All Saints Church, Pen-y-Lan

Situated on the Bryn Penylan estate in the rural southern part of Ruabon parish, close to the River Dee and the English boarder, All Saints church was built as a chapel-of-ease at the expense of James Ormrod of Bolton and Pen-y-Lan. A partner in the firm of Ormrod, Hardcastle and Company, cotton manufacturers of Bolton, and the Hardcastle, Cross and Company Bank James Ormrod had inherited the estate from his partner and brother-in-law Thomas Hardcastle in 1883. The greater part of the Pen-y-Lan estate had been purchased by James Hardcastle in 1854 and passed to Thomas following his death in 1869.  In the lych gate to the church a memorial tablet to James Hardcastle reads “In memory of James Hardcastle of Pen-y-Lan, who died on the 30th September 1869 in the 69th year of his age. This tablet has been erected by the workmen on the estate in remembrance of his kindness.”

The foundation stone of All Saints church was laid on 13th September 1887 by James Ormrod in memory of his wife Cordelia and opened in the summer of 1889. Within a few months of the opening James Ormrod had died, aged 80, at his main residence, Halliwell Lodge near Bolton on 12 November 1889.

The dark red sandstone was quarried on the Pen y Lan estate, the wood furnishings were made from oak felled on the estate, and the roof tiled with locally manufactured Ruabon tiles. The stained-glass windows in the apse and chancel, the work of Shrigley & Hunt of Lancaster, illustrate the dedication of the church to All Saints with the Blessed Virgin Mary, Apostles, Prophets and Martyrs in adoration of Our Lord in glory. Other Saints depicted are Augustine, David, Mary Magdalene, Paul, Stephen and Alban. Encaustic tiles to chancel by J C Edwards of Ruabon

RUABON - A new chapel of ease has been erected in the parish of Ruabon by Mr James Ormrod of Halliwell Lodge, Bolton and Pen-y-lan Hall, Ruabon. The structure, which contains 200 sittings has been erected from the designs of Mr R Knill Freeman, architect of this city and Bolton. [Manchester Guardian 21 June 1889 page 6]

PEN Y LAN - A NEW CHURCH FOR RUABON PARISH. MEMORIAL STONE LAYING AT PENYLAN. On Tuesday afternoon Mr Ormrod, of Penylan, laid the memorial stone of a church at the Bryn, near Penylan, in the parish of Ruabon, which it is his intention to complete at his own cost. The church, which will be prettily situated in Penylan Park, and close to the road side, will be Gothic in character, and will consist of a nave, chancel, north porch, vestry, and organ chamber. The chancel and nave will both be of the same width and height, but the detail of the chancel will be more ornamental. The principal entrance will be by the north porch, and a second doorway is provided on the south side, near the vestry. The font will be placed near the entrance at the west end. The chancel will be well raised, and will be separated from the nave by a handsome oak screen, and a screen of the same character will be placed between the organ chamber and the chancel. The building will be provided with a waggon-shaped inner ceiling, designed for the purpose of regulating the temperature and of assisting the acoustics. The benches will be massive, and of a character suitable to the building, and the timber for this purpose, as well as the screen- pulpit, altar, lectern, &c., will be oak grown on the estate. Both inside and outside the building will be faced with ¡ stone of a dark red colour, quarried on the estate, and the roof will be Ruabon red tiles. The benches will give accommodation to 120, but considerable additional accommodation will be provided on special occasions. The contractors are Messrs Jenkins and James, of Johnstown, and the architect is Mr K. Knill Freeman, F.R.I.B.A, of Manchester and Bolton, diocesan surveyor for Manchester. The Church, and a parsonage house which he intends to build, are both the gift of Mr Ormrod. The memorial stone is placed at the north-east corner of the Church, the proper Masonic position. There was a considerable gathering at the hour announced for the ceremony. amongst those present being Mr Ormrod, Mr and Mrs Peter Ormrod, Mr Oliver Ormrod, Colonel and Mrs Archer, the Rev. E. W. Edwards, vicar of Ruabon, and the Rev. W. Taliesin Davies, in their surplices, the Rev. T. W. Thomas, Rhosymedre, the Rev. G. M. Ashdown, Wynnstay, Mrs Wood Edward, Ruabon, Mr and Mrs D. H. Richards, Mrs Taliesin Davies, and others. The proceedings opened with the singing of The Church's one foundation," and the Rev. W. Taliesin Davies read Psalm Ixxxiv. and said prayer, after which the architect explained that the bottle placed in the cavity beneath the memorial stone contained a copy of that day's Times, a copy of the Ruabon Parish Magazine for September, a copy of the programme of the day's proceedings, a description of the church, and one each of the shilling, sixpenny, and threepenny coins. The description of the church stated that the district of Penylan being situated at such a distance from Ruabon Parish Church as to cause serious inconvenience to the parishioners in attending Divine worship, services had for some years been held at the Bryn School, Penylan. The attendance at those services, together with a wish for the spiritual welfare of the people, aided by the ministration among them of a resident clergyman, had led Mr Ormrod, of Penylan, to wish to erect and endow a church to be dedicated to All Saints, to the glory of God, and in memory of his wife, Cordelia. The site for the church and churchyard had been given by Mr Ormrod, and also a site for the parsonage, which he proposed to erect at the Bryn. Arrangements had been made, with the cordial concurrence of the Vicar of Ruabon which would ensure to the new district the advantages of a resident clergyman. The work now commenced in this jubilee year of Queen Victoria would be proceeded with and completed without delay, and it was hoped that when the church was opened the inhabitants would avail themselves of its services. Mr Freeman also read an inscription which would be placed on a brass plate in the porch, as follows:—"This church, dedicated to All Saints, is built and endowed by James Ormrod, of Penylan, in the jubilee year of Queen Victoria, to the glory of God and in memory of his wife, Cordelia, September 13th, A.D. 1887." The mortar was then spread by Mr Denbigh Jones, one of the contractors, and the architect, in presenting the trowel to Mr Ormrod, said he was sure it must be a great gratification to Mr Ormrod to be able to do his neighbours the service of building that church. Mr Ormrod then formally spread the mortar, and the stone having been lowered into its place, Mr Jones presented Mr Ormrod with a mallet with which he tapped it three times, declaring the stone to be well and truly laid to the glory of God, and in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, to which the congregation responded Amen." The forma] ceremony was completed by Mr Ormrod's little grandson, who was lifted up in order that he might tap the stone three times with the mallet. The trowel, which was presented by the architect, was a handsome one of silver, with an ivory handle. It bore the inscription, Presented to James Ormrod, Esquire. J. P., on the occasion of laying the corner stone of the church at Penylan, September 13lh, A.D 1887." The mallet, which was the gift of the Contractors, was of rosewood.

