| The story of
how the two parishes of All Saints and St. Mary Crowned came
into being is a long and interesting one. It reflects how
Catholicism came to the North of England in the pre-Reformation
era and how it recovered post-Reformation. A large
migration of population, particularly from Ireland, to serve the
local cotton mills in the 19th century led to a huge demand for
parishes and churches to serve the community. An
unusual aspect of Catholic history in Glossop is the involvement
of the Howards of the Duchy of Norfolk, a strongly Catholic
family with extensive property in the valley. Together
with other wealthy local families such as the Sumners and the
hard work of several founding priests, their commitment and
generosity provided a platform for building both churches. |
|
In the Glossop
valley, the two parishes of All Saints and St. Mary Crowned
remained largely separate until relatively recently. They
now share a single priest and many ecclesiastical and social
events. In the years 1986 and 1987, the known histories of
both parishes were written in the form of booklets to mark
centenary events. These are reproduced below in PDF format
with acknowledgements to their original writers and publishers.
The booklets provide a wealth of detail that will be of interest
both to visiting Catholics and to students of local history. |
