Pendleton, St. Sebastian RC Church, Baptisms 1892-1918 (Download)

About the year 1825 there was a factory at Douglas Green, and here some Catholics found employment. Their numbers were few, for in those days the populous district now known as Charlestown consisted principally of fields, many of them cultivated, and producing corn and fruit. The district at this time formed part of the parish of St. Mary's, Mulberry Street. In 1843, on the establishment of St. John's Mission in Salford, Charlestown was included in it, and it was not until 15 years later that Mass was said for the first time in Pendleton in a school which had been built in Church Street. In 1870, St. James's Mission was separated from the Cathedral parish, and Fr. Saffenreuter was appointed its first Rector. He built an Infants' School in Whit Lane and in 1874 the school began to be used as a chapel on Sundays, continuing thus until Charlestown became a separate mission in 1892. Its first Rector was Fr. R. Smith. His successors were Frs. Holohan, Thomson and Pool. During Fr. Pool's rectorship property was purchased in Gerald Road and, in November 1895, a school-chapel was commenced, the Rt. Rev, Dr. Bilsborrow, Bishop of Salford, laying the foundation stone. This school-chapel was solemnly opened in July 1896. The history of the mission under the care of the secular clergy ended in April, 1895, when the Dominican Fathers took charge of it, the first Superior being Fr. Hyacinth Koos, O.P. A larger plot of ground adjoining the site of the presbytery and school-chapel was secured with a view to the erection of a church and priory of the Dominican Order. About this time a generous benefactor, Andre Raffalovich, made an offer to provide the means for the building of a church in honour of St. Sebastian, the Martyr-Soldier of Rome. The foundation stone of the new church was blessed and laid by the Bishop of Salford on September 17th, 1898, and the building of the priory was begun in the following year. On January 19th, 1901, the church was consecrated by the Rt. Rev. Dr. O'Callaghan, O.P., Bishop of Cork, in the absence of the Bishop of the Diocese, who at the time was in Rome. On the following day, Sunday, 20th, the preacher at the Pontifical High Mass was the Rt. Rev. Dr. Allen, Bishop of Shrewsbury, and in the evening, after Compline, the sermon was preached by Abbot Gasquet.

The above description is based on information published in "Salford Diocese and its Catholic past", a survey by Charles A. Bolton, a Priest of the above Diocese. Published 1950 on the First Centenary for the Diocese of Salford.

The information which is contained in this file has been transcribed from the original registers, scans of which are included. Information has been indexed as written. The originals are held by the Lancashire Record Office at Preston.