Church Images

Copy of an original poster for a "Spiritual Temple" to be opened in Oldham in 1887. From this initial spiritual temple two distinct groups after a major disagreement emerged forming two spiritualist churches in different parts of the town.

One group became Oldham Spiritualist Church and moved to King Street Oldham then moving to our present address in 1958.

SPEAKERS FOR OLDHAM SPIRITUAL TEMPLE, NOVEMBER 1889

OLDHAM - A public reception to Mr J J Morse and re-union of Lancashire Spiritualists will be held in the Spiritual Temple off Union Street on Saturday November 9th.

Tea on the tables at 4-30 prompt. Tickets 1shilling (sandwich), under twelve, 8d each; after tea, 6d each.

Mr Wallis, Mrs Green, Mr W Johnson, and others are expected to be present.

Mr Morse will lecture on the following Sunday at 2.30 and 6.30pm; also on Monday evening at 7.30. Tea will be provided on Sunday for friends coming a

distance at 6d each.

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OLDHAM - Mr Schutt's afternoon subject was "God's need of Man". We had heard much concerning man's need of God, but without man God would be a monarch without a subject.

Three subjects were chosen for the evening, viz, "The Signs of the Times Spiritually Considered", "The claims of Theosophy", and "Is there a God?"

Each subject was very ably treated - J. S. G.

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OLDHAM - Morning. Good attendance. Chain recitations, with usual responses. Recitations by Miss L Calverlay, Miss P Horrocks, Mr F Shaw, and Mr W.H. Wheeler.

Marching and Callisthenics successfully gone through. The accompaniments were ably rendered by Mr R Wairight, organist. Afternoon: Fair attendance.

Recitations by the Lyceumists, with the usual instruction from the manual. Mr Wheeler, conductor for the day. - H.S.

Copied from the front of Church Lyceum manual.

The manual was presented to a Mr James Carter on his departure to Australia in 1918.

What happened to Mr James Carter and how did his copy of the Lyceum Manual finish up in our Church Library?

Photograph showing the location of Oldham Spiritualist Church on King Street prior to 1958. The buildings were demolished a long time ago and now the land is part of the King street roundabout.

King Street prior to 1958 view from Star Inn/ Union Street.

Mrs S A Whittaker

Mrs S A Whittaker was President of our Church for over forty years, this included the Second World War. Mrs Whittaker was a very strong minded lady who would stand no nonsense and it was undoubtedly due to her

qualities that our church survived the war.

Below is a copy of the Church Annual Accounts for the year 1949.

Unfortunately the sheet of paper on which the Church Accounts of 1949 are written is of a size A3 and we cannot scan the image.

We also had problems joining together two images i.e. Income and Expenditure.

Nevertheless we have copied the Church Accounts, which we hope will be of interest to you.

One immediate item of interest is in the Income section, "Part Proceeds Hollinwood Propaganda Mutiny".

Anyone who has any information on this please let us know. Whilst "To sale of forms" would suggest old seating arrangements.

For our younger visitors a pound consisted of 12 pennies (pence) to a shilling and twenty shillings to a pound, i.e. 240 pence in a pound.

Therefore five shillings to repair the Church Clock equates to 25 new pence in today's currency.

