Oldham Road Congregational Church, Miles Platting

[Luzzu]

Hi,

I am researching a number of burials in connection with our Manchester General Cemetery project.  The people buried all appeared to be former members/attendees at the Oldham Road Congregational Church at Miles Platting.

Can anyone help with a little bit of background information about the Church.  I know it was established in 1846 and demolished during the 1960's.  It was Non Conformist/Independent and two of its Ministers were Rev James Bedell and Rev W H Towers.  I have found a photograph of it on the Manchester City Council images website.

I am not sure whether or not it had its own small graveyard.  Certainly 18 of its members were buried at Manchester General and others were buried at Ardwick, Philips Park, Salford and Cheetham Hill Wesleyan cemeteries.

Thanks,

Luzzu

[heatherjulie]

Hi
There doesn't appear to have been a burial ground.
There are deaths listed on lan-opc here
http://www.lan-opc.org.uk/Manchester/Miles-Platting/oldhamrd/index.html

Heather

[Luzzu]

Thanks Heather.

I read somewhere yesterday that it may have had a small burial ground but if that was the case surely they wouldn't have been using other cemeteries for their burials so I am inclined to agree with you that it didn't.  I have seen the deaths on the Lancashire Online Parish Clerks and am researching the ones buried in Manchester General as part of the our project.

Luzzu 

[Barbara.H]

Looked on the old maps and there is no sign of a burial ground around the chapel.

There is a passage on the beginnings of the chapel in this book on in archive.org;
http://www.archive.org/stream/lancashirenonco05nighuoft/lancashirenonco05nighuoft_djvu.txt

written around 1890. If you select the 'read online' option, go to page 185 of the book. the chapter on Oldham Rd begins "The Evangelical Magazine for 1851.."  Again no burial ground mentioned.

I get the impression that like many small independent chapels, this one evolved out of a small meeting room/Sunday school arrangement. They may not have aspired to large congregations, so wouldn't feel the need for their own burial ground and the upkeep that would go with it.

  Barbara

[Luzzu]

Thanks Barbara.  Just the sort of thing I was looking for.  I am sure that both you and Heather are right and that it didn't have its own burial ground.  If they had they would have used it and not other cemeteries.

Luzzu