An Illustrated History of Old Sutton in St.Helens
Part 7 (of 58) - History of Religion in Sutton, St.Helens Part 1
a) Introduction
Although Christianity arrived quite early in South Lancashire, the ideal of a church in every township was not realised in Sutton until the 1840s. For hundreds of years, the Sutton township had been part of the large parish of Prescot which stretched as far north as Rainford, with Henry V1 having transferred Prescot parish's living to the authority of King’s College Cambridge in 1446. St.Mary's church in Prescot was built around 1100 and although rebuilt in 1610, the original vestry and font, as well as sections of the chancel walls, have survived.With no place of worship in Sutton, the township's denizens either had to journey to St.Mary's or walk or ride through miry lanes to St.Helen's church in Hardshaw. From 1388, the fit and able Suttoners could choose to attend Farnworth church near Widnes, which was built by Sir John Bold, and from the 1830s worshippers could also commute to Parr to attend services at the original church of St.Peter's.
For those passing through Sutton, roadside crosses were strategically placed on Marshalls Cross Road and Peasley Cross Road, so that travellers on those highways could stop and pray for a safe journey. This important north-south route probably dates back even earlier than Roman times.
The more well-to-do Sutton residents might worship at home or at their friends' or neighbours' houses with services ministered by travelling preachers. However, large numbers of the township's working class were either unable or unwilling to attend church. It was said by Methodist preachers in 1800 that many of Sutton's colliers had never heard the word of God until they addressed the miners at open air meetings. Sometimes ministers would preach to labourers at their own works and during the nineteenth century, the Congregational Church regularly held bible classes in a room at the Sutton Copper works.
As described in the Lords and Masters page, worshipping the wrong denomination at the wrong time could get you into terrible trouble! Sutton's Holland family paid a considerable price, with Protestant Roger Holland burnt at the stake in 1558 and Roman Catholic Thomas Holland hung and quartered in 1642.
As the Sutton population expanded during the nineteenth century, churches within the township were seen as necessities. The first purpose-built place of worship was built in Lancots Lane in 1845 by the Wesleyan Methodists. However, the Sutton Parish Church of St.Nicholas was hot on its heels and was built in New Street on a much bigger scale.
b) Sutton Parish Churches
To commemorate the fourth centenary of the foundation of King’s College in Cambridge, their provost and scholars elected to build a church at Sutton and endow it as a separate vicarage. A site in New Street, near the old workhouse, was chosen as its location, with the ground donated by Sir Henry Bold Houghton. The church was dedicated to St.Nicholas, a patron saint of King’s College Cambridge and it was built from pink sandstone. The Hughes family of Sherdley Hall contributed to the funding of Sutton Church, as it was generally known, with its consecration on June 4th, 1849 by the Bishop of Chester, Rev. John Graham.
St.Nicholas Church in New Street, Sutton photographed c.1910 - contributed by Sutton Historic Society
On July 14th and 16th, 1865, a new organ was unveiled at the church which was made by Henry Willis of London and donated by Lord of the Manor, William Roby Pilkington. Rev. Vallancey invited Cathedral organist George Cooper of St.James Palace's Chapel Royal in London to perform in three choral services that were held over the two days. Four prayer-readers and preachers were also brought in for the celebratory occasion.
On November 21st 1871, the Liverpool Mercury reported how going to Sutton Church had become an invitation for burglars. In describing how Edward Rigby of Robins Lane had had his house burgled on the previous Sunday evening, the newspaper claimed that St.Helens was "infested with burglars from Liverpool every Sunday evening, who watch families to church and then plunder their houses." In 1879 an east window was added to the church which was thought to have been designed by expert stained glass window designer Henry Holiday.
In January 1884, Rev. Gibson Downing arrived at St.Nicholas as a curate. However in 1886 he was appointed curate-in-charge with full control of the parish through the infirmity of Rev. Vallancey, who died two years later. His successor was Maximilian Frederick Breffit Binney who served as Vicar of Sutton for eleven years from 1889. During his tenure, Rev. Binney supervised the construction of All Saints Church in Ellamsbridge Road. The major benefactors who funded the enterprise included Lord of the Manor William 'Roby' Pilkington who provided the site plus £1000 and Sutton Glass Works, managed by William Blinkhorn, who gave a total of £800 (£300 from shareholders and £500 personally from Blinkhorn). The latter's daughter Emily, incidentally, married Rev. Binney in 1898. Harriet Whyatt of Bold Hall contributed £600 and £100 each was contributed by Edith Hughes of Sherdley Hall, Arthur Sinclair, Mr. F. Pemberton and King's College, Cambridge. All Saints was built from red sandstone and like St. Nicholas, was designed by the renowned Lancaster architects Paley and Austin.
