Church of St Mary the Virgin, Leigh
Encyclopedia
The Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, Leigh is a Church of England parish church
in Leigh
, Greater Manchester
, England
. It is a member of the Leigh deanery in the archdeaconry of Salford, diocese of Manchester
.
It is a Grade II* listed building.
Leigh was in the Diocese of Lichfield
and Coventry until 1541 when it was transferred to the Diocese of Chester
. In 1847 Leigh became the only parish in the Hundred of West Derby
to be part of the new Diocese of Manchester. Leigh has had its own deanery
since 1933. Before that it was part of the deanery of Eccles
and prior to that Warrington
.
at the end of the 14th century. The church straddled the ancient boundary between the townships of Westleigh
and Pennington
, the nave
and churchyard in Westleigh and the chancel
in Pennington.
For several hundred years it was the only church to serve six townships, Westleigh, Pennington, Bedford
, Astley
, Atherton
and Tyldesley
, that made up the old ecclesiastical parish. For baptisms, marriages and funerals the population of the six townships had to travel to St. Mary's or else churches that lay outside the parish's boundaries, such as St Mary's
Deane
, All Saint's Church in Wigan
or St Mary the Virgin
Eccles
. The first Astley Chapel
was built as a chapel of ease
and consecrated in 1631. A second chapel of ease dedicated to St John the Baptist at Chowbent
was built in 1645 by John Atherton but not consecrated until 1723. A third daughter church, St George's Church, Tyldesley, was consecrated in 1825, St Thomas in Bedford was built in 1840 and Christ Church, Pennington in 1854.
Its early history was linked with the Westleigh family who were Lords of the Manor
of Westleigh. John de Westleigh was parish priest in the reign of King John
(1199–1216). The church was probably rebuilt during the 15th century. The tower dates to about 1500. The chantry chapel of St. Nicholas
, the Tyldesley Chapel, occupied the east end of the north aisle and the Atherton chapel, dedicated to St. Mary the eastern end of the south aisle.
The tower was restored twice, once in 1721 and again in 1849 before being recased in 1910. In the late 1860s the church had become unsafe and with the exception of the tower, was demolished and rebuilt to designs by Paley and Austin of Lancaster. James Fraser
, Bishop of Manchester
reconsecrated the building in February 1873.
During reconstruction the date 1616 was found on a roof beam but it is thought the roof of the St. Nicholas or Tyldesley Chapel which was restored and reused dates from about 1500. Sir Thomas Tyldesley was buried here after his death in the Battle of Wigan Lane
.
James Irvine, vicar, was so anti "non-conformist" that he refused burial or blessing of those, including children, that had died and required a final resting place.
to designs by Paley and Austin of Lancaster
in the Gothic Revival Perpendicular style
. The church has a six-bay
nave
and two-bay chancel
under a continuous roof with a clerestory
and crenellated parapet
. The bays have three-light aisle windows with rectilinear tracery and hoodmoulds, the clerestory windows have two-light flat-headed arches. There are octagonal pinnacled piers at the east corners of the chancel, either side of the five-light east window.
The tower, the oldest part of the church, was recased in 1910 by Austin and Paley and is also castellated retaining the 16th century studded oak west doors beneath an elliptical arch. The tower has weathered diagonal buttresses and a three-light west window. There are two-light belfry openings on all sides below the clock faces. The north vestry dates from 1910 by the same architects. Nikolaus Pevsner
describes the six bay interior with octagonal piers as being "impressive in scale". The roofline of the previous church is visible on the wall of the tower inside the church.
of eight bells. Six were cast in 1740 by Abel Rudhall of Gloucester
and the treble and second were cast in 1761, also by Rudhall's. These bells replace four bells reputed to have been given by Queen Elizabeth I
. Two of the earlier bells were cast in Leigh in 1692 and 1705. In March 2010 the bells were taken down for transportation to Dorset where they were restored at a cost of £30,000.
The north aisle roof is re-used from the old church whilst the nave has a hammer beam roof.
