The New Church

The population of the parish had increased during the Industrial Revolution, when the mill was built at Meal Bank and a need had been created for a church to exist within the Parish boundaries. From the 17th century onwards parishioners had attended Holy Trinity Church in Kendal.

A Skelsmergh Chapelry Committee was formed early in 1870 under the Chairmanship of the Archdeacon, the Venerable T Cooper,  to create a place of worship on a site that had been given by Mr J Braithwaite of Meal Bank but it was decided to accept another offer by Mr W F Harrison of Martropps, Near Weybridge, Surrey for a site located above the Shap road but some distance from the main population centre around Meal Bank. Plans were drawn up by Architect Bintley and with a minor modification to the bell turret were accepted by the committee.

The Archdeacon, Venerable J Cooper, laid the foundation stone on May 5 1870, only three months after the first committee meetings had taken place. This indicated that matters could move forward very swiftly in the late 19th century.  The same could not be said for the planned dates for the Consecration of the church in 1871, which slipped back from June 24 to August 30 and finally to November 2, owing to building delays.

The consecration of St John the Baptist Church in the newly-designated parish of Skelsmergh & Scalthwaiterigg was attended by the Bishop of Carlisle, the Archdeacon and fourteen clergy. The procession was led in by the Church Wardens followed by the Bishop and Clergy, alternately repeating verses from the 24th Psalm.

The Reverend T Scamell read the prayers, the Reverend H Monsarrat the 1st Lesson, the Reverend C C W Shepherd the 2nd Lesson, the Reverend E Gabriel the Epistle and the Venerable Archdeacon J Cooper the Gospel.  The Bishop took as his sermon text Chapter 7 of Revelations, from verse 9.

The offertory raised £46 which was given for endowment. After the service consecrating the church the Bishop consecrated the adjoining graveyard. The Reverend George Edwin Pearsall Reade MA was appointed as Vicar.

A notice was published giving the name of the parish as the “New Chapelry of Skelsmergh, Scalthwaiterigg and Patton”, with an estimated population of 200 people.