The Manchester Times of August 7th, 1891 reported that William Pilkington's daughter had laid the foundation stone for the church some three days earlier. They said the total cost would be £6,800 and the new church near St.Helens Junction station would accommodate 600 worshippers.
A drawing of All Saints Church by architects Paley & Austin which was published in 'The Building News' 10/7/1891
Although often referred to as 'St.Nick's' church today, for much of the twentieth century, St.Nicholas was known to Suttoners as 'Top Church', to differentiate it from All Saints within the more residential Sutton Village.
Improvements were made to the New Street church whenever funds allowed. A Liverpool Mercury article from January 26th, 1897 stated that Parr contractor Peter Tickle had commenced work on a new tower for St.Nicholas, which was set to cost between £700 and £800.
The funds had been provided by Charlotte Hughes of Sherdley Hall who'd donated £1000 as a memorial to her mother Ellinor, who'd died in 1895, with the balance going towards "reseating of the body of the church".
A condition was that the two front sets of pews be reserved "forever" for the use of Sherdley Hall. Two plaques were attached to the pews to inform worshippers of this, which still exists today. A few Suttoners can still recall as children, seeing the tall, powerfully-built Michael Hughes III in his reserved seating at the front of the church singing hymns. With Hughes's death in 1938 and the sale of the contents of Sherdley Hall in the following year, the plaque's in perpetuity condition only lasted forty years.
Plaque on the side of pews in St.Nicholas church reserving seats for Sherdley Hall - photographed in 2011
Three Vicars of Sutton Parish church (left to right): Rev. Maximilian F.B. Binney (1889 - 1900), Rev. Frederick
S.C. Crane (1901 - 1910) and Rev. William E. Colegrove (1910 - 1939) - Contributed by James Prescott
Rev. Binney left Sutton for Richmond in Surrey in June 1900. He was replaced by Frederick S. C. Crane, who was born in South America about 1863 and had been the Rector of Lower Crumpsall in Manchester. There seemed to have been some difficulty in Crane taking up his appointment straight away. In July advertisements appeared in newspapers requesting a priest's temporary help in Sutton Parish. Applicants had to be "moderate", "single" and a "good preacher" with £160 offered for work of "some months". In 1901 Crane moved into the newly-built vicarage in Waterdale Crescent with his Irish wife Florence and toddler daughter Barbara in 1901. This had been built mainly through further largesse from William 'Roby' Pilkington who in July 1900 donated £1000 to the project. The benefactor, now resident in Roby Hall, also persuaded King's College Cambridge to contribute £500.
Rev. Crane got off to a poor start with his parishioners who held a protest meeting to complain about alleged "ritualistic practices" at his St.Nicholas church. On Sunday May 24th 1903, when the vicar moved to the communion table to dedicate a cross and ornaments, nearly all of the congregation walked out of the church in a coordinated protest.
A picture of Sutton Parish churchyard in front of St.Nicholas c.1910 - Contributed by Sutton Historic Society
On June 4th a vestry meeting was attended by an astonishing 500 Sutton parishioners and The Times reported that "the proceedings were marked at times with considerable feeling and liveliness". All but Crane and two parishioners voted for the cross and ornaments to be removed, a verdict which the Bishop of Liverpool felt should be honoured.
Although the vicar somewhat grudgingly complied, relations with his flock were probably never the same and in 1910 he swapped benifices with William Edward Colegrove (1859 -1940) of Alvanley, Cheshire and died soon afterwards.
Two pictures of Rev. Colegrove - the first in 1911 has the vicar to the right of the drum with the Church Lads
Brigade - in the second c.1935, contributed by Jim Lamb, parishioners are preparing for an outing
Rev. Colegrove was yet another controversial vicar in Sutton parish who was also alleged to have performed ritualistic services. He was Vicar of Sutton for 29 years but fell out with the Parochial Church Council that he himself chaired and he refused to attend meetings or cooperate with council members. Frank Bamber in 'Clog Claggers in Old Sutton' remembered him as being rather cold:
The vicar was known as “Owd Colegrove”. To my mind, he lacked the common touch. We never saw him smile. He was remote from us and there was a period where the parish split through his arrogance....The vicar himself, with his red owl like face always seemed to be looking up over our heads whenever he passed us by. 
