Before the 1995 reordering

This image has survived in the Cathedral archives. It was believed that the picture showed the church sometime in the 1980s, though in fact a keen-eyed blog reader has tracked down the source of this image, which - it turns out - was taken in July 1994. It gives a good impression of how the Cathedral looked just before the 1995 reordering. Most of the walls have simply been whitewashed, giving the building a much less colourful feel than did the earlier - and later - decoration. Thank you to John Rogan for his input and observation skills!

Archbishop Thomas Whiteside

On this day in 1921 Thomas Whiteside, first Archbishop of Liverpool, died suddenly at the age of 63. Seemingly he had worked himself to death, being a most diligent bishop and one who was reluctant to delegate any duties. At the time the city of Lancaster was a part of his diocese; there is, however, a much greater reason why he is of importance to this parish. Thomas Whiteside was born in Lancaster, son of Robert and Isabella Whiteside, who lived on St George's Quay. His birth took place on 17th April 1857 - twelve days before the foundation stone of St Peter's church was blessed. He was an altar server here and attended St Peter's school before going to seminary. He was ordained priest at St John Lateran, the Cathedral Church of Rome, on 30th May 1885. In 1894 he was appointed fourth Bishop of Liverpool, and became the first Archbishop of the diocese when it was made a metropolitan see in 1911. We will meet Archbishop Whiteside again as the year goes on; he took a special interest in Lancaster, though sadly died a few years too early to see his home parish become a cathedral in 1924.

For the Canonization of the Martyrs

On this day in 1935 Cathedral parishioners were praying for the canonization of two English martyrs: Blessed John Fisher and Thomas More, depicted here in the Cathedral's English Martyrs Window, which was already in place. The notice book for the previous Sunday (20th January 1935) announced the event: "Next Sunday - day of intercession for the canonization of Bl. John Fisher and Thomas More - Masses 7.30, 8.30, 9.30 & 11.0 - this sung by His Lordship the Bishop - General Communion for the parish. Exposition after 11.0 Mass until evening service, when there will be procession of the Blessed Sacrament, in which Men's Sodality, Children of Mary & Guild of St Agnes will walk." The two martyrs were, in fact, canonized later that year.

The English Martyrs window also features an image of King Henry VIII, who had both Fisher and More beheaded in 1535, four hundred years before their canonisation. The notice book contains another announcement following the request about the martyrs, this one referring to transport for the parish: "We regret that only 15 names were given for a bus service on the Marsh - this matter will be suspended for the time being. We are pleased to say that the traffic manager will begin the new bus service from Scotforth and Bowerham next Sunday 27 Jan - times of buses in the church porch." Scotforth and Bowerham would be served by a new parish, St Bernadette's, in due course, while the Marsh would have its own new church just two years later. Its patron? St Thomas More.

1860: Moving the Graves of Dalton Square

Records of baptisms, marriages and deaths are kept in all parishes. Canon Billington refers to the death register from the time of the Dalton Square chapel (1799-1859), forerunner of the present St Peter's: "As there was no burial-ground, though a few persons, including Dr. Rigby, were buried in the chapel itself, the last-named section of the register is headed "Dormientium in Domino Catalogus" [literally: the register of those who sleep in the Lord]; it gives date, name, residence, and cause of death, and Dr. Rigby often added a short personal note." Dr. Rigby was the rector (parish priest) at Dalton Square for about two decades; he must have come to know the local faithful very well and it is revealing that he often made his own comments in the register. Modern registers do not allow for this!

As the extract mentioned, Dr. Rigby himself, after his death was buried in the chapel, along with a few of the more prominent parishioners, as Billington records: "Helen Beetham, Nov. 9, 1827; Alice, widow of Robert Worswick, Oct. 24, 1828; Jane Beetham, Aug. 8, 1831; also some others. The remains were removed to St. Peter's Cemetery in January 1860." The above picture shows the stone which marks Dr. Rigby's grave. It was uncovered in 2008, having been beneath the surface for many decades. The lettering is very worn, possibly from the time when the stone was on the floor of the Dalton Square Chapel.

Mr. Edward Graham Paley

On this day in 1895 Edward Paley, architect of St Peter's, died. Canon Billington writes, "The plans [for the church] had been drawn up by Mr. Edward Graham Paley of Lancaster, who took a special interest in this church, which is by many considered to be his finest work. Mr. Paley was born at Easingwold in Yorkshire in 1824, and was partner with Mr. Edmund Sharpe, another famous Lancaster architect, whose sister he married. He died January 23, 1895. He and his successors, Messrs. Austin & Paley, have done much further work for the church and the institutions attached to it." Paley was the son of an Anglican vicar and was a regular worshipper at Lancaster Priory. Given the local opposition to the building of a Catholic church in Lancaster, he must have been a brave - and open-minded - character.

