1815 to 1829

The Church authorities nationally realised that if they were going to keep in touch with the working classes, they would have to seek government aid to build churches and chapels in those populous places created by the Industrial Revolution, but as the country was at war with France the request was deferred until after 1815.

Even when in 1818 the government made available one million pounds for the building of 'churches in populous parishes', the time was not opportune to apply for a grant on behalf of Norbury because there was no land available here. That was because in 1811 the Legh family, realising that Norbury Moor was being encroached upon by squatters, who were taking advantage of the ancient Waste and Common Land Laws, applied to Parliament for powers under the controversial Land Inclosure Act. In 1812 the act for 'Inclosing Lands in the Township of Norbury' became law. The enquiry, whose hearings were held at the 'Sign of the Red Lion' in Norbury, dragged on for the next eleven years, during which time no land transfers could take place.

On the conclusion of this matter, Thomas Legh gave, as a tithe or first fruits offering, one acre of the newly inclosed moor, as a site on which to build a church or chapel. At the same time he arranged with Lord Vernon of Poynton, that on the termination of Mr Hoyle's ministry, the two chapels would have separate curates.

Three years later, although there were still many cases of distress, the situation had improved. In 1827 Mr Hoyle presented a 'humble petition' to the Church Commissioners, in which he told them that Bullock Smithy was approximately 7 furlongs in length by 3 furlongs wide wherein were 4000 people. The cost of the building would be in accordance with the amount granted by the Commissioners, plus between £300/£400 which he hoped to raise by local subscriptions.

In reply to this Humble petition, an inspector from Chester visited the district, and in his report to the Commissioners he said :

Having visited Bullock Smithy, I am of the opinion that there is no place in his Majesty's ⁽⁶⁾ dominion where a church is more wanted.

More than 4000 people congregated into one place are wholly without the means of worshipping God according to the rules of the Established Church and are in consequence left to the Methodists on one side and the Unitarians on the other.

The chapel at Norbury is near Bullock Smithy. It is a wretched building, scarcely better than a stable and I am decidedly of the opinion that the transfer of its endowment to the new chapel at Bullock Smithy is a very desirable measure.

Still the time was not opportune to build a church. The immediate concern was the industrial crisis in Bullock Smithy.

In one township alone, out of 1200 inhabitants, 800 were out of work. The Stockport magistrates showed their concern by despatching ten cart loads of potatoes to be distributed amongst those who were known to be without food, and at the same time obtained a grant of £150 from the National Relief Committee in London, while a local committee was set up to deal with the situation.

The principal objection to the erection of a chapel in that place is the probable difficulty of raising a sufficient income by the letting of pews.

Nothing more was heard of this application and on the 5th March 1829, the Reverend Elkanah Hoyle died and was laid to rest outside the chancel door of the parish church at Stockport. His death brought to an end the long association of the Norbury and Poynton chapels.

⁽⁶⁾ George IV