’s cottage, next
door to the beautiful church of St Mary’s. The parish priest of St Mary’s was a venerable and saintly old priest
called Fr Thomas Keeley who could often be seen making his way to the nearby post office resplendent in his
floor-length cassock and French Cure’s hat. One of his simple pleasures in life was to visit our house in an
evening, relax in an easy chair, perhaps listen to the radio (he didn’t possess one and there was no T.V. in those
days), have a cup of tea and smoke a couple of cigarettes (Passing Cloud) which he never removed from his lips
and which at the end of the evening left him looking like a snowman, with his cassock liberally covered in
cigarette ash.

This wonderful old man died, as I am sure he would have wished, in harness by collapsing whilst ascending the
altar steps to say Mass on a Sunday I shall never forget.

A new parish priest was duly appointed – Fr Walter Skehan. Fr Walter was a go-getter under whose guidance and
drive many sweeping changes were made both in the parish and in the church itself. The first of these changes
was to replace the old gas lighting in the church by a number of large bronze electric lanterns and to have an
electric blower fitted to the organ. I well remember an amusing incident in the pre-electric days whilst playing
the organ during midnight Mass. In the middle of Mass there was a failure in the main gas regulator and all the
lights slowly faded until, with an ominous series of pops, they expired one by one leaving only the light from the
sanctuary lamp and the six main candles. At that time the organ was hand-blown by means of a large handle
that had to be pumped up and down with sufficient speed to keep up a constant supply of air to the organ pipes.
Needless to say there were times when the poor organ blower who had been pumping away all through High
Mass was stretched to the limits of his aching biceps fought a losing battle with the demands of the organ which
would then produce the most disturbing surging sounds.

Shortly after the arrival of Fr Skehan, the resident organist moved from the district, leaving Fr Skehan with a
problem of a vacant organ seat. Now my parents who were both active church workers immediately decided that
their budding but reluctant offspring would have no problem playing the king of instruments and so the die was
cast and I was thrown in at the deep end. This immediately posed problems to the pianist, the greatest of which
was playing with the feet as well as the hands. During this formative period a dedicated bass singer in the choir
(this was William Halstead) took it upon himself to spend much of his spare time in the evenings up in the choir
gallery pumping the organ whilst I tried to sort out my two left feet. I have much to thank this stalwart friend for
and it is gratifying to me to know that his daughter now occupies the self-same organ seat very competently
(this was Margaret Dickinson (nee Halstead)).

The arrival of Fr Skehan, who was a first class non-playing musician, marked the start of a new era at St Mary’s.
As well as many changes for the better to the church and its surroundings (a situation that provoked a few raised
eyebrows and tut tuts among some of the older members of the congregation) he decided to take the choir in
hand and under his very capable hands a good four-part mixed choir began to take shape, and by the time I left
the parish some 20 years later, the choir had a repertoire of some twelve Latin Masses and innumerable motets.
Some of these Masses were both lengthy and difficult with organ accompaniments that many times taxed my
mediocre talents to the limit. The reputation of this small choir (15 members at full strength) grew to such an
extent that people would regularly come from other parishes particularly on those Sundays when it was sung
High Mass.

Joe Welsby
Note: This reminiscence was written for the Maghera parish magazine (Diocese of Down & Connor) in Easter
1987 and has been edited to fit the space available in this booklet!

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Processional Banners
Pictured below are the various Processional Banners that have survived to the present day. Some of these
Banners are over 100 years old and can be seen in procession in the photos on page 46 – Fr Keeley was in
correspondence with Thomas Brown & Sons of Manchester re: the design and manufacture of the Banners in
1910; on 5th July 1910 he wrote confirming the receipt of “2 large and 5 small Banners” enclosing a cheque for
£108-11-0 in payment (amazingly equivalent to approximately £10,000 in today’s money!!).
Some Banners have been renovated and re-modelled in relatively recent years. The use of Banners in Parish and
Ecumenical processions has diminished in recent years - the large Banners which are depicted on this page have
not been used for a number of years, no longer being in a serviceable condition.
The most recent Banner is that of the Black Madonna – created as part of the Marian Year celebrations in
1987/88. The story of the making of the Banner is recalled by Pat Brindle:
St Mary’s decided that it would contribute a Marian banner as one of the many banners made by parishes from
all over England – Fr Cadogan chose the Shrine of the Black Madonna, Mount St Bernard as St Mary’s
contribution.
The whole Parish was invited to contribute to the making of the banner as it was supposed to be parish venture –
the basic background fabric, all instructions, shrine name and sketch were given to each Parish taking part by the
Bishop at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral. My mother (Margaret Colley) and I volunteered to be involved (and
turned out to be the only volunteers). Together with my husband and two children, I took a trip to Mount St
Bernard Abbey (a Cistercian Monastery) in Leicestershire to have a look at the Madonna. Sadly it was in the
enclosure and as women were not allowed into the enclosure I did not see the statue, although my husband and
son did. On our return to Euxton my mother and I gathered together the materials needed and started and
blundered on to the best of our ability with the banner’s construction.
Many shrines to Our Lady were represented and many banners were made – all were beautiful, many more
professional in quality than ours, but none made with more respect, prayers (and probably swear words) than
ours. On completion all banners and many of the Parish attended a special Mass and procession at the Cathedral
– it was a splendid sight.
Fr Cadogan later arranged a trip to the Abbey in Leicestershire for all the parishioners to show the monks the
finished banner as we had been made so welcome on our first visit. Sadly I was away at the time so was unable
to go. Knowing of the parish visit the statue was brought out of the enclosure for everyone to see……. yet again I
missed it!