Pevsner describes the reredos
and altar
designed by Austin and Paley as "extremely handsome" and "gorgeously painted" in gold, red and green by Shrigley and Hunt
. Stained glass windows installed between 1887 and 1933 in the Lady chapel
, south aisle and several in north aisle are also by Shrigley and Hunt while others including the east window are by Charles Eamer Kempe
. The Speakman window is of interest as it depicts scenes from the industries on which Leigh was built, panels include weavers, engineers and colliers.
The organ case of 1910 is by Austin and Paley and from the old church there is a 1777 organ case by Samuel Green
of London preserved on the vestry side of the church. The three manual
organ was made in 1776–78 by Samuel Green, and repaired between 1807 and 1877 by Vincent of Liverpool
. It was rebuilt in 1911 by Harrison & Harrison
, using some of the original stops
. In 1964 the pedal division was enlarged by the same company. The organ has been granted a Historic Organ Certificate Grade II*. Wooden fittings also saved from the earlier church include an altar table of 1705 by Thomas Naylor in the Lady Chapel and oak canopies from the churchwardens seats of 1686.
Over the nave near the tower is an 18th-century brass chandelier, "a cut above the norm" according to Pevsner, which was retained from the old church and converted to electricity.
on a list of rector
s that starts in the reign of Richard I in the 12th century is John, Parson of Westleigh (1189–1199) but it is possible there was a church in Leigh at the time of the Norman Conquest.
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
in Leigh
Leigh, Greater Manchester
Leigh is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It is southeast of Wigan, and west of Manchester. Leigh is situated on low lying land to the north west of Chat Moss....
, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is a member of the Leigh deanery in the archdeaconry of Salford, diocese of Manchester
Anglican Diocese of Manchester
The Diocese of Manchester is a Church of England diocese in the Province of York, England. Based in the city of Manchester, the diocese covers much of the county of Greater Manchester and small areas of the counties of Lancashire and Cheshire.-History:...
.
It is a Grade II* listed building.
Leigh was in the Diocese of Lichfield
Diocese of Lichfield
The Diocese of Lichfield is a Church of England diocese in the Province of Canterbury, England. The bishop's seat is located in the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Chad in the city of Lichfield. The diocese covers 4,516 km² The Diocese of Lichfield is a Church of England...
and Coventry until 1541 when it was transferred to the Diocese of Chester
Diocese of Chester
The Diocese of Chester is a Church of England diocese in the Province of York based in Chester, covering the county of Cheshire in its pre-1974 boundaries...
. In 1847 Leigh became the only parish in the Hundred of West Derby
West Derby (hundred)
The hundred of West Derby was an ancient division of the historic county of Lancashire, in northern England. It was sometimes known as West Derbyshire, the name alluding to its judicial centre being the township of West Derby .It covered the southwest of Lancashire, containing the ancient...
to be part of the new Diocese of Manchester. Leigh has had its own deanery
Deanery
A Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of a Dean.- Catholic usage :...
since 1933. Before that it was part of the deanery of Eccles
Eccles, Greater Manchester
Eccles is a town in the City of Salford, a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England, west of Salford and west of Manchester city centre...
and prior to that Warrington
Warrington
Warrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...
.
History
St. Mary's is in the centre of Leigh by the Civic Square, which was originally the market place, next to the library and opposite the Town Hall. The church was first recorded in documents in the 13th century but the date of its foundation is uncertain. The first church on the site was dedicated to St Peter and was described as the Church of Westleigh in Leigh. Its dedication was changed to St. Mary the VirginMary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
at the end of the 14th century. The church straddled the ancient boundary between the townships of Westleigh
Westleigh, Greater Manchester
Westleigh, a suburb of Leigh, Greater Manchester is one of three ancient townships, Westleigh, Bedford, Greater Manchester and Pennington, that merged in 1875 to form the town of Leigh.-Toponymy:...
and Pennington
Pennington, Greater Manchester
Pennington, a suburb of Leigh, Greater Manchester is one of three ancient townships, Pennington, Westleigh and Bedford that merged in 1875 to form the town of Leigh...
, the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and churchyard in Westleigh and the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
in Pennington.
For several hundred years it was the only church to serve six townships, Westleigh, Pennington, Bedford
Bedford, Greater Manchester
Bedford, a suburb of Leigh, Greater Manchester is one of three ancient townships, Bedford, Pennington and Westleigh, that merged in 1875 to form the town of Leigh.-Toponymy:...
