‘Let no Christian parents fall into the delusion that Sunday School is intended to ease them of their personal duties. The first and most natural condition of things is for Christian parents to train up their own children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord’.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892)

‘A Sunday school is a prison in which children do penance for the evil conscience of their parents’.

Henry Louis Mencken (1880-1956)

HISTORY

The history and development of the Sunday school c1800-1891 – present uses.

TEACHERS & OFFICERS

Sarah Mitchell – The Haigh family (Thomas, Sarah and Harry) – Eddison Sunderland – Hannah Hargreaves – Ethelbert Redman – Martha Harwood – James Hervey Horsfall.

SCHOLARS

Image from A Short History of the Baptist Church at Wainsgate 1750-1950.
The photograph was taken on the stage in the main Sunday school room.

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HISTORY

The origin of the Sunday School at Wainsgate is, according to the Short History of the Baptist Church at Wainsgate 1750-1950, ‘shrouded in obscurity’. It probably came into existence around 1800, and we know that it was rebuilt in 1834. The first Sunday School building was described as being very primitive, ‘cold, bare and dismal’.

The rebuilt school was a three storey structure, ‘built parallel to and adjoining the Chapel on the western side, with small openings through which one could look into the Chapel beyond’. This building remained until 1859, when the chapel, school and minister’s house were again rebuilt. It seems that while the size of the chapel was increased, the size of the Sunday school was reduced, and although the number of scholars had decreased from around 165 in 1852 to 122 in 1859, the school was probably somewhat overcrowded.

Wains Gate Chapel
BUILT ANNO DOMINI
1751
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REBUILT 1815
School Rebuilt 1834

In 1859 the chapel, Sunday school and minister’s house were completely rebuilt. This picture of the chapel, Sunday school and minister’s house was drawn and painted by William Redman of Crimsworth in 1875, and shows what the building would have looked like between 1860 and 1891. Immediately to the left (north) of the chapel is the minister’s house and beyond that is the adjoining Sunday school.

West elevation of chapel, Sunday school and minister’s house, 1875 by William Redman.

In 1891 the chapel was extended into the space occupied by the minister’s house to accommodate the new organ, and a new manse, Cousinville was built nearby, a gift from the Mitchell family. The part of the building that previously accommodated the Sunday school and minister’s house was partially rebuilt (on the same footprint) and remodelled as a new enlarged Sunday school.

When the new Sunday school was opened in may 1891, a celebration tea was held for over 300 past and present scholars, ‘rejoicing in the fact that the work had been brought to a successful completion without incurring any debt whatsoever’.

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Although the Sunday school is no longer used for its original purpose, the building is still very much in use: The ground floor rooms and some of the small first floor rooms are used as studios for local artists and craftspeople; the main school room is regularly used for wedding receptions and wakes; there are also occasional community events such as workshops, walking markets, Advent celebration and Christmas singalong. The Wainsgate Chapel website has details of events held in the chapel and Sunday school.

Photographs of the Sunday school room by Charlie Morrissey / Craig Shaw / Mark Hillyer.

Wainsgate is also the home of Wainsgate Dances, who host performances, workshops and residencies featuring dancers and choreographers from around the world, as well as daily Open Practice sessions for local people of all ages and abilities.

‘A wellspring of creativity’

Lyndsey Winship, The Guardian

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TEACHERS & OFFICERS

None of the women in the photograph are named, although they were all presumably Sunday school teachers (although probably not officers).

The three Superintendents on the back row are, from the left, a young Harry Haigh (1903-1956) – undoubtably him, the T is presumably a mistake since all records give his name as just Harry; Dennis Collinge (1888-1978) and Eddison Sunderland (1893-1925). The Secretary is Harry Norman Ashworth (1901-1965), who was the son of Albert Richard Ashworth and brother of Raymond and Vernon, who was killed in Flanders in 1917, aged 19. The Treasurer is Arthur Vince Greenwood (1875-1859).

Thomas Haigh (1858-1925) is captioned as a Deacon, although he was also a Sunday school teacher and Superintendent. His wife Sarah Haigh (1866-1934), a Sunday school teacher for many years, is presumably in the photograph, and is probably standing behind Thomas and in front of their son Harry.

Sarah MITCHELL (1822-1892)

Sarah Mitchell was the youngest of the three daughters of William Mitchell (c1795-1828) and his wife Mary (c1800-1869), who was born Mary Cousin. Sarah’s sister Susannah married William Shaw of Huddersfield, and Hannah died aged 4. She also had three brothers, John who died aged 12, James Mitchell who emigrated to America and died in Peshtigo, Wisconsin, and Henry Mitchell.

Sarah was born at Boston Hill and was living there at the time of her death: she lived for almost her entire life, and all of her adult life, at Boston Hill. Her father (described in various documents as a ‘Gentleman’ or ‘Yeoman’) died at the age of 33 when Sarah was just 6 years old. He appears to have left her well provided for: census records describe her occupation as ‘Annuitant’ (living on income from investments), ‘Landowner’ and ‘Living on her own means’. She never married and had no known children.

Photograph from A Short History of the Baptist Church at Wainsgate 1750-1950.

Sarah Mitchell served as a Sunday school teacher at Wainsgate for over 50 years. She may be the teacher in the photograph above from 1885, but we can’t be sure. She may also be the subject of the oil painting (unsigned, untitled and undated) which was removed from Wainsgate by the Historic Chapels Trust when they took over ownership in 2005 (it has since been returned to Wainsgate and is displayed in the chapel).

The inscription on the chest tomb also commemorates Sarah’s brother James, who died and is interred in Peshtigo Wisconsin. The inscription following Sarah’s name is from Psalms 26:8 –

‘Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth’.

Thomas HAIGH (1858-1925)

Sarah HAIGH (1866-1934)

Harry HAIGH (1903-1956)

All three were closely associated with Wainsgate, and are buried in plot B264a. Thomas Haigh was Church Secretary for 21 years and Sunday School teacher and Superintendent for almost 50 years. His wife Sarah (born Bancroft) was a Sunday School teacher for many years, and their son Harry was associated with the Sunday School throughout his life, as scholar, teacher and Superintendent. The chapel clock has a plaque ‘In appreciation of services rendered by Harry Haigh 1931–1956’. Harry was a keen cricketer, and there is a bench dedicated to him at Old Town cricket club. Framed photographs of all three are displayed at Wainsgate.

SCHOLARS

Coming soon…..