Tyldesley - Religion

Religion

See also: List of churches in Greater Manchester

John Wesley preached in Shakerley four times, between 1748 and 1752, laying the foundations for a place of worship. In the 1780s George Whitfield who worked with Wesley early in his ministry also preached there. Tyldesley's first place of worship, Top Chapel was built in the Square in 1789 for the Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion which had broken from the Church of England. Thomas Johnson, gifted the site on the highest point of Tyldesley and Lady Huntingdon, a supporter of Wesley supplied money for building materials. The chapel became known as Top Chapel from its geographical location.

Before 1825 Tyldesley had no established church, and lay within the ancient parish of Leigh in the Diocese of Chester. The diocese divided in 1847, when the present Diocese of Manchester was created. For ritual baptisms, marriages and burials, the population, had to travel to churches outside of the township's boundaries, Leigh Parish Church or its daughter churches at Astley St Stephen's or Atherton, St John the Baptist, Deane Parish Church or Eccles Parish Church.

The Parish Church of St George, Tyldesley a chapel of ease to Leigh, St Mary's, was built in 1825 on land donated by Thomas Johnson. It was a Commissioners' Church, paid for by money from the parliament of the United Kingdom raised by the Church Building Act 1818, said to be a celebration of Britain's victory in the Battle of Waterloo. Robert Smirke an official architect to the Office of Works, advised the Parliamentary Commissioners on the building of new churches from 1818 onwards, including St George, Tyldesley. The chapel was consecrated on 19 September 1825, dedicated to Saint George. The church could seat 1,100 people, it is 112 feet (34 m) in length, 60 feet (18 m) in width and its spire, a local landmark is 150 feet (46 m) in height. George Ormerod gave the land for the churchyard and also six bells which were cast at Downham Market.

There were chapels of the Congregational, Primitive Methodist, Wesleyan Methodist, Baptist, Welsh Congregational, Welsh Calvinistic and Independent Methodist connexions. Welsh chapels served the Welsh people who migrated to Tyldesley after the opening of the railway in 1864.