Extract from Over The Five Barred Gate.         

 ..It was of course, the association with Whalley Abbey that gave Abbey Village its name. Until 1840 this part of the moors was occupied only by sheep farms. Then in that year, Mr John Park, a cotton manufacturer of Preston built a mill close to the mooreland road. He was the younger brother of Mr Robert Park, who built about she same time, the cotton mill at Withnill.

Mr. John Park built some 30 or 40 cottages at Abbey Village adding more as the business grew. Just as villages had taken their religion from the old squire they now took it from the owner of the mill. Mr. Park was a Methodist, his father having been one of the Preston pioneers. As the nearest meeting places were at Brincall and Tockholes, he set apart a place in the warehouse to serve as a day school and chapel.

Subsequently a day school was built, but this was burned down by a disastrous fire on February 10th 1936. My fingers still tingle when I remember this fire for it was a bitterly cold day and the wind came from the moors and turned the spray from the firemen's hoses to ice, so that one car, an Austen seven was so completely covered it could not be moved until it had been thawed out!

The school was rebuilt and reopened on New Years Day the following year.

 

Veterans!

Three old Methodist stalwarts I used to meet at Abbey Village on my calls in the middle thirties were Isaac Baron, James Sankey and David Sankey, his brother. In Coronation Year 1937 they were photographed together as having 64 years association with the Brinscall Tent of the independent order of Rechabites to which they had first been admitted by charter in 1876.

Mr. Baron who was then 84 was still choirmaster at the church, and as part of the Coronation celebrations, sang THE VETERANS. He later recalled, that he had sung this song at three coronations! Mr. Barton who was the village postmaster, formed a link with the first Abbey Village church in 1848, for his father, a spinner at the mill, was one of the first local preachers, He was also Isaac Baron.

Mr. James Sankey had just retired after 61 years as organist. Mr. David Sankey had been Sunday School Superintendent for over 30 years. Having known these three stalwarts, whose frankness was at times devastating, Abbey Village will always mean more to me than long rows of stone cottages, with the Hare and Hounds at one end  the Royal at the other, and a mill, a church, and a school in the middle.

 

Over The Five Barred Gate by George Birill

Printed by Guardian Press Chorley 1967.