The ringers of 1948

This old picture shows the bell-ringing team of 1948. Those who have known the Cathedral over the years may recognise some of the faces - among them John Pye and Richard Hornby, both of whom are still parishioners. Click on the image for a slightly larger version.

1880: the first peal of the bells

On this day in 1880 the Cathedral's bells were rung for the first time. Canon Billington takes up the story: "For twenty years the bell chamber in the tower remained unoccupied, but in 1879 Mr. John Gardner of the Greaves gave £1000 for a peal of eight bells. He died on November 25 in that year, a few weeks before the bells were ready. They were cast by Warner & Sons of London, and were consecrated by the Bishop of Liverpool on December 21, two days after their arrival."

"The bells were afterwards hung, and on Tuesday, January 20, 1880, the first peal was rung on them by a band of ringers from the parish church; the ringers were entertained to supper in the evening."

Each of the original eight bells is inscribed with a beatitude (Mt. 5:3-9) and the name of a saint. Two bells were added later, and all ten were rehung in the 1990s. More on these events later in the year. Billington tells us "The bells are of sweet tone. The angelus is rung daily at 7 a.m., noon and 7 p.m." Today the angelus is still rung - activated by an electronic timer - though now at 8am, noon and 6pm. One bell is tolled three times at the consecration during Mass, when a ringer is present.

The walls of the ringing room are well adorned with commemorative plaques and certificates marking the ringing of peals for all sorts of events over the years; the most recent commemorates the quarter peal rung to mark the election of Pope Benedict XVI.

Tomorrow Billington's Blog will feature a picture of the ringing team of sixty years ago. Be sure to take a look! You can find more details about the inscription on the bells and their size, tone and origin by clicking here.

The Chair of St Peter

Before the liturgical reforms following the Second Vatican Council, 18th January was the feast of the chair of St Peter at Rome. It seems a good day, then, to let Canon Billington tell us more about the statue of St Peter in the Cathedral: "Near the north door is a seated statue of St. Peter, holding the keys in his left hand and raising his right in benediction. It is an exact copy of that in St. Peter's at Rome. It is of wood, stained to imitate the original, but the right foot is of bronze. The chair is painted to imitate marble. The statue was placed in the church in 1881. Its cost was £80."

Keen-eyed readers who know the layout of the Cathedral may have spotted that the statue no longer sits by the north door. It was moved a few years ago to make it more prominent, and is now found near the main south entrance. The top picture of this post shows its original position; the second picture shows it as it currently is. The feast has moved, too: after the liturgical reforms of the 1970s it was merged with another feast, and is now kept on 22nd February.

Some original decoration

Hidden away behind the choir stalls on the south side of the Cathedral, a small area retains its original decoration. Somehow this small amount of wall space has remained unaltered - we think since 1859 - despite the many changes that have taken place almost everywhere else over the years. Among various motifs the cross keys - a symbol of St Peter seen in many parts of the Cathedral - is visible (top left and bottom left).

Bishop George Brown

14th January 1786: the Birth of George Brown

George Hilary Brown was born at Clifton in the Fylde on this day in 1786. He was educated at Ushaw College, Durham, where he was ordained priest in 1810 and then taught theology. In 1819 he was appointed rector of the Lancaster mission, based at the chapel in Dalton Square. Dr Brown was appointed Vicar Apostolic in Lancashire in 1840 and consecrated bishop on 24 August 1840 in Liverpool. Before 1850 the Church in England was overseen by Vicars Apostolic appointed by the Pope; Bishop Brown became the first to oversee Lancashire. It appears that his appointment was not universally popular; he was often absent from his duties and when present he seems to have possessed the ability to upset his priests. Even Dr Lingard, the priest and historian at Hornby, who was well disposed towards him, seemed suspicious of his mystery illnesses, recording that he was like a walking shadow, unable to say Mass, trembling like a man of ninety, seemed to have little hope of surviving, "and all this with a good appetite". Following his appointment he remained in charge at Dalton Square until 1841, though in 1840 the practical running of the mission was handed to his nephew Richard Brown, who would later build the present church. The list of priests in the Cathedral records the overlap.

In 1850 the Catholic hierarchy of England and Wales was restored, and Dr George Brown was appointed first Bishop of Liverpool. St Nicholas' Church, Copperas Hill, Liverpool (pictured), was chosen to act as pro-Cathedral until a new cathedral could be built. It remained in this role until the Metropolitan Cathedral opened in 1967; St Nicholas' was then demolished in 1973. Bishop Brown's new diocese covered a vast area: not only Liverpool but large parts of Lancashire, including Preston, Lancaster and towns as far north as Barrow-in-Furness. He established a number of schools and institutions for the sick and those in poverty, while overseeing a great expansion in the number of Catholics. His time as Liverpool's first Bishop would be fairly brief, however. He fell ill in 1853 and died on 25th January 1856. In the absence of a permanent cathedral he was buried at St Oswald's, Old Swan. His successor, Dr Alexander Goss, was the bishop who consecrated St Peter's, Lancaster, in 1859.

