Friends Meeting House, Westhoughton in the County of -- Lancashire --

Quaker Meeting House
Wigan Road, Westhoughton

	Quaker Meeting House

From the Horwich & Westhoughton Journal 6th December 1968

The religious foundations were laid in Westhoughton in 1807 when Thomas Shillitoe visited the township and spoke to various people of the neighbourhood.

His reports say that 34 attended that first meeting. Shortly afterwards the first Meeting House was acquired; it was a simple barn off Wearish Lane which had been previously used for drying wools. According the reports of the time, the building was in a bad state with large holes at either end; but it wasn’t long before the local friends had made shutters for the holes and done the necessary repairs. A number of rough benches were made for the friends to sit upon, and their meetings continued until 1828 when a purpose built meetinghouse was constructed off Wigan Road.

	Graves in the Quaker cemetery

Historic Building to go

Westhoughton’s historic Friends’ Meeting House in Wigan Road is to be demolished. Two years ago it was listed by the Ministry as a building of special architectural and historic interest.

But the trustees of the Hardshaw Estates who own the Friends’ Meeting House have found dry rot, and to restore the building would be financially unsound.

Built in 1823, it is probably the oldest church in the town, and Westhoughton Council will have certain legal responsibilities regarding the graveyard.

Counc. Frank Woods said that while there was a certain amount of sentimentality about the building, it had no exceptional qualities which would warrant a Government grant towards its restoration.

He said the Council had been told that because of the dry rot, it would be too expensive to restore, and would have to be demolished.

	Stone from the Original Meeting House

Despite the loss of their old ‘home’ Westhoughton Quakers are determined that their cause shall not die in the district, and meetings for worship are at present being held on Sunday mornings in the adjacent cottage.

But in the endeavour to interest new ‘Friends’ a series of public meetings have been arranged for Sunday afternoons and evenings, and the first of these is due this weekend.

There will be a meeting for worship in the afternoon followed by a communal tea for which visitors should bring their own food. Speaker in the evening will be Mr William H Ashmore, of Wythenshawe and his will discuss “Beliefs of the Society of Friends”.

On Sunday October 25th, Mr David M Blamires of Wythenshawe, will discuss the Society’s history, and on November 29th Mr Edward W Fox of Manchester, will discuss its “Present Witness”.

Dry Rot

It is two years since the announcement that the meetinghouse would have to be closed because of the ravages of dry rot and the fact that restoration would be too costly.

The news was received with regret because only a short time previously it had been listed by the Ministry as a building of special architectural and historic interest.

It is the oldest church building in the town, having been established in 1823, and in the early days when many Westhoughton boys and girls were taught to read and write there. The writing desks, in fact, are still in the schoolroom.

Older people will remember the crowded lantern lectures given on Saturday nights by two Manchester Friends, John Ashworth and Spence Hodson; happy days of merriment and homemade entertainment.

During the first world war free soup was served and enthusiastic peace meetings were held. There were flourishing men and women’s classes. Sunday school outings, concerts and parties. Now there are only the echoes …and alas, the cobwebs.

But there are stalwarts who still remain faithful to the cause, and it is their ambition to see a new building possibly on the same site. First they must demonstrate the need hence the present drive for new members.