Shaw and Crompton - Religion

Religion

See also: List of churches in Greater Manchester

The township of Crompton was originally within the parish of Prestwich-cum-Oldham in the Diocese of Lichfield, until 1541, when, owing to the English Reformation, this diocese was divided and Crompton became part of the Diocese of Chester. This in turn was divided in 1847, when the present Diocese of Manchester was created.

The exact date of the establishment of a place of worship in Crompton is uncertain. Although Shaw Chapel is certain to have been in existence since the early 16th century, it has been put that "Shaw Chapel is even more ancient than Oldham Old Church", as evidenced by the ancient toponymy of the area. Shaw Chapel was anciently known as St Patrick's Chapel-on-the-Moor, and during the reign of James I of England, "it was situate in the midst of the common called Shaw Moor, not a single habitation being near it". It is thought to have been constructed following an increase in wealth produced by the localisation of the woollen trade during a very bleak period, although, in 1552 it was noted that it had no endowment, and its ornaments were in poor condition. It was rebuilt in 1739 and enlarged in 1798, and rebuilt again in 1870. It is now known as the Church of Holy Trinity.

Shaw and Crompton has three Church of England ecclesiastic parishes: Shaw, High Crompton, and East Crompton. In addition to the established church, a variety of Reformed denominations, particularly Nonconformism and Methodism, have been practiced in Shaw and Crompton. Presbyterian ministers were recorded preaching at Shaw Chapel in as early as the 1650s. The Religious Society of Friends held conventicles in Whitfield in 1660s and 1670s.

The following is a table of the churches presently in Shaw and Crompton, as of 2007. Others have existed, but have been demolished.

Church	Denomination	Completed	Website
East Crompton, St James	Church of England	1847	www.ecsj.org.uk
East Crompton, St Saviours Crompton Fold	Church of England	1908	www.ecsj.org.uk
Shaw, Holy Trinity	Church of England	1871	www.holytrinityshaw.co.uk
St Mary's High Crompton	Church of England	1872	-
Shore Edge Methodist	Methodist	1873	-
St Andrew's Methodist	Methodist	-	-
St Paul's Shaw Methodist	Methodist	1863	www.stpaulsshaw.org.uk
Shaw United Reformed Church	Non-conformist	1885	Shaw & Heyside United Reformed Church
St Joseph Roman Catholic Church	Roman Catholic	1870	-
Salvation Army Church	Salvation Army	1896	-

Most of the above churches participate in Shaw's annual Whit Walks event, when congregations, choirs, and brass bands parade through the streets from their respective churches before taking part in one large, communal, inter-church service. The town centre is also home to a small mosque.