History
A Brief History of Lytham Church
Lytham's beginnings were based on a Benedictine priory, a cell of Durham Abbey. Although a settlement called Lethum existed before the Conquest, place names such as Kellamergh near Warton show a presence of Norse settlements in the late 10th Century. In the 1530s, after the dissolution of the Abbeys, the Abbey came into the possession of the Clifton family.
Over time the town matured from a small fishing village, to ship building and repair and warehousing in support of the Preston docks and to a home for the many workers for the Insurance and Aerospace industries nearby. Tourism has also played an important role in the development and history of the town.
Methodism in Lytham
The first Methodists in this area met in a fisherman's cottage in Bath Street some 200 years ago. Persecutions and opposition hampered progress, but Squire Clifton thwarted all attempts to stop the development of Methodism and supported the granting of a licence for the work to continue. In the 1840s, Preston Methodists, including T C Hincksman, began to take an interest. He had married the sole survivor of a tragedy at sea - Dorothy Jones, whose husband, a missionary, and colleagues and their families had drowned on a sea crossing to a Synod in the West Indies. For many years, children in the Sunday School collected their offerings for Overseas Missions in little purses made from material from Dorothy Hincksman's dress. This is commemorated on a plaque at the front of the church.
The first chapel was opened in 1847 on the site of Mercer's original cottage in Bath Street, thanks to the generosity of Hincksman and other benefactors. The chapel still stands and is now owned by Bradbury Coupe, Solicitors. A short service of thanksgiving was held on a Sunday a few years ago. A wall plaque is a reminder of the building's history.
Larger premises were needed and the present Chapel was opened in September 1868 at a total cost of £4000. The adjoining Church Hall was opened in 1880 at a cost of £370. In 1963 the interior suffered a major outbreak of dry-rot and was completely gutted and rebuilt, thanks to the generosity of Mr Joseph Hollas of Seafield House. As the years passed, various additions were made with new heating systems, kitchens etc. In the last few years, further changes have been made, including improved disabled access and toilets, external repairs to stonework and roof and in the Chancel area, which is now more open and suitable for a variety of occasions and presentations.
The interior of the Church contains a number of features of interest. The windows are of a quality unusual in a Methodist Church. In particular, in one corner there is a beautiful "modern" window by Brian Clarke, who has since become distinguished in the field. This work was done in about 1974, when damage necessitated replacement.
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