On Sunday, March 8th the band of 'Ironsides' sang a succession of hymns in an attempt to prevent Rev. Colegrove from completing his Eucharist. So Bishop David took the unprecedented step of ordering that the church be closed on the following Sunday from 9am until 6pm. However, this cooling off period while the Bishop talked to both sides proved unsuccessful. On March 29th, when Dr. David himself took part in the Choral Eucharist, a band of fifty 'Ironsides' wearing regalia and carrying a banner, walked out of the Ellamsbridge Road church to hold their own service outside.
Rev. W. E. Colegrove served Sutton parish for 29 years and has an austere grave at St.Nicholas
Dr. David praised Rev. Colegrove's sterling work in his parish but he'd clearly had enough of his behaviour and tactfully called for the long-standing and ageing vicar to go:
Mr. Colegrove's personal work in Sutton has been remarkable during an incumbency of 26 years, but the fruits of this long service there will suffer unless they can soon pass into younger hands...I have been advising him in his own interests and in those of the parish to contemplate resignation. 
Sutton vicars Rev. J. D. Jones (1939 - 50) and Rev. V. L. Tucker Harvey (1950 - 59) Contributed by James Prescott
William Colegrove's successor was J. D. Jones who was Vicar of Sutton between 1939 and 1950. A report in the St.Helens Newspaper of June 6th 1941, stated that the organ in St.Nicholas had become unplayable and it would cost £28 to repair. The article said that Rev. Jones planned to be in the porch of his church as worshippers entered to receive contributions to his organ fund. Rev. Jones was succeeded by V. L. Tucker Harvey who formed the 33rd St Helens Guides at St Nicholas in 1955. Tucker Harvey was the incumbent until May 1959 when he became rector of Sanderstead.
Reg was another Sutton vicar to make it into The Times after he'd persuaded a soap manufacturer to make 'Sutton Parish Hall' branded soap bars. Rev. Smith then recruited a salesforce of female church workers to sell his soap door to door in Sutton, with the proceeds from the sales going towards the cost of materials for the new hall.
Sutton's first vicar, Henry Vallancey, probably turned in his modest grave at the front of St.Nicholas! When he needed funds, Vallancey sent out letters to his wealthy parishioners and as local representative of the all-powerful church, they didn't dare refuse him. However, in the era of the swinging sixties and diminishing church attendances, vicars had to develop lateral thinking when fundraising. However, Rev. Smith's soap initiative, which bypassed local traders, went down badly with some of them. Charles Lee, the owner of a hardware shop in Sutton, was not impressed by the competition:
The vicar's attitude seems to be one of not minding whose feet he treads on. He asks shopkeepers to help his campaign and then starts taking our customers away...where's it going to end? 
(The Times 7th January, 1963)
Rev. J. R. 'Reg' Smith (left) in March 1963 literally doing the spadework for the St.Nicholas Parish Hall!
(contributed by James Lamb)
Two notable curates at Sutton during this time were J. Waine (1930 - ?) and Jonathan Bailey (1940 - 2008). Rev. Waine was in charge of All Saints until January 1960 when he became Vicar of St. Michael's in Ditton and then the Vicar of Holy Trinity in Southport. After becoming Rector of Kirkby, he was made Bishop of Stafford in April 1975. Rev. Bailey served the parish of Sutton for three years from 1965 and in 1995 became the Bishop of Derby. He was also a very keen bee-keeper, who at one time owned 60,000 bees!
Other remembered curates of the 1960s were Dennis Ryder, Bill Harrington, Fred Cheal, John Lewis and Jeremy Howett. Rev. W. H. Harrington took over J. Waine's role at All Saints when he left in 1960 and then in May 1964 he replaced him at St. Michael's, Ditton. John Lewis became Archdeacon of Europe.
In September 1966 Reg Smith left Sutton to become Rector of the Parish of Bury and was made an MBE in 1997, six months before his death. His successor was Paul Collingwood Nelson Conder who was Vicar of Sutton from 1967 until November 1975 when he became Vicar of Thames Ditton. Rev. Conder was the last of the eight Vicars of Sutton, as his successors Michael Soulsby (1976 - 89) and J. L. Higham held the position of Rector and since 1990, with S. A. Mather (1990 - 96), Sutton Parish has been served by Team Vicars.
