The Background Leading To The Foundation of The Grammar School.

The history of events leading to the foundation of the Rivington Free Grammar School and Rivington Protestant Church find their routes in the early pre reformation days of England. Events most certainly turned with Luther and his use of the Printing Press to communicate new idea's regarding religion. Those idea's were adopted by Princes all over Europe and the Church of Rome was looted, many people met their deaths. These were the earlier days of the Bishop's life. A separate page has been included that gives an overview of these events.

The Church and the School founding Charter shows the date of 1566. A date given for the Consecration of the Church is 1541. After Partition of the Common Fields in 1536 Richard Pilkynton agreed land to the the use of the local's for their Church - now a new Anglican Church, consecrated in 1541. To examine the History of either the Church or School  requires examination of both as the two are historically connected. The architectural features show the probability that a pre reformation Church was rebuilt. The pre reformation research has yielded some controversial details I must remind readers that the page linked details events that took place around 500 years ago, no side was right and no side can justify what was done.

Rivington Church Pre Reformation Origin.

The grand parents of Richard Pilkynton (1486 to 1551) on 6th Sept. 1476, Dame Margaret, the second wife (m. 1447 nee Ambrose) and widow of Sir. Ralph Pilkyngton, and her son Robert Pilkyngton (1447 to 1508 married Janet Tyldesley 1476) join in granting to certain trustees Ferneley, mentioned in deed of 1476 one tenement, called 'The Fernylee', and one tenement called Chappell Croft in Rivington. Again, in Ralph Pilkington's post mortem Inquisition taken on the 26th January 1478, the jurors say that the deceased Ralph held amongst other property " a tenement in Rivington called Chapell croft." Ralph Pilkynton's first Wife was Margery Lever. In 1478 a Power of Attorney by Robert (son of Ralph)pilkington, to George pilkington and Nicholas pilkington (of Salford); to deliver seisin was granted.

The Standish Chantry was founded in the year 1479 by Alexander Fairclough, rector, and Robert Pilkington, chaplain. Standish is also place of name plate of James Pilkington, later Bishop giving the year as 1518. The income from Higher Knoll, Lower Knoll and Grut Farm went toward its upkeep. (Robert the son of Ralph is not listed as a Knight) Richard Pilkynton is connected with Standish Parish Church in 1541 in the purchase of a Bell.

"Sir John Hindeley is described as priest at Rivington in 1498, and on May 5th, 1521, Sir John Warying, priest, was one of the witnesses of a deed between Richard Pilkyngton and Peers Bradley, both of Rivington. By 1534 the church at Rivington must have been in a ruinous condition, as we find on the First of November the household of the Street and Sir John Jackson, priest, going to Blackrod Church for the feast of All Hallows." It is clear that by 1534 the Church was already subject to the 'Reformation".

Historically Sir John Waryng, priest is likely last officiating Roman Catholic Priest at the Chapel. Year 1521 Towneley MSS., No. 1989.  The Priest Sir John Waryng in the 1520's travelled a wide area attending other Churches.  The headless cross was in more recent history a signpost showing directions at the crossroads at Grimeford. The top section of the cross is missing, but the complete cross is believed to be from a pre reformation place of worship that was destroyed during the 'Reformation'. A tradition that stems from our farming background is that if a special building is taken down, remnants are preserved by locals. 

Legend Of The Rivington Chaplain and Church Silver

A local legend: On receiving news of the destruction of the Churches and the fate of others, the last Pre Reformation Chaplain at Rivington is said to have died in a tunnel underground escaping with the Silverware he had been ordered to take to safety. The Chaplain is said to have lived near to the .current position (map extract of 1946) of the headless cross. Long ago noted as a Market and a cross roads. The Anderton Private Chapel is said to have been located near Roscoe Lowe with a tunnel between a house at Grimeford. There is also a ghost story. 

The Start of the Church on a mound of earlier date

Rivington Church is finely situated on abrupt rising ground, commanding a good view over the reservoirs. It is a small, plain building of the local sandstone, and consists of a nave and chancel without aisles. There is evidence of a Church owning land in the Rivington area in the thirteenth century. A Latin service exists for the period in the School Registers at LRO. A Papal Bull also indicates a Church in the area in 12th century. In a document quoted of about the year 1280, mention is made of three acres of "terra ecclesiastica" in Rivington. This would have been the Pre Reformation Church at Rivington. 

Rivington Anglican Church.

School and Church Founded 1566.

Richard Pilkyngton donated land in 1536.

Around the time of the Dissolution the Church is likely to have been abandoned or destroyed. Richard Pilkyngton, then holding Manorial Rights, to keep the peace and maintain order, during the Reformation, with reports of rebellions circulating and rejection of the Anglican Church seems to have arranged to have consecrated the Anglican Church at Rivington by 1541, built on his land by 'Partition' in 1536.

Richard Pilkynton appealed to Doctor Bird, the Lord Bishop of Chester, to dedicate the Chapel and Chapelyard to God for holy and divine service, and the same was consecrated October 1541 by the said Lord Bishop. 

Richard Pilkyngton born 1486 died 20th May 1551, his Widow Alice Pilkinyton (Nee Asshaw) died 1565. James Pilkinton, later Bishop of Durham was at Cambridge 1549 then Kendal 1550 to 1551 he resided for years near to Durham.

It is when local history is compared to wider history that a fuller picture of events and deeper insight can be gained. The Church is likely to have been built on land once owned by the Church of Rome at Rivington, from the days prior to the reformation. In 1521 is the last date a Priest is recorded. Between 1521 to 1525 we have the surge against the Church of Rome by the state, followed by a reaction from the people in the North of England who rose up against the state.  In 1534 as the Oath of Supremacy is required of all Priests, after which many are executed. By 1535 leading Priests are being executed.  

In the appeal to the Bishop in 1541 the people of Rivington Township had stated they had used the land on which now stands for generations as a place of Worship. This along with other details strongly suggests the site once used by the Church of Rome. I have also noted a private Chapel of the Anderton family. It is clear that the people of Rivington were practising Roman Catholic prior to Dissolution and had converted to the new Anglican Church by necessity. Local farms displaying the Cross in the stone would be to depict Houses of Worship of the forbidden Roman Catholic faith. Puritans did not have a cross in Church.

The Pilkington family were prominent in the local History of Rivington and Horwich for centuries. It is in gratitude of the contribution to the towns that the Pilkington's Emblem is within the Horwich Coat of Arms and Rivington and Blackrod School Coat of Arms. James Pilkinton, Bishop of Durham is the founder of the School and Church and a later Richard Pilkington was benefactor to New Chapel, the Unitarian Church at nearby Horwich.

The Rebuilding in 1666

A land ispute occured in 1628, settled in favour of the Church of England, adjacent land was retained by descendants of Katherine Pilkington. Local history records that the Church was almost completely rebuilt in 1666 and renovated in the 1870's. A fire had resulted in some damage in 1834. The details of the fire are pretty sketchy, but certainly it does not seem to have been a deliberate act. There is a mystery of missing works of art that were connected with an oak pulpit at the Church

The roof was restored in 1872 and the Lych gate was erected in 1923 as a memorial to the Rev. William Ritson, M.A., Vicar of Rivington for thirty-nine years from 1879 to 1918, and in 1923 also electric lighting was installed in the church and the vicarage.

The present road past the church has the village hall on the south side, immediately after the vicarage garden. 

There are early graves under the wooden floor of the Church, one of whom is Richard Pilkyngton. (1551 based on Pilkyngton painting). The earliest gravestone now in the churchyard is marked 1616. The earliest memorial in the church is dated 1627.