James Whiteside

This memorial recalls the death of James Whiteside, a benefactor of the Cathedral who died on this day in 1861. He gave £2000 in memory of his brother John, and a further £1200 as his own donation. He also left £1000 to St Peter's in his will. As the total cost of building the church was in the region of £13,000 he was indeed a welcome benefactor! The image here is part of a larger memorial on the wall of the Whiteside Chantry, a small chapel on the south side of the nave, close to the sanctuary. The Whitesides were a prominent local family who will appear a few times as the year rolls on.

Pastors of Souls

Under the bell tower may be found a list of priests who have had oversight of the parish. It traces not only the line of priests since 1678 but also the movement of the church: Aldcliffe Hall to St Leonardgate sometime in the early 1700s, then Dalton Square (from 1799) and finally in the present church from 1859. The priests have had a variety of titles over the years: 'Pastors' is a term intended to include all those who have run the church. After the formal foundation of the parish they were been known as Rectors or Parish Priests; when the church became a cathedral in 1925 the title changed to 'Administrator', and finally to 'Dean' during the time of Canon Hayes. Click on the image to see a larger version... and expect to be much more familiar with many of these names by the end of the year!

1957: Stations of the Cross

At this time of year back in 1957, the walls of the Cathedral were being prepared for new Stations of the Cross to be installed, as this extract from the Notice Book, dated 5th January 1957, reveals: "The Stations of the Cross have arrived. But it will be necessary to prepare the walls before placing them in position. This may take a few weeks." The stations installed in 1957, including the one pictured above, are still in use today.

They replaced some larger stations painted on canvas, which had originated in Paris. This picture appears to show them in position, high on the walls either side of the Whiteside chantry. Seemingly these older stations were taken to the Castle for use there, though what happened to them beyond that is now unclear.

1889: The New Organ

On this day in 1889, the new organ of St Peter's church was opened. Canon Billington takes up the story: "...the organ of Dalton Square chapel was brought to the present church and set up temporarily in the south transept, and then in the north transept, where it remained until 1888. It was then sold to St. Sylvester's, Liverpool, on a new organ and gallery given by Mr. Richard Leeming of Greaves House. The benefactor died September 22, 1888, a few months before his gift came into use, and lies in St. Peter's cemetery... The organ was built by Henry Ainscough of Preston. It is divided into two halves, so as to show the fine west window... The bellows were blown by an hydraulic engine till 1905, when an electric motor was substituted for it."

"The new organ was opened on Sunday January 6, 1889, pontifical high mass being sung by Dr. O'Reilly, Bishop of Liverpool; the sermon was preached by the Rev. R. N. Billington, then of St. Austin's, Preston, and now rector of St. Peter's. The music was that of Haydn's No. 3 Mass. At the afternoon service the bishop gave an address. There was an organ recital on the following Tuesday."

"During the jubilee celebrations (1909) an oak screen, glazed, was erected under the organ gallery around the west door. It had not been possible to use this door on ordinary occasions, because of its exposure to the usual westerly winds; it can now be used at any time. At the corners of the new screen inside the church are carved heads of the Bishop of Liverpool and Canon Billington, the work of Mr. Caleb J. Allen of Lancaster." The screen was replaced by the current arrangement in 1975. Seemingly the carved heads were lost!

1958: From the Notice Book

5th January 1958 - from the notices read at Mass:

"The Catholic Reunion will be held in Ashton Hall on Feb 14th. The Mayor and Mayoress will be present. We ask you to buy your ticket now 8/= so that you will not be disappointed. We appeal for prizes for the whist and domino drive on this occasion."
"Bench rents due today."

This short extract from the Notice Book gives a flavour of parish life at the time. The reference to 'bench rents' relates to the practice of families paying money to rent a certain bench in the church. Family names were fixed to the back of benches to ensure that there was no confusion. The practice died out some time ago, and none of the benches in the nave now have names on them, though this bench under the organ gallery was obviously missed when names were removed!

Putting things in context

This impressive picture, which hangs on the wall of a guest room in Cathedral House, shows Lancaster sometime in the first half of the 20th century. The Cathedral can be seen to the left of the picture, close to the rows of terraced houses (clicking on the picture will enlarge it if you need a closer look). Images such as these help to put the Cathedral in its geographical context; today's post tries to do something similiar with its history. On this Blog over the next 12 months we will mark many events on their anniversaries, so one day we may be in 1859, the next in 1975, and so on. In this post, then, we provide a very brief but necessary account of the history of St Peter's in chronological order, so that readers of individual posts may get their bearings and see something of the context in which each event happened.