United National Spiritualist Church

161a King Street Oldham

Balance Sheet January 1st to December 31st 1949



INCOME	£		s		d	EXPENDITURE	£		s		d
Brought F/wd Balance in Bank from 1948	81	-	7	-	6	53 Sat Rents Jan 1st to Dec 31st 1949 at 8/1 per week	21	-	8	-	5
Brought F/wd Balance in Hand from 1948	5	-	16	-	7	Medium's Fees & Expenses, Weekdays	30	-	4	-	11
To Collections - Weekdays	57	-	14	-	9	Medium's Fees & Expenses, Sundays	18	-	0	-	11
To Collections - Sundays	43	-	2	-	7	Refreshments Social £1-5-0 and Cheque to Harry Edwards £3-13-0	4	-	18	-	0
To Effort for Harry Edwards Social	4	-	18	-	0	Spiritualists Press Booklets	1	-	6	-	0
To Sale of Forms (To Boys Club)	3	-	10	-	0	Church Caretaker (Cleaning)	14	-	9	-	8
Per Mrs Hairsine Developing Class	17	-	19	-	0	Church Advertising	8	-	2	-	8
Part Proceeds Hollinwood Propaganda Mutiny	2	-	11	-	9	Two Worlds Accounts	7	-	17	-	2
Member's Fees						Gas & Electric Accounts	5	-	6	-	2
30 Full Members at 4/- per year	6	-	0	-	0	Coal Account	4	-	19	-	8
6 Associate Members at 4/- per year	1	-	4	-	0	Tea Towels etc per Mrs Hartley			16	-	9
1 New Member from Dukinfield (April)			3	-	0	Flowers	1	-	15	-	0
Sale of Booklets 23 at 1/3	1	-	8	-	9	Mottrams Account	1	-	7	-	3
Two Worlds (Sale of Paper)	8	-	19	-	0	Window Cleaning Account	1	-	19	-	0
To Raffles	1	-	2	-	8	January 1949 Subscriptions to S.N.U. 27 Members at 2/-	2	-	14	-	0
Bank Interest (1949)	2	-	2	-	4	Repair Clock			5	-	0
						To Fund of Benevolence			10	-	6
Total	£ 237	-	19	-	11	Cleaning Requisites	1	-	7	-	6
						Stationery	1	-	4	-	4
						Laundry & Sundries	1	-	2	-	10
						McKown Accounts, Tea Sugar, Soap etc			17	-	9
						Electric Bulbs			6	-	0
This is a copy of the Income & Expenditure						Less unsold Two Worlds			6	-	6
Balance Sheet. All items having been						Postages	2	-	6	-	6
audited and found correct, by us on this						Cash in Bank	97	-	2	-	4
date January 13th 1950.						Cash in Hand	6	-	15	-	1
Signed
Marjorie Masters						Total	£ 237	-	19	-	11
George E Sinkinson

Oldham Spiritualist Church in 1959 approximately six months after moving to our present location from King Street Oldham. We are indebted to Mr Graham Jones of Failsworth, Manchester for donating this photograph to our Church. Notice the electric heating elements in the ceiling. The photograph shows the rostrum before it was covered over. On the wall behind the organ there is a poster for a public meeting for Rochdale and Shaw Spiritualist National Church at the Ambulance Drill Hall in Rochdale on Thursday September 10th 1959. There were two mediums, one name unfortunately is blocked by flowers but the other medium was Gordon Higginson M.S.N.U. and the admission fee was 2/- each (10p in decimal currency).
	Margaret Brooks A Committee Member for many years and valued member at our Church. Margaret passed to Spirit many years ago.

John Warwick Past President, Healing Leader and Healer. A supporter of our church for many many years. Unfortunately we do not have a better photograph of John.

	John Oldfield Past President, Healing Leader and Healer. Another staunch supporter of our Church. A lovely kind man, his presence is felt regularly during our healing services.

Nancy Hannan Healing Leader and Healer. Nancy's work and support have been invaluable to our Church over the years. Again sadly we do not have a better photograph .

	This lady's photograph was found in our church archives. We have no information on this lady. Perhaps someone out there can identify this person. If you can help then please get in touch.

Doreen Whyte Known to many visitors to our church as the "Sweetie Lady" due to her favourite task of carrying a carrier bag full of sweets in the church and handing fistfuls of sweets to everyone. Doreen used the sweets to make everyone who visited our church welcome, it was her way of breaking the ice with all who attended our church. Sadly Doreen passed to the higher side in August 2007.

	Sheila Alt A long term visitor and valued friend of our Church, who is sadly missed.