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Guardian Angel First Communion

Our Lady St Joseph Black Madonna

Margaret Colley pictured with the
statue of the Black Madonna at
Mount St Bernard Abbey

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Sir Stanley and Lady Margaret Bell
In 1950 Sir Stanley Bell became the new owner of Euxton Hall and, together with his wife Lady Margaret, re-
assumed the role of support for the community that had been the norm during the “Anderton years”. Sir Stanley
was an Anglican, his wife was a Catholic and, as a result, they supported their Churches individually and also
worked to promote a togetherness in the community – their greatest benefaction in this area was probably the
gift of land to enable the building of new primary schools for both Faith communities in the 1960s – perhaps the
best example of Ecumenism in Euxton.
St Mary’s was a very important part of Lady Bell’s life, and she had a particular love for Euxton Hall Chapel which
she restored to its former glory following years of neglect during the previous ownership, including returning the
“Lady Emma Anderton” stained glass window to the Chapel from Liverpool Cathedral where it had been stored
since the end of the “Anderton years”. The Chapel re-opened in 1959 and weekly public Masses in the Chapel
were re-instituted (see page 24 for further details). Sir Stanley and his wife offered staunch support to both Fr
Skehan and Fr Ames during their lives in Euxton.
Sir Stanley was a figure of national significance, for many years being the Chairman and then President of the
Chorley Conservative Association. He was made the Chairman of the National Union of Conservative Associations
in 1958. He served in the First World War with the Liverpool Regiment and then became a pilot officer in the
Royal Flying Corps - following the War he became a successful industrialist and was one of the co-owners of
Highways Hostel. During the Second World War he raised and commanded the 26th Battalion Home Guard
becoming a sector commander with the rank of Colonel, he was awarded the OBE towards the end of the War. He
was knighted in 1954. Prior to moving to Euxton he farmed at Home Farm, Haigh and he maintained a pedigree
herd of Aberdeen Angus cattle at Euxton - he had several horses in training and won the Scottish Grand National
in 1955 with Bar Point. He was Chairman of the Royal Lancashire Agricultural Society in 1954. In 1967 he was
made a deputy Lord Lieutenant of the County.

Sir Stanley died on 23rd July 1972 and was buried in St Mary’s Cemetery; Lady Margaret died on 3rd February
1978 and was buried alongside Sir Stanley following a Requiem Mass at St Mary’s.

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Vincent Parkinson (1920 – 1994)

Vincent Parkinson was awarded the Benemerenti Medal on
8th October 1994 in recognition of his service to the Church.
Vincent Parkinson was born on 31st May 1920, one of 7 children of Edward and Mary Parkinson (nee Roscoe), and
was baptised at St Mary’s on 6th June 1920. Vincent attended St Mary’s primary school, and spent the majority of
his working life at Leyland Motors. He served in the Royal Navy in WW2 and during this conflict both of his
brothers were killed (Francis being buried in St Mary’s Cemetery). Vincent lived in Euxton throughout his life – he
married Anne Sharples in 1955 and they lived happily together until his death, after a short illness, on 21st
November 1994.
His Requiem Mass on 24th November 1994 was celebrated by Fr Cadogan, and attended by a full congregation
gathered to pay their last respects to a much-loved parishioner and friend. Vincent is buried in St Mary’s
Cemetery.

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Last but not Least…… Parish Volunteers
Much of this History has focussed on the church building, which is reasonable given that we are celebrating the
150th Anniversary of its opening, and we can be justly proud of the edifice that it is. But, whilst we laud the
building we should remember that the Parish Community consists of people, and it is the men, women and
children of the Parish that have made it what it is.
Throughout the history of the parish, members of the Parish Community have volunteered their time and
expertise in the service of the Parish, and it’s no exaggeration to say that the Parish could not have operated
without this “volunteer community”.
There is no attempt to name any or all of the volunteers over the 150 years of the life of the church building –
even if we knew who they all were – but simply a need to acknowledge the debt owed to all volunteers over the
ages, whether they be of a “liturgical” or “practical” bent. Long may they continue!!

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Parish Life in Pictures

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Parish Life in Pictures

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