Revds. S. A. Mather (left) and M. Soulsby (right) at St.Nicholas Gala day c. 1990 - contributed by James Lamb
The role of vicar has changed much since Vallancey's days when the parish had just one church. In the Liverpool Mercury of October 26th, 1888 there was an advertisement for a two day auction of the late vicar's possessions, which included a one-horse brougham and harness. It would have been a common sight to see Henry Vallancey ambling round Sutton in his horse and carriage on his way to inspect his schools or take tea with parishioners. These days with a trio of churches - including St.Michael & All Angels in Gartons Lane which opened in the late 1950s - there is much more organisation required to preach the gospel and provide pastoral care for the Sutton community and so a team ethos thrives.
Repairs to the St.Nicholas Church roof took place in June 1994 - contributed by James Lamb
On September 15th 1990, the Ven. G. Spiers, Archdeacon of Liverpool inaugurated an extension of St. Nicholas. The work was completed in 1992 and also included an extension to the parish hall and the tower clock was then restored. Many parishioners contributed to the cost, commemorated by plaques inside the church. During the summer of 1994, extensive repairs to the church roof were carried out.
Memories of Sutton Part 10 article: My St.Nicholas Choir Days by Harry Hickson;
Sutton Tragedy 2 article: The Romantic Suicide on John Birch who died in Sutton Parish churchyard;
Sutton Trivia & True Facts! article: A 'Breeze' At Sutton Parish Church;
Dedicated page on Reverend Henry Vallancey; St.Nicholas Church Photo-Album
c) Sutton Chapels including Methodist & Welsh Chapels
As stated in the introduction, St.Nicholas in New Street was not the first purpose-built church in Sutton. In 1845, four years before the Sutton Parish Church was consecrated, the Wesleyan Methodists built a chapel on the corner of Lancots Lane and Sutton Road. It was built on land donated by industrialist William Blinkhorn, using cobbles made out of copper slag donated by Newton Keates & Co. On November 17th 1870, the cornerstone of larger premises at 364 Sutton Road was laid by Thomas Hazelehurst of Runcorn and the Wesleyans moved in during the following year. It cost them £2,000 to construct, although initially they retained their original church as a Sunday School. By 1891 this was proving quite inadequate with the 300 scholars and teachers crammed into a building just 46 feet long and 23 feet wide. The smaller children were forced to sit on the bare floor and the building had become somewhat dilapidated.So in December 1891 a three day bazaar was opened in the Wesleyan Schools in Hardshaw Street, St. Helens. This was part of a fundraising drive to finance a new Sunday school in Sutton that was going to cost £1500 to build. In opening the bazaar, Dr. Mc.Nicholl said the existing school was a "disgrace to Sutton" and "an eyesore". At a further fundraising bazaar on March 11th 1897, it was stated that the Wesleyan Methodists still owed £450 on their new Sunday school.
The Sutton Oak Welsh Chapel, initially a Methodist church then a Sunday school - Contributed by Sutton Historic Society
On September 7th 1893, the old Sunday school was sold to the Welsh community who used it as a non-denominational, non-conformist place of worship. There had been a considerable influx of Welsh copper workers into Sutton during the 19th century and their first church services had taken place in a cottage in 1834. Later the Welsh occupied a storeroom at Crone and Taylor's fertiliser and manures factory in Lancots Lane. The congregation had to climb through a hole in the surrounding wall to gain access to the storeroom and so it was quickly dubbed the "Hole in the Wall" church. Although the "slag chapel" across the road became too small for the Methodists, it was ideal for the Welsh and the Sutton Oak Welsh Chapel still exists to this day, although it's currently closed.
The former Welsh Presbyterian Chapel in Peckers Hill Road photographed in February 2010
There used to be another Welsh chapel located at the bottom of Peckers Hill Road (no.5) by Hoghton Road, known as the St.Helens Junction Welsh Chapel. The building still exists but is now seemingly a dilapidated storeroom with the Welsh Presbyterian Church having sold the property in 1989. Its origins date back to 1893 when a meeting of Welshmen was held in the Junction Lane house of David Jones. They elected to rent a room over a shoe shop in Peckers Hill Road and their first service was held in October of that year, conducted by Rev. Ellis Lloyd. A minister of the Welsh Presbyterian Chapel in Hardshaw Street in St.Helens took services on Sunday afternoons and in 1894 sixteen of their members transferred to Sutton. Soon the rented room became overcrowded and so it was decided to build a chapel of their own, which was eventually opened in January 1897 with a schoolroom added in 1913. Rev. J. Peron Jones ministered at both the Peckers Hill Road and Hardshaw Street chapels for over forty years, with all of their services conducted in the Welsh language.