, Astley
Astley, Greater Manchester
Astley is a settlement within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan in Greater Manchester, England, variously described as a suburb or a village. Astley lies on flat land to the northwest of the city of Manchester, and is crossed by the Bridgewater Canal and the A580 "East Lancashire Road"...
, Atherton
Atherton, Greater Manchester
Atherton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England, historically a part of Lancashire. It is east of Wigan, north-northeast of Leigh, and northwest of Manchester...
and Tyldesley
Tyldesley
Tyldesley is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It occupies an area north of Chat Moss near the foothills of the West Pennine Moors, east-southeast of Wigan and west-northwest of the city of Manchester...
, that made up the old ecclesiastical parish. For baptisms, marriages and funerals the population of the six townships had to travel to St. Mary's or else churches that lay outside the parish's boundaries, such as St Mary's
St. Mary the Virgin, Deane
The Church of St Mary the Virgin, Deane, is a Church of England parish church in Deane, Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. It is a member of Deane deanery in the archdeaconry of Bolton, diocese of Manchester...
Deane
Deane, Greater Manchester
Deane is an area of Bolton, in Greater Manchester, England. It is about south west of Bolton and northwest of the city of Manchester.Historically a part of Lancashire, the Parish of Deane was once one of four parishes within the hundred of Salford and covered roughly half of the present...
, All Saint's Church in Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
or St Mary the Virgin
Church of St Mary the Virgin, Eccles
The Church of St Mary the Virgin is a church in Eccles, Greater Manchester, England.Historically within Lancashire it was built in the 13th century and was designated a Grade II* listed building by English Heritage in 1964...
Eccles
Eccles, Greater Manchester
Eccles is a town in the City of Salford, a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England, west of Salford and west of Manchester city centre...
. The first Astley Chapel
St Stephen's Church, Astley
St Stephen's Church is a 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, diocese of Manchester. The church, together with St George and St. John, is part of the united benefice of Astley,...
was built as a chapel of ease
Chapel of ease
A chapel of ease is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently....
and consecrated in 1631. A second chapel of ease dedicated to St John the Baptist at Chowbent
Atherton, Greater Manchester
Atherton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England, historically a part of Lancashire. It is east of Wigan, north-northeast of Leigh, and northwest of Manchester...
was built in 1645 by John Atherton but not consecrated until 1723. A third daughter church, St George's Church, Tyldesley, was consecrated in 1825, St Thomas in Bedford was built in 1840 and Christ Church, Pennington in 1854.
Its early history was linked with the Westleigh family who were Lords of the Manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
of Westleigh. John de Westleigh was parish priest in the reign of King John
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
(1199–1216). The church was probably rebuilt during the 15th century. The tower dates to about 1500. The chantry chapel of St. Nicholas
Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas , also called Nikolaos of Myra, was a historic 4th-century saint and Greek Bishop of Myra . Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker...
, the Tyldesley Chapel, occupied the east end of the north aisle and the Atherton chapel, dedicated to St. Mary the eastern end of the south aisle.
The tower was restored twice, once in 1721 and again in 1849 before being recased in 1910. In the late 1860s the church had become unsafe and with the exception of the tower, was demolished and rebuilt to designs by Paley and Austin of Lancaster. James Fraser
James Fraser (bishop)
James Fraser was a reforming Anglican bishop of Manchester, England. An able Church administrator and policy leader, he was active in developing the Church's approach to education and in practical politics and industrial relations...
, Bishop of Manchester
Bishop of Manchester
The Bishop of Manchester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Manchester in the Province of York.The current bishop is the Right Reverend Nigel McCulloch, the 11th Lord Bishop of Manchester, who signs Nigel Manchester. The bishop's official residence is Bishopscourt, Bury New Road,...
reconsecrated the building in February 1873.
During reconstruction the date 1616 was found on a roof beam but it is thought the roof of the St. Nicholas or Tyldesley Chapel which was restored and reused dates from about 1500. Sir Thomas Tyldesley was buried here after his death in the Battle of Wigan Lane
Battle of Wigan Lane
The Battle of Wigan Lane was fought on 25 August 1651 during the Third English Civil War, between Royalists under the command of the Earl of Derby and elements of the New Model Army under the command of Colonel Robert Lilburne...