Mr Ormrod, having laid the stone, said he had for a long time intended to build a church there, but he had been restrained from doing so by the state of public affairs. He had, however, ascertained that by doing certain things he could counteract the effect of any legislation affecting the church, at any rate as far as that church was concerned, and he hoped they would avail themselves of the opportunity of attending as often as they could to pray and hear the Word of God preached in that church. He assured them he thought the church was the poor man's church. Its doors were to be open to all, of every persuasion whatever; there was no limitation, the pews were free and unappropriated, the doors would be always open and they could come in and pray whenever they were inclined. He was sorry that there was at present a feud against the clergy of the church with regard to the payment of tithe. It had brought some of the clergy into collision with their flocks. It was a pitiable thing that this should be so, because the clergy having taken livings on the understanding that they would receive those tithes, they were entitled to the tithes. He for one should be very glad when the Bill was carried which provided for the payment of tithes by the landlords, and for the relief of the tenants from the payment of tithes. The tenants, however, should consider that if they did not pay tithes, they would have to pay more rent. When he first thought of building that church, he came to the conclusion that there were signs that the enemies of the Church intended to have the Church disestablished as was the case in Ireland. Of course, a prudent man would think once or twice before he built a church in those circumstances; but. as he had said, he saw a way out of the difficulty. He saw that by licensing the church only, and not consecrating it, it could never be taken away, for, if the Church were disestablished, all that could be taken was the property which had been consecrated. He himself believed the Church which was founded upon the Rock of Christ would be preserved. He believed Dissenters did a great deal of good, and he would hold out a brotherly hand to them, but when they attempted to touch the Church, as a member of which he had been brought up, he stood unflinchingly by it.  …. [ Wrexham and Denbighshire Advertiser and Cheshire, Shropshire and North Wales Register Saturday 17 September 1887 page 8]

Reference    Wrexham and Denbighshire Advertiser and Cheshire, Shropshire and North Wales Register Saturday 17 September 1887 page 8
Reference    Manchester Guardian 21 June 1889 page 6 - Ecclesiastical Intelligence
Reference    Edward Hubbard, Clwyd (Buildings of Wales) p262