“Before the Chapell was erected the two Vicars of the Parishes aforesaid were together, seemed to encourage our proceedings, and talked amicably and agreeably about Nomination, etc.; but since the Chapell was built several proposals have been made to which the Vicar of Kirkham has consented, but the Vicar of St. Michael’s seems to dislike them. One of the proposals was that the determination of the affair might be referred to the Bishop of Chester, whose generous offer to procure £100 towards the Endowment of this Chapell gave great encouragement to our undertaking the building thereof. Some people have refused to pay their Subscriptions on pretence that the Vicar of St. Michael’s has departed from former proposals; but we hope (if these differences could be amicably settled to the satisfaction of the neighbourhood) that not only the old, but likewise several new Subscriptions might be procured, especially if our grateful behaviour for by-past favours may continue his Lordship’s Countenance and Encouragement; and we desire you to represent the matter to him as favourably as you think it will bear.”
(Signed)
John ffrance.
The chapel was a small plain brick building, dedicated to St. Anne, but in 1841 a tower was added, and at the same time a burial ground was enclosed and licensed in connection with it. Great Eccleston, Elswick, and Little Eccleston-with-Larbrick townships were, in 1849, constituted a separate ecclesiastical district, known as the parish of Copp, of which this chapel is the parochial church. There is a vicarage house.
| CURATES AND VICARS OF COPP. | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date of Institution. | Name. | Cause of Vacancy. |
| Before 1775 | Christopher Swainson, B.A. | |
| ” 1841 | Reginald Sharpe | |
| In 1841 | Thomas Hathornthwaite, L.L.D. | Resignation of R. Sharpe |
| ” 1864 | William C. Dowding, M.A. | Resignation of T. Hathornthwaite |
| ” 1870 | William Bateson, M.A. | Resignation of William C. Dowding |
A new Catholic chapel was completed in 1835, and superseded one of considerable age. Three fairs are held each year on March 14th, April 14th, and November 4th, for cattle.
The origin of the free school at Copp has not been discovered, but the earliest endowment to be found dates from 1719, when William Fyld, yeoman, of Great Eccleston, left the remainder of his personal estate, amounting to about £250, to be invested in trustees, and the interest to be paid yearly “for a Master to teach Poor Children here, or in some other part of the township.” By his will, dated 1st of April, 1748, William Gaulter bequeathed £242 14s. to certain trustees to augment the stipend of the master of this school, and directed that in case the educational establishment should ever be abandoned, or the terms of the will not be observed, the annual income derived from his bequest should be distributed amongst the poor inhabitants of the neighbourhood. In 1866 the school was temporarily closed, whilst the charity was under the revision of the Charity Commissioners; and in 1871 a new and more commodious building was erected. There is also another school in this township, called Lane Head school, held in a building erected by subscription on the site of the original one, which had collapsed through age. The only endowment is a rent charge of £5 supposed to have been left by Thomas Clitherall.
William Fyld, of Great Eccleston, bequeathed £2 annually to the poor of that township.
Ellen Longworth left the interest of £20 to be distributed in bread to the poor people attending divine service at Copp church.