.
James Irvine, vicar, was so anti "non-conformist" that he refused burial or blessing of those, including children, that had died and required a final resting place.
Structure
The church was rebuilt on the foundations of the original church in hammer-dressed sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
to designs by Paley and Austin of Lancaster
Lancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the River Lune and has a population of 45,952. Lancaster is a constituent settlement of the wider City of Lancaster, local government district which has a population of 133,914 and encompasses several outlying towns, including...
in the Gothic Revival Perpendicular style
English Gothic architecture
English Gothic is the name of the architectural style that flourished in England from about 1180 until about 1520.-Introduction:As with the Gothic architecture of other parts of Europe, English Gothic is defined by its pointed arches, vaulted roofs, buttresses, large windows, and spires...
. The church has a six-bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and two-bay chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
under a continuous roof with a clerestory
Clerestory
Clerestory is an architectural term that historically denoted an upper level of a Roman basilica or of the nave of a Romanesque or Gothic church, the walls of which rise above the rooflines of the lower aisles and are pierced with windows. In modern usage, clerestory refers to any high windows...
and crenellated parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
. The bays have three-light aisle windows with rectilinear tracery and hoodmoulds, the clerestory windows have two-light flat-headed arches. There are octagonal pinnacled piers at the east corners of the chancel, either side of the five-light east window.
The tower, the oldest part of the church, was recased in 1910 by Austin and Paley and is also castellated retaining the 16th century studded oak west doors beneath an elliptical arch. The tower has weathered diagonal buttresses and a three-light west window. There are two-light belfry openings on all sides below the clock faces. The north vestry dates from 1910 by the same architects. Nikolaus Pevsner
Nikolaus Pevsner
Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, FBA was a German-born British scholar of history of art and, especially, of history of architecture...
describes the six bay interior with octagonal piers as being "impressive in scale". The roofline of the previous church is visible on the wall of the tower inside the church.
Fittings and furniture
The tower has a ringChange ringing
Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a series of mathematical patterns called "changes". It differs from many other forms of campanology in that no attempt is made to produce a conventional melody....
of eight bells. Six were cast in 1740 by Abel Rudhall of Gloucester
Rudhall of Gloucester
Rudhall of Gloucester was a family business of bell founders in the city of Gloucester, England, who between 1684 and 1835 produced over 5,000 bells. The business was founded by Abraham Rudhall and the earliest ring of bells he cast was for St Nicholas' Church, Oddington in 1684. He came to be...
and the treble and second were cast in 1761, also by Rudhall's. These bells replace four bells reputed to have been given by Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
. Two of the earlier bells were cast in Leigh in 1692 and 1705. In March 2010 the bells were taken down for transportation to Dorset where they were restored at a cost of £30,000.
The north aisle roof is re-used from the old church whilst the nave has a hammer beam roof.
Pevsner describes the reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
and altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
designed by Austin and Paley as "extremely handsome" and "gorgeously painted" in gold, red and green by Shrigley and Hunt
Shrigley and Hunt
Shrigley and Hunt was the name of an English firm which produced stained glass windows and art tiles.The business began in the 1750s when Shrigley's was a painting, carving and gilding firm in Lancaster, Lancashire....
. Stained glass windows installed between 1887 and 1933 in the Lady chapel
Lady chapel
A Lady chapel, also called Mary chapel or Marian chapel, is a traditional English term for a chapel inside a cathedral, basilica, or large church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary...
, south aisle and several in north aisle are also by Shrigley and Hunt while others including the east window are by Charles Eamer Kempe
Charles Eamer Kempe
Charles Eamer Kempe was a well-known Victorian stained glass designer. After attending Twyford School, he studied for the priesthood at Pembroke College, Oxford, but it became clear that his severe stammer would be an impediment to preaching...
. The Speakman window is of interest as it depicts scenes from the industries on which Leigh was built, panels include weavers, engineers and colliers.