Somtimes a combined choir from both Sutton Welsh chapels performed together, such as on Sunday 7th May 1939. Then a choir visited Walton prison to perform for the benefit of Welsh prisoners. It was led by R. Penbryn Hughes, a joiner and undertaker living in Junction Lane. He arrived in Sutton about 1904 from his native Conway and for many years conducted the Sutton and District Juvenile Choral Societies. A Welsh Baptist chapel also existed at 234 Robins Lane in Sutton, although little seems known of it.
A Railway Mission also existed in Junction Lane and the Congregational Church built a chapel in Sutton Road in Peasley Cross near the railway bridge. The foundation stone was laid for the latter by Richard Pilkington on October 4th 1864, along with a bottle containing a copy of The Times and local newspapers such as the Liverpool Mercury and the St. Helens Intelligencer. The hermetically-sealed time capsule also contained a copy of the St.Helens Advertising Almanack, a record of the stone-laying ceremony plus various coins of the realm.
The Congregational Church was opened in December 1865 and adopted a Gothic style of architecture with a nave and aisle plus porch and tower and spire in the middle. It was constructed from stone sourced from quarries in Rainford and Rainhill by builder William Harrison for about £3000. The architect was Thomas Oliver from Newcastle who designed the church to accommodate 600 adults and 150 children and its first minister was Rev. William Ganett Horder.
Originally a Sunday school was held in a side aisle of the chapel that accommodated 90 pupils. This soon proved inadequate and on October 3rd 1871, the foundation stone of a new building for Sunday School instruction was laid. There was then 473 pupils with 28 teachers and officers and the new Sunday school which adjoined the chapel was able to accommodate 600 persons. The architect and builder was George Harris and the cost of construction was about £1700. Annual field and sports days were held in Sherdley Park, mainly organised by the Women's Bible Class and Brotherhood. The chapel and school were demolished about 1975 and a lighter church building replaced it.
Up until 1933 there was a little Primitive Methodist chapel on Robins Lane that backed onto an entry between Edgeworth Street and Ellen Street. It was nicknamed the 'Tin Chapel' as its roof and outside walls were encased in corrugated sheets. There was no dedicated minister but members of a Methodist circuit preached in the chapel supported by local lay preachers. After it closed, the building became a social centre for St.Annes RC church but has long been demolished. Worshippers transferred to the Methodist chapel in Sutton Road which Frank Bamber in his 'Clog Clatters in Old Sutton' described as a large building:
...where we used to socialize on an evening after leaving school. Here we played all sorts of games, blind man’s buff, guessing games and kiss in ring. We greatly enjoyed ourselves here. 
Independent Methodist church in Herbert Street, now Sutton Village Church - Contributed by Sutton Historic Society
The Zion Independent Methodist Chapel at 107 Herbert Street had its roots at Little Neston colliery on the Wirral. When it closed in 1884 many miners left the area seeking work. Some who had worshipped at the newly-founded Independent Methodist chapel in Elizabeth Street in Liverpool came to Sutton. One was Ishmael Kendrick who briefly held some prayer meetings at his Alice Street home. Then on November 12th 1884, Thomas Hilton opened his Herbert Street home for services and wooden benches were installed in his front room. A portable lectern was made to fit over the back of a chair and Johnson Anderton brought his small harmonica organ from his Hoghton Road home for the 3pm and 6pm services. Hymn books were provided by the Liverpool Circuit of Independent Methodist Churches.
The accommodation was soon inadequate and on June 1st 1885 a wooden chapel was opened on Lee Street. It had been purchased by Mr. J. Splash, the manager of a lead works for £12 and he also arranged for its transportation to St.Helens Junction. Local wags dubbed it 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' or 'Noah's Ark'! The hut's exterior was gas tarred and inside it was whitewashed and lit by oil lamps. It was later improved by gas lighting and oak-grained papering. More and more children began attending meetings, so in 1886 a Sunday School was established. Then in 1887 a new organ was purchased at a cost of £18.
The reopening of the Independent Methodist chapel in Herbert Street in 1910 - Contributed by John Dolan
As the Sutton population increased, so did the numbers attending chapel and a new purpose-built church was required. So three hundred square yards of land in Herbert Street was leased from William Pilkington, Lord of the Manor of Sutton, and the new chapel was opened by William Sanderson on September 27th 1891. The building made out of brick, accommodated three hundred worshippers. As the congregation grew, it was appreciated that more space was needed and so an additional 207.5 square yards of land was leased. A side wall was removed and the building was elongated with its reopening on June 25th 1910 attended by five hundred people.
