Wigan Album

The corrugated iron companies evidently did a roaring trade in this area. To my knowledge tin tabernacles existed at Holy Family, St William's, the Good Shepherd, and St Luke's - which was only demolished a few years ago when a new building was built on the site of the Stag opposite. I expect pics of these exist somewhere....

Hi Dennis, it was further down than Kingsdown Road but nowhere near Dover Lock.

It was opposite the new Labour Club and Clayhole.

Quiet right about Holy Family, but did you know it was transported along the canal from Bootle to Bamfurlong Bridge and then down Lily Lane to were the now "NEW" church stands

by Irene...
<<Hi Dennis, it was further down than Kingsdown Road but nowhere near Dover Lock.>>

Hello Irene, can we call that another senior moment? ;) As I say, my memory of this is pretty hazy, I usually passed it going from the Dover Lock pub on my way to the Buck's Head... pub crawling in other words! :D

Yes, I knew about the journey of the Holy Family's tin tabernacle from Liverpool by canal. Whilst on that theme - the Mersey Mission to Seamen became concerned that barge families had nowhere to worship - so two tin chapels were built for them, one at Crabtree, near Burscough, and one at Pinfold, near Scarisbrick. The former became known as St Andrew's, who is associated with missionary work, and the latter as The Good Shepherd, invoking the image of the lost sheep being brought home to the fold. That's the name given to the Bamfurlong tin tabernacle, which was an offshoot of Abram church. It, too, is quite close to the canal - perhaps it was also built originally for barge families.
I drove through Abram last evening - I assume the chapel pictured stood where two bungalows are now, on the North side of the road, almost opposite the Labour club.

Quite right thats were the chapel use to be as Billy pointed out

Mark... do you mean it transported fully built to Holy Family, or its component parts?

If fully built that must have been a sight to see!

THE STORY GOES DENNIS IT WAS FLOATED DOWN IN SECTIONS ON MAN MADE RAFTS HAVING BEEN USED AS A CHURCH IN BOOTLE FOR MANY YEARS

Dennis
The proper story was writen up by Miss Fagen school teacher at Holy Family,It was in use in Bootle and when they got more prosperous it was sent to the poor parish in Platt Bridge and like Geoff says in came along the canal in segments,it served us well until the new one was built, if you remember your Ester & Joe Keogh were married in the pro because the old one had been demolished

Indeed I do remember that Mark, but I assumed the the 'old' church had been a brick or stone built structure that for some reason had to be demolished, I had no idea that the new church replaced a tin tabernacle... it is fascinating what you learn on here!

I attended Abram Methodist church from 1951 until its closure in July 1985 the photo with the railings mounted on the wall is the earliest the railings were removed for the war effort the wall was replaced with new railings in the 1960s The circular window was covered by the men of the church after storm damage as replacement proved to costly

Can someone tell me what branch of Methodism this chapel was prior to union in 1932?
Email me please alan.nixon@live.com I am sure Bill Lane will know

I remember the Chapel vaguely. There are 2x Bungalows built on where this once stood. We had some good times in there. My Mums side of the family attended regular, my Dad had the Good News Club in there