Middleton Parish Church Historical Commemoration Pageant

Pageant type

Notes

The pageant was organised by Middleton Parish Church of St Leonards to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the last rebuilding of what is an ancient institution.

Jump to Summary

Performances

Place: Alkrington Estate (Rochdale) (Rochdale, Lancashire, England)

Year: 1924

Indoors/outdoors: Outdoors

Number of performances: 6

Notes

26–31 May 1924

The pageant was held in the nearby Alkrington estate with its manor house. At the time, this was in private ownership. The programme states it was made available 'by kind permission of Messrs Hulbert'.

The pageant was part of a longer festival celebrating the history of the church; this lasted from 25 May to 8 June 1924. The performances took place in the first week of these celebrations from Monday to Saturday (except for the Thursday, which was Ascension Day) at 6.30pm; there was an additional matinee performance on Saturday 31 May at 2.30pm.2

Name of pageant master and other named staff

  • Pageant Master: Robson, Rev. A.L.
  • Honorary Advisors: Professor and Mrs Hamilton-Thompson (Leeds)3

Notes

Each of the episodes had its own 'leader' (see synopses of episodes).

The advisors provided historical advice on which episodes to cover.

The pageant had a number of high profile patrons including the Earl of Derby, eight bishops based in the north of England including the Bishops of Manchester, Durham and Chester, five mayors including the Lord Mayor of Manchester, and a large number of local councillors, clergymen and individuals with military titles.4

Names of executive committee or equivalent

Commemoration Officials:

  • President: Rev. T. Sherwood Jones, MA
  • Hon. Secretary: James R. Dunn
  • Assistant Secretaries: F. Fitton; S. Hazeldene; L. Sidebotham
  • Hon. Treasurer: G.H. Garstang
  • Master of the Pageant: Rev. A.L Robson, AKC

Finance and Publicity:

  • Chairman: H.A. Ward, CC, JP
  • Secretary: F. Fitton
  • Other Members: H.S. Batey; W.M. Harrison; S. Haseldine; J.P. Worsnup; T.A. Fitton;
  • C.H. Cheetham; G.W. Garstang; H. Partington; J. Ainsworth; J. Huddart; T. Crabtree;
  • W. Howles; F. Tyreman; Mrs Smithies; Mrs C.H. Cheetham; Miss Dean

Properties:

  • Chairman: Rev. A.L Robson, AKC
  • Secretary: L. Sidebotham
  • Other Members: Captain Scupholme; F. Ogden; J.R. Mellalieu; R.E. Law; W. Taylor;
  • H.V. Lawson; A. Baron; J. Kempton; J. Kirkman, junr.; H. Partington; J. Butterworth;
  • H.C.S. Jones; T.J. Tyreman; H. Miller; F. Crooks; F. Lee; E. Lee; W. Tyreman

Music Committee:

  • Messrs. J. Steeple, J. Heywood, W.B. Pink, and H. Horrocks

Ground Committee:

  • Chairman: Jos. Huddart
  • Secretary: S. Hazeldine
  • Other Members: A. Baron; J. Crabtree; H. Baron: Jos. Jones; F. Howarth; J.R. Chetham; W. Hardman; H. Dempsey; F. Kenyon; A. Wild; H. Gibson; J. Ainsworth; T. Openshaw; H. Godson; J. Godson; E. Ingham; W. Tyreman; F. Lee; F. Taylor; T. Driver; W. Sutcliffe; Frank Howarth; J. Kirkman, senr.; Councillor J. Wood; H. Fitton; C. Parr; F. Ashworth

Central Dress Committee:

  • Chairman: Rev. A.L Robson, AKC
  • Secretary: L. Sidebotham
  • Other Members: Mrs Sherwood Jones; Mrs Batey; Miss Batey; Mrs Pink; Miss Pink; Mrs Matthew; Mrs F. Cheetham; Mrs C.H. Cheetham; Mrs J. Jones; Mrs E. Partington; Mrs Baron; Miss M. Mellalieu; Miss Holland; Mrs Ogden; Miss D. Windle; Miss M. Booth; Miss M. Howard; Mrs Smithies; Mrs F. Howarth; Miss Butterworth; Miss A. Wellons; Miss L. Collinge; Mrs Fairbrother; Mrs Ogden; Mrs Gorton

Refreshment Committee:

  • Leaders: Mrs Smithies; Miss E. Dean

Notes

Although many women were involved as organisers, they appear to have be corralled in the traditional occupations of costume and tea making.

Names of script-writer(s) and other credited author(s)

  • Benson, A.C.

Notes

The committee took historical advice on which tableaux to present, but it is unlikely that the pageant had dialogue. Benson wrote the words for 'Land of Hope and Glory' which was sung at the close of the pageant.

Names of composers

  • Elgar, Edward

Numbers of performers

500

The exact number of performers is unknown: 500 is an approximation. The number included dancers and singers as well as members of various groups associated with the church in walk-on roles during the final episode. Horses were used in some episodes, and a 'dancing bear' makes an appearance in Episode VII.

Financial information

Object of any funds raised

No financial information has been recovered. It is possible that this pageant was provided free to spectators.

Linked occasion

n/a

Audience information

  • Grandstand: Not Known
  • Grandstand capacity: n/a
  • Total audience: n/a

Prices of admission and seats: highest–lowest

The single advertisement of the pageant that has been recovered carries no ticket prices; this may have been a free event.11

Associated events

The pageant was part of larger commemoration events. These were as follows:

Sunday 25 May:
  • 7.00am—Holy Communion.
  • 9.30am—Beating the Bounds (described as an old custom at Rogantide); a procession left the church at 9.30am.
  • 10.30am—Rev. R.G.A. Parsons, Rector of Birch-in Rusholme, delivered a sermon particularly addressed to the pageant performers.
  • 3.00pm—Civic service attended by the mayor and corporation; the preacher was the Lord Bishop of Manchester. Heraldic stained-glass panels were dedicated at this service.
  • 6.30pm—A service with a sermon delivered by the Lord Bishop of Burnley.

Thursday 29 May (Ascension Day):
  • 8.00am—Holy Communion.
  • 9.00am—Commemoration service for the children of the Day School; the preacher was the Rev. R.H. Mayoh (Curate of Middleton, 1920–23).
  • 7.30pm—Evening service; the preacher was the Rev. Archdeacon Stanton Jones, Vicar of Bradford.

Sunday 1 June:
  • 8.00am—Holy Communion.
  • 10.30am—Sermon preached by Rev. Dr Wilson, Rural Dean of Oldham.
  • 6.30pm—sermon preached by the Ven. Archdeacon Sale, Vicar of Rochdale.

Monday 2 June:
  • 8.00pm—Service for Friendly Societies and Kindred Societies (e.g., Freemasons). The preacher was Rev. A. Aspin, MA, Vicar of Todmorden, Provincial Grand Chaplain (Masonic Order) and Curate of Middleton (1903–1909).

Tuesday 3 June:
  • 8.00pm—Service for the clergy and parochial church councils of the Middleton rural deanery; the preacher was the Ven. Archdeacon Aspinall, Residentiary Canon of Manchester and Rector of St. George's, Hulme.

Wednesday 4 June:
  • 8.00pm—Service for young men and women and elder boys and girls (Sunday School Senior Classes, Scouts, Guides, etc.); the preacher was Rev. S.F. Cornell, Vicar of Christ Church, Chadderton (Curate of Middleton, 1911–1915).

Thursday 5 June:
  • 4.15pm—Service for