THIRD JUBILEE October 1893.

The Baptists of Salendine Nook are now celebrating their third jubilee of the establishment of Salendine Nook Baptist Church, and to mark this important period in it’s history they decided to make considerable alterations and additions both in the interior and exterior of the old chapel buildings so as to provide for the greater comfort of the worshipers and to minimize to some extent the mill-like appearance of the which the exterior presents.

The officers of the church gave the preparation of plans into the hands of Mr. B. Stocks, Architect, New Street, and these were accepted, and the work has been carried out under Mr.Brooks able superintendence. At the principal entrance a large porch and vestibule have been added, and these are approached by a handsome flight of steps cleansed stone from the Shopley Quarries. The entrance porch is 16ft long and 7ft 6in. wide, and the vestibule is 13ft long and 6ft 6in. wide, and each side to right and left, is a staircase 5ft wide, giving good approaches to the west end of the gallery. To the porch are affixed two very fine double doors 5ft wide. There are other doors between the vestibule and the entrance to the body of the chapel, so that draughts may be largely excluded.

The stone-work of the new part has been executed executed with extra hammer dressed wall-stone from Elland, and ashlar from Crosland Hill, and the stile of architecture adopted is plain classic.

At the south-east corner of the building an exterior enclosed staircase has been added, extending from the basement to the roof. The staircase communicates with the basement part of the premises by means of a corridor 16ft long by 9ft wide, and the stairs lead up to the east end of the gallery, providing access for the choir and others using that end of the chapel. This newly added part has been treated in the same style as the porch.

On the north side of the chapel a new heating apparatus room has been put down containing a boiler, and a store room for fuel and other things.

The whole of the old box pews have been taken out of the body and the gallery of the chapel, but the gallery frame work has been allowed to remain, and the pews have given place to new open ended, shaped, and moulded pitched pine seats and they present a very comfortable and pleasing appearance. The improvements to the interior of the chapel include two quadrant stalls for the communion.

At the east end of the chapel, within the shell of the old building, on what is called the ground floor, there has been a rearrangement of rooms which were already in existence, such as the vestries for minister, deacons and choir, together with classrooms, access to which is gained either from the new staircase before referred to or through doorways leading from the chapel. The whole of the woodwork is of pitched pine, except the pulpit, which has been allowed to remain. By substituting open ended seats for the old box pews, there will be more sitting accommodation provided.

The work has been done by the following contractors:- Masons work, Messrs T Bottomley & Sons Lindley ; Joiners work, Messrs Wood Bros., Huddersfield ; Plumbers work, Mr. Geo. Garton, Huddersfield ; Plasterers work, Messrs J Robinson & Son, Marsh ; Painters work, Mr John Lunn, Huddersfield ; Hot Water Apparatus; Messrs T. A. Heaps & Co.; Concrete work, Mr. J. Crooks, Folly Hall ;

The organ has been thoroughly overhauled by Mr. Jardine, Manchester, whose firm originally built it, and a further manual has been added.

In the porch the following tablet is prominently displayed:-

1743 - 1893

This tablet is erected in a spirit of devout thankfulness to God, and to commemorate the 150 years of blessing, which have followed the formation of this church in this place in 1743. During this period an ever growing attendance on the means of grace has necessitated the building or rebuilding of three chapels on this site in 1743, 1803, and 1843, also extensive alterations in 1893. No fewer than 14 churches in the neighbourhood have been formed as the spiritual children or grandchildren of the church worshiping here, the combined membership at present being 2,591.

“ This is the Lords doing and is marvelous in our sight” Matthew C21 V 42.

“ Be not weary in well doing” 2Thess. C3 v13.

October 1893.

On Wednesday afternoon the first of a series of services connected with the reopening of the chapel was held, when there was a crowded attendance, and numbers had to stand throughout the service. The Rev. Dr. Alexander McLaran, D.D. of Manchester, had been announced to preach in the afternoon, but he had been suddenly taken ill at his home, and a telegram was received by Mr. Jacob Smith announcing the fact and expressing Dr. McLaran’s deep regret. The Rev. Prof. Marshall M.A. Manchester, had promised to preach in the evening, so as the Rev. Dr. McLaran could not fulfill his engagement, Prof. Marshall undertook the afternoon service. Mr. A. Brook the organist at Nook, had composed a special march, to which he had given the name Celandine, and before the service began he played the march on the organ with fine effect. Mr. W. Dale Shaw then gave a short address, in which he remarked that the whole of the interior alterations and decorations had not yet been completed, and towards the close he announced what the congregation was evidently not prepared to hear, namely, that

Dr. McLaran had been taken ill and could not preach. He knew said Mr. Shaw, that it would be a terrible disappointment to everyone in the chapel, but he was glad to say that the deacons had obtained the services of Prof. Marshall, who would preach to them, and he believed they would all go from that house of God all the better for his ministrations, and they were very much obliged to him for stepping into the breach at so short a notice. The service then proceeded, Prof. Marshall gave a very powerful discourse, touching the growth of Christianity. The musical portion of the service included Stainer’s anthem “ Hosanna in the Highest”, with solo for Miss Binns and Mr. Thos Wrigley. During the afternoon service the Rev. Dr. Bruce, of Highfield who was in the chapel, was asked if he would conduct the evening service and he consented to do so. At the evening service there was again a crowded attendance, and Dr. Bruce preached an excellent sermon from the words “ Your father’s where are they, the prophets do they live foe ever”, Zechariah C 6 V6. The anthem was “ As Pants the Heart” Stimson, the solo was taken by Miss Binns.

The collections for the day amounted to £76.

From a letter received on Thursday it appears Dr. McLaran was in the enjoyment of his usual health until ten o’clock on Wednesday morning, but about that hour he was seized with sudden illness which necessitated his going to bed and remaining there, Miss McLarans letter, written late on Wednesday evening contains the welcome assurance that her father is improving. The letter continues “ My father wishes me to express to yourself and the rest of the friends at Salendine Nook his very deep regret that he should have been obliged to cause you so much inconvenience and disappointment, I asked him what message I had to give to you, and he replied ‘say I am in the depths of sorrow’, and really the thought of having failed to be with you has troubled him all day”.

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