Religion
The town has a long religious history. It was the birthplace of John James Blunt, a divine and Anglican priest. Josiah Wedgwood was a Unitarian and he and his family attended meetings at the Old Meeting House, adjacent to St. Giles' Church, which is still in use for this purpose.
The town itself has a large number of Anglican churches including St. Giles' Church, the mediæval parish church dating from 1290, as well as several Catholic churches, most notably Holy Trinity, whose style is Gothic in blue engineering bricks, described as... "the finest modern specimen of ornamental brickwork in the kingdom" at the time.
In the 18th century John Wesley made repeated visits to the area, which was becoming more industrialised. He recruited many residents to Methodism. This is reflected in the large number of Methodist churches. The largest Baptist church in North Staffordshire is in Newcastle.
Of interest also is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon), located across from the Brampton Park, which serves as the 'stake centre' for the church in the region and has an on-site Family History Centre where the public can research their ancestry for little or no charge.
Read more about this topic: Newcastle-under-Lyme
Famous quotes containing the word religion:
“Existentialism is about being a saint without God; being your own hero, without all the sanction and support of religion or society.”
—Anita Brookner (b. 1938)
“A man has no religion who has not slowly and painfully gathered one together, adding to it, shaping it; and one’s religion is never complete and final, it seems, but must always be undergoing modification.”
—D.H. (David Herbert)
“Not thou nor thy religion dost controule,
The amorousnesse of an harmonious Soule,
But thou would’st have that love thy selfe: As thou
Art jealous, Lord, so I am jealous now,
Thou lov’st not, till from loving more, thou free
My soule: Who ever gives, takes libertie:
O, if thou car’st not whom I love
Alas, thou lov’st not mee.”
—John Donne (1572–1631)