The organ case of 1910 is by Austin and Paley and from the old church there is a 1777 organ case by Samuel Green
Samuel Green (organ builder)
Samuel Green , was an organ-builder.Green learnt his art under the elder Byfield, Bridge, and Jordan, and afterwards entered into several years' partnership with the younger Byfield. Green built a large number of organs for the cathedrals, and for churches in London and the country, instruments...
of London preserved on the vestry side of the church. The three manual
Manual (music)
A manual is a keyboard designed to be played with the hands on a pipe organ, harpsichord, clavichord, electronic organ, or synthesizer. The term "manual" is used with regard to any hand keyboard on these instruments to distinguish it from the pedalboard, which is a keyboard that the organist plays...
organ was made in 1776–78 by Samuel Green, and repaired between 1807 and 1877 by Vincent of Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. It was rebuilt in 1911 by Harrison & Harrison
Harrison & Harrison
Harrison & Harrison Ltd are a British company that make and restore pipe organs, based in Durham and established in 1861. They are well known for their work on instruments such as King's College Cambridge, Westminster Abbey and the Royal Festival Hall....
, using some of the original stops
Organ stop
An organ stop is a component of a pipe organ that admits pressurized air to a set of organ pipes. Its name comes from the fact that stops can be used selectively by the organist; some can be "on" , while others can be "off" .The term can also refer...
. In 1964 the pedal division was enlarged by the same company. The organ has been granted a Historic Organ Certificate Grade II*. Wooden fittings also saved from the earlier church include an altar table of 1705 by Thomas Naylor in the Lady Chapel and oak canopies from the churchwardens seats of 1686.
Over the nave near the tower is an 18th-century brass chandelier, "a cut above the norm" according to Pevsner, which was retained from the old church and converted to electricity.
External features
The 18th-century boundary wall, gates and gate piers of the churchyard are designated as a Grade II listed building.Rectors and Vicars
The first parsonParson
In the pre-Reformation church, a parson was the priest of an independent parish church, that is, a parish church not under the control of a larger ecclesiastical or monastic organization...
on a list of rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
s that starts in the reign of Richard I in the 12th century is John, Parson of Westleigh (1189–1199) but it is possible there was a church in Leigh at the time of the Norman Conquest.
- Rectors
- temp.Richard I: John, parson of Westleigh
- temp.John: Robert Coucy
- 1240–70: Henry de Ulveston
- 1275: Nicholas de Wigan
- 1276: John de Urmston
- Edw. I: William de Urmston
- 1304: John de Urmston
- 1305: William Banastre
- 1309: John de Urmston
- 1326: Henry de Rixton
- 1327: John de Blebury
- 1339: John de Holand
- 1346: Thomas de Tansouere
- 1349: Peter de Wigan
- 1366: William de Chiselden
- 1378: John de Haverbergh
- 1382: William Osgodby
- 1383: Thomas de Dalby
- 1386: William de Chiselden
- 1396: Thomas Hyne
- 1410: Ralph Repington
- Vicars
- 1440: James Hall
- 1453: John Bothe, LL.B.
- 1455: John Deping
- 1456: Thurstan Percivall
- 1483: William Urmston
- 1504: Gilbert Heaton
- 1526: Richard Clerke
- 1557: Roger Feilden
- 1574: Robert Eaton
- 1595: Gervase Lowe
- 1616: James Gregson
- 1620: James Gatley
- 1646: Bradley Hayhurst
- 1662: Jonathan Gillibrand
- 1685: William Barrett
- 1691: John Harrison
- 1696: George Ward
- 1734: William Farington, B.D.
- 1767: John Barlow, M.A.
- 1784: James Hartley
- 1798: Henry William Champneys
- 1800: Daniel Birkett
- 1821: Joseph Hodgkinson, M.A.
- 1826: Jonathan Topping.
- 1839: James Irvine, M.A.
- 1874: Joseph Heaton Stanning, M.A.
- 1908: Irton Smith, M.A.
- 1916: Frederick Henry Campion, M.A.
- 1930: John Edgar Eastwood, B.A.
- 1948: Arthur Finch, B.A.
- 1955 Leonard George Tyler, M.A.
- 1966: John Rogan, M.A.
- 1979: David Alan Muston, B.A.
- 1983: John T. Finney, B.A.
- 1998: Terence P. Challis
- 2003: Arthur Cunningham. M.A. PhD.
- 2009: Kevin Crinks B.Th.