In 1934 the entrance to the chapel was redesigned, the hipped roof was removed and the whole building was made uniform. Inside the building, classrooms with folding partitions were created on both floors that were accessed by a balcony running the width of the hall.
In 1962 another two-storey extension was added by Thomas's builders of Sutton, which ran parallel to the main hall. This created large meeting rooms that were used for the Sunday School, as well as a kitchen. A car park adjacent to the building was created in 1980 when 288 square yards of land at the side of the church was rented from St.Helens Council. The agreed rent was £50 p.a. but within six years had increased to £430 per year. Fortunately the council allowed them to purchase the land for £3000 in 1987 and the debt was cleared within five years.
The Independent Methodists have been renowned for the training of volunteer ministers and for the Christian Endeavour movement which began when the chapel was first built. Elva Simpson's 'Miners and Saints in Sutton' describes three well-known preachers at the Herbert Street church:
Three notable characters of the time, Jack Kitts, Billy Hardy and Billy Southern, used to sit in a little front pew (three was a squash) and used to shout with the preacher. If they agreed, they encouraged and exhorted but they would publicly correct him if they thought that the preaching was wrong and in error of Scripture. 
Thought to be the opening of the Emmanuel Mission in Helena Road c.1936. Note the bibles many are holding.
Can you name any of the people? View High Resolution version - Supersized version - Contributed by Janet Ball
Kitts and Southern were originally hard-drinking miners who decided to change their ways and began preaching against the evils of drink. Frank Bamber wrote in 'Clog Clatters' that when the new Wheatsheaf Hotel in Mill Lane was opened in 1938, the pair tried unsuccessfully to stop a large crowd from entering the pub. The pair castigated the drinkers that they were entering the "House of the Devil".
Billy Hardy was the son of Alfred Hardy, who was the landlord of the Boilermaker's Arms during the 1890s and the early 1900s. In the 1946 booklet, 'God's Dealings with William Hardy of St Helens', he was described of having been a "victim of his own liquor, being a drunkard ever since I could remember him. A great bookie and gambler". Astonishingly, young Willie - as his family knew him - had been drinking from the age of five and wouldn't go to bed without a glass of beer. He rushed to enlist at the outbreak of war, imagining that it would be "a grand holiday". Badly wounded in the arm while fighting on the Somme, Billy Hardy was finally discharged from the army in the spring of 1918.
In 1920 he married Mary and the pair had a difficult early life together. When in drink Billy would strike his wife and he left home on several occasions. One day while sleeping off the effects of an afternoon's boozing, his two-years-old son John tugged at his arm. The little boy told his father that he'd been to Sunday school to learn about Jesus. Billy told him that he wasn't to go any more but later when bound for the pub, found himself in a chapel listening to a preaching miner. Billy told his unbelieving wife that he was changing his ways and then preached and prayed in front of the Boilermakers Arms. His mates inside his birthplace thought he was indulging in a joke and laughed at him. Billy later reflected how that experience had "killed timidity in me. I have never since feared going anywhere for my blessed Jesus".
Billy Hardy in the middle of this photograph at the Emmanuel Mission - Contributed by Janet Ball
If you can identify anyone else in this photograph, please do contact me. Thank you. SRW.
'Pastor Billy' became renowned for his 'fire and brimstone' preaching in the Independent Methodist Church in Herbert Street and then the Emmanuel Mission in Helena Road. He made several visits to the United States, where he was said to have followings of thousands and filled Madison Square Gardens. Billy's son John Hardy - who was instrumental in his father's conversion - became a builder, erecting homes in Eccleston.
The Independent Methodist Church in Herbert Street is now known as Sutton Village Church and they still hold their annual Walk of Witness. This tradition first began 120 years ago and involves worshippers touring Sutton singing hymns. The 1911 census also lists a Sutton Baptist Mission at 12 Ellamsbridge Road. No further information on this is currently available.
Sutton Beauty & Heritage strives for factual accuracy at all times. Please do also get in touch if you believe that there are any errors, with details of any corrections contained within the site's update history page, which also details the regular updates. Many individuals from all over the world have kindly contributed Sutton information and photographs. If you would like to participate in this project, I would be delighted to hear from you and this website always credits any assistance given. Do also consider contributing any recollections of old Sutton that you might have for the Sutton Memories pages, which are proving very popular. I respond quickly to emails and if you haven't received a response within 12 hours, do check your junk mail folder or send your message again. Thank you! SRW
