St Stephen's Church, Astley


St Stephen's Church is a parish church in Astley, Greater Manchester, England. It is an active Anglican church built in 1968 and part of Leigh deanery in the archdeaconry of Salford and diocese of Manchester. The church, together with St George's Church, Tyldesley and St John's Church, Mosley Common is part of the united benefice of Astley, Tyldesley and Mosley Common. Its origins are in Astley Chapel, a chapel of ease of Leigh Parish Church built in 1631 and its successor which was burned in an arson attack in 1961.

History

The first chapel, built and paid for by Adam Mort the wealthy owner of Damhouse who died in early 1631, was consecrated on 3 August in the same year by the Bishop of Chester. It was the first chapel of ease of the mother church of Leigh, and dedicated to St Stephen, the first Christian martyr. The chapel was built of local brick on part of the common. The Reverend Thomas Crompton, appointed by Thomas Mort, was the first minister in 1632.
The chapel stood for nearly 130 years until it was rebuilt after becoming dilapidated. The second, slightly larger chapel was built on the same site in 1760. Thomas Froggatt of Damhouse gave a contribution towards the cost of reconstruction. It was built of handmade brick and measured in length and in width. It could hold 170 people and had a nave with four side and two end windows, and a small chancel and had an embattled western tower containing a single bell. The chapel was enlarged in 1834, 1842, and 1847.
The second chapel was destroyed by fire on 18 June 1961 and it was decided not to rebuild it but relocate to a site on Manchester Road. The third St Stephen's Church was consecrated on 26 October 1968.

Clergy

The first minister was the son of William Crompton of Bedford and his successor was from Shakerley. They were both educated at Brasenose College, Oxford.
1632 Thomas Crompton, B.A..

1683 John Battersby

1702 Roger Seddon, died 1716

1716 James Marsh, died 1728

1732 Thomas Mawdesley, died 1769

1769 Robert Barker

1822 Thomas Birkett

1838 John Wilkinson Edwards, B.A. died 1840

1840 Alfred Hewlett, D.D. died 1885

1885 James Alexander Maxwell Johnstone, M.A

2010 Jonathan Carmyllie