St. George's Presbyterian Church
St. George's Presbyterian Church stands in the forefront of this photograph between what was the Co-operative shop and Tommy Jones the fishmongers shop. How long the Presbyterian Church has stood on this site I don't know but the Church itself was established in Little Sutton in 1838.
Legend has it that that two travellers passing through Little Sutton were stoned by the local youths and upon finding out that there was neither Church nor Chapel in the village paid for it to be built! How true this is I do not know. The Church Hall which was sited next to the old Black Lion pub was demolished in the late 1950s early 1960s and this building was, I suspect, old enough to be the original Chapel/Church which was the subject of the story. I would also add, although this is immaterial, that I was born in Black Lion Lane, and that my ancestors had lived in Little Sutton since at least 1750.
However, I attended at St. George's Sunday School from a very early age and was given the mandatory stamp to stick in a book every week. I have many happy memories of the building itself from putting on nativity plays and running around the Church and pulpit, to taking golden rod and fruit to decorate the Church for the harvest festival.
Jean Munro was my first Sunday School teacher and I recall being taken with another group of children to visit Chester Cathedral by Margaret Lockett - she was the daughter of the lady who played the organ Marjorie Lockett and they lived next door to Bennions in Smithy Lane.
Mr. Mitchelmore was the Sunday School Superintendent and his granddaughter Ruth Wynn used to come from London to stay with him in the summer. He used to organise the Sunday School Party and the Sunday School trip to the seaside each year.
I was Christened, Confirmed and in 1972 married at the Pres. At the time there was no resident minister and Elsie Jones (one of the Church Elders) went to a great deal of trouble to arrange for the Rev. Campbell an Interim Moderator to take the ceremony.
I have sad memories too - both of my parents and my neice had their funeral ceremonies there - but the Presbyterian Church was an integral part of my life.
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RE: RE: St. George's Presbyterian Church
I was told that there was a vicar or some member of this church that was buried in from of the church, where the flowers are now, this person was later moved to another burial place, I don't know where. If you look on the steps going into the church there is still some faint writing about someone, I couldn't make it out or find out why it was there.
Comment from Valerie Waring on Tuesday, 26th October 2010.
RE: RE: St. George's Presbyterian Church
As I recall there was an inscription on the steps. As a child I never took the time to read it - it was as you said just writing, words that were there and because you are used to something instead of pausing and reading you run past. I no longer live in Little Sutton so do not now have the opportunity to try and decipher the words.
However, I do have a story about the Presbyterian Church, related to me by mother as a child. How true it is I don't know. From what I know of the history of the village I suspect there has to be an element of truth in it.
Two men, travellers, were passing through the village. The village youth were rowdy and troublesome. They heckled them and threw stones at them. The travellers stayed overnight in the Black Lion Inn long since demolished, rebuilt and demolished again. They were bruised and battered. They learnt that their experience was not unique. They also discovered there was no Church in the village the nearest being St. Mary's Eastham. They discussed the matter between themselves and after a day or two left the village donating money for a Church to be built. My mother stated that this was not the Presbyterian Church in the photograph but its forerunner which was held in the building known as the Presbyterian Hall which was demolished at the same time as the original Black Lion.
Comment from Kathleen Green on Wednesday, 27th October 2010.
RE: RE: St. George's Presbyterian Church
I recall there being an inscription as you enter the Church slightly to the left. As a child I never took the time to read it - it was just writing, words that were there and because you are used to something you ignore it.
However, I see no reason why if a Minister of the Church was buried under the slabs his remains should be removed after all the Presbyterian Church stands on consecrated ground.
I don't know if you are aware of it but next time you go into the Church look at the position of the Cross and think about which way you are facing. Then think about the way you face if you go into the Methodist Church and St. Paul's Hooton. St. George's is the only Church I know which does not face Rome.
However, I have a story about the Presbyterian Church, related to me by mother as a child. From what I know of the history of the village I suspect there has to be an element of truth in it.
Two men, travellers, were passing through the village. The village youth were rowdy and troublesome. They heckled them and threw stones at them. The travellers stayed overnight in the Black Lion Inn long since demolished, rebuilt and demolished again. They were bruised and battered. They learnt that their experience was not unique and that the nearest Church was St. Mary's Eastham. They discussed the matter and after a day or two left the village donating money for a Church to be built. I understand that this was the old Presbyterian Church Hall which faced the Black Lion pub demolished at the same time as the pub.
Comment from Kathleen Green on Wednesday, 27th October 2010.
RE: RE: St. George's Presbyterian Church
The vicar you refer to was my great-great-great grandfather. He was born in Maybole, Scotland, February 6th 1809, ordained 17th June 1851 and died September 16th, 1854. He was exhumed and re-interred at West Kirby in May 1929. The congregation erected a memorial tombstone:
Erected by an attached Congregation in memory of The Rev James Galloway. First minister of the United Presbyterian Church Sutton. Ordained 17th June 1851. Died 16th September 1854. He was faithful unto death & has received the crown of life Whose faith follow.
Is this the wording you mention in front of the church - so his memorial was not moved with his remains? Is the church still standing? Do you have a photograph of the inscription? I am contacting you from Ohio but, if you are interested, I can email you a file with all my research on him regarding Little Sutton. I just emailed Wirral Council to find his burial plot in West Kirby and am awaiting a photograph of him from a distant relative in Cheshire.
Would it be possible for you to email the picture of the church to me?
Thank you.
Comment from Richard Aughpin on Sunday, 6th November 2011.
RE: RE: St. George's Presbyterian Church
The vicar you refer to was my great-great-great grandfather. He was born in Maybole, Scotland, February 6th 1809, ordained 17th June 1851 and died September 16th, 1854. He was exhumed and re-interred at West Kirby in May 1929. The congregation erected a memorial tombstone:
Erected by an attached Congregation in memory of The Rev James Galloway. First minister of the United Presbyterian Church Sutton. Ordained 17th June 1851. Died 16th September 1854. He was faithful unto death & has received the crown of life Whose faith follow.
Is this the wording you mention in front of the church - so his memorial was not moved with his remains? Is the church still standing? Do you have a photograph of the inscription?
Thank you.
Comment from Richard Aughpin on Sunday, 6th November 2011.
RE: RE: St. George's Presbyterian Church
I think it was my great grandfather James Pickering Jones who recorded the tale of the establishment of the church. He was organist there for some time and played at my parent's wedding in 1947. He moved to Little Sutton with his wife Ethel in 1896 and built a house in what was New Road (now Berwick Road) for his growing family. My gran Enid, my mother Dilys and myself all born in the village. My dad, Ralph Collin was at my mother's christening in the church and that's where they married and lived all their lives in the village. Well apart from a couple of years in a rented flat in Chester. They worshipped in the church their entire lives, with both their funerals there. They are buried in St Paul's churchyard. I go back to the church when I can although I live in the Scottish Borders.
Comment from Ruth MacDonnell on Friday, 9th December 2011.