The real story goes way back, far beyond the building of St Peter's church. Canon Billington begins his account before the Reformation, writing about the Priory Church of St Mary, reminding us that before the 16th century all the churches were in full union with Rome. There were a considerable number of religious houses in and around Lancaster by this time. After the Reformation Catholics endured a time of great difficulty. Those who continued to practise their Catholic faith often suffered financial penalties - or worse. A number of priests and laymen were imprisonned in Lancaster Castle (pictured) and at least fifteen were put to death in the city. Over time the laws (or at least their enforcement) were relaxed, and by the early 18th century Catholics were gathering for Mass in a small chapel on St Leonard's Gate. In 1791 the law was changed to allow Catholics to build chapels, and Rev. Dr John Rigby set about building a small church in Dalton Square.

In 1829 the laws were relaxed still further, with Catholics now allowed to vote. At the same time the chapel in Dalton Square was becoming too small, and it was decided that a new church would be needed. Land was acquired in 1847, and work began. By 1853 the cemetery, school and convent had opened, and funds were being collected for the church. The foundation stone was laid on 29th April 1857, and the new church, dedicated to St Peter, Prince of the Apostles, was consecrated on 4th October 1859 by Dr Goss, Bishop of Liverpool. The Catholic hierarchy of England and Wales had been restored by the Pope in 1850, so that for the first time since the Reformation there were Catholic dioceses and cathedrals in this land. Lancaster was part of the Diocese of Liverpool, which stretched as far north as Barrow-in-Furness.

That would change in November 1924, when Pope Pius XI decided to create a new diocese centred on Lancaster. Covering the whole of Cumbria and much of Lancashire, the new Diocese took parishes and priests from the Archdiocese of Liverpool and the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle. Thomas Wulstan Pearson (above), a Benedictine monk at Ealing Abbey, was chosen to be its first Bishop. He was consecrated Bishop in February 1925, and in the same month St Peter's became the Cathedral of the new Diocese. Since then there have been great changes in the life of the Church, changes reflected in the Cathedral building, culminating in the reordering of the church in 1995. In its 150 years many local parishes have been founded from St Peter's, and much has been done to promote the Gospel. Such is the broad sweep of history that brings us to this Blog - now, in the months ahead, we will see in more detail some of the events and some of the people that have made it all happen.

Meet Canon Billington

"The Very Rev. Richard Newman Billington, the present rector, was born in 1853, and educated at Ampleforth and Ushaw. He was ordained in 1878, and for four years was secretary to the late Bishop of Liverpool. He was appointed to the charge of St. Bernard's, Kingsley Road, Liverpool, in August 1883... In 1886 he was added to the clergy of St. Augustine's, Preston. Three years later, in 1889, he received charge of Thurnham, and on December 16, 1893, succeeded Provost Walker at Lancaster as rector and dean." Such are the words with which Canon Billington traces his own path to the church of St Peter, in the history of the parish which he co-wrote with John Brownbill in 1909. On this blog, which will run throughout 2009, the Cathedral's 150th anniversary, we will meet many of the great figures of this parish.

Billington's parish history was published in 1910, a few months after the church's golden jubilee. His book is due to be republished in 2009 with a second volume bringing the history up-to-date. Of course, Billington knew nothing of blogs, computers or any such thing, but he would - we hope - approve of us naming this Blog in his memory as we try, as he did, to pass on some insight into the history of Catholic Lancaster.

Billington's Blog will mark anniversaries of significant events throughout the year; it will show us traces of the history of the parish as seen in the Cathedral and around Lancaster today; it will invite us to meet a variety of people and look back on a range of events. We will also see something of how the priests and people of St Peter's coped with the more testing times of the last 150 years. On the walls of Cathedral House there are pictures of many of the great figures of the past - above, for example, a gallery of the Bishops of Lancaster. Over the year there will be many photographs, some being seen on the internet for the first time.

Another important source of information are the parish notice books. It was the rediscovery of these books a few months ago which first prompted the idea of a historical blog. In the time before parish newsletters they were used to keep a record of announcements to be made at Mass, so they provide us with an important snapshot of parish life on a week-by-week basis. There will be extracts from these books on the Blog throughout the year. The Blog will not include posts every day, but there will be regular updates, so keep calling back.

For today, though, it seems fitting to end this first post with a few words from Canon Billington himself, taken from the preface of his parish history, titled 'To the Reader', and dated November 18, 1909:

"St. Peter's Church was consecrated and opened in October 1859, and with due solemnity the jubilee was celebrated on October 3, 1909. Though the building is comparatively new, the cause it represents is an ancient and venerable one, the cause of Catholic Christianity in Lancaster; and this short record has been compiled and published in order that, surveying the chequered story of the past, the faithful may praise God with understanding for what has been accomplished, and go forward with courage through times of difficulty still to come."