Hadley and Horton: Churches

CHURCHES.

In the 14th century Hadley manor house had a private chapel. William the chaplain of Hadley was mentioned in 1349. (fn. 1) In 1377 Sir Robert Corbet leased ½ virgate and a mill in Hadley for 99 years to the prior of Wombridge, and in return one of the canons or a chaplain celebrated divine service for his and his family's souls on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in the chapel within the manor house gates. (fn. 2)

In 1856 a chapel of ease was completed and consecrated on a site at Hadley given by Miss Ellen Thorneycroft. The cost was met by £355 in voluntary contributions and £725 in grants. The patronage was vested in the bishop, the archdeacon, the vicars of Wellington and Wrockwardine, and the rector of Kynnersley, (fn. 3) and remained with them in 1981. (fn. 4) The chapel was licensed for baptisms and burials in 1856 and for marriages in 1858. (fn. 5) In 1858 a district chapelry was assigned (fn. 6) comprising Horton township, most of Hadley township, and a small part of Arleston township. (fn. 7) The curate (fn. 8) became a titular vicar in 1868. (fn. 9) The cure was served by a priest-in-charge 1975-80 and was thereafter a vicarage. (fn. 10)

In 1856 the vicar of Wellington assigned the incumbent £10 a year from vicarial tithe rent charge. Pew rents were also assigned, (fn. 11) worth £30 a year in 1884. (fn. 12) In 1857 the living was endowed with £700 mainly from subscribers. (fn. 13) It was augmented by £10 a year in 1861, (fn. 14) and in 1863 was endowed with £500 to match a benefaction of £500. (fn. 15) In 1864 St. John Chiverton Charlton assigned the incumbent £20 a year in perpetuity from Wellington rectorial tithe rent charge. (fn. 16) The curate's net income was put at £102 in 1865. (fn. 17) In 1874 the Ecclesiastical Commissioners assigned annual tithe rent charge of £225 gross (fn. 18) out of the former endowment of Wellington prebend (fn. 19) and in 1919 endowed the living with a further £300 to meet a benefaction of £300. (fn. 20) The vicar's net income in 1932 was £350. (fn. 21)

The vicarage house, built c. 1857, (fn. 22) stood east of the church. (fn. 23) From 1975, however, the incumbent lived in Manor Road. (fn. 24)

James Barton was incumbent 1858-94, (fn. 25) the only other long incumbency being that of H. J. Moreton, 1941-74, (fn. 26) who held Preston upon the Weald Moors in plurality from 1947. (fn. 27) W. B. MacNab, vicar 1903-17, and Arthur Peters, 1917-28 (fn. 28) held high-church beliefs (fn. 29) and the same tradition was favoured in 1982.

The church of the HOLY TRINITY (fn. 30) was designed by T. E. Owen (fn. 31) in the Gothic style. It is of red and yellow brick with Grinshill stone dressings and consists of a chancel with south organ chamber (added c. 1904 in place of an original clergy vestry) (fn. 32) and nave with north-west bell turret and south porch (added after 1903). (fn. 33) In 1915 there was one bell. (fn. 34) In 1981 a brick 'parochial centre' was added at the west. (fn. 35)

A chapel was built at Hadley cemetery, (fn. 36) opened 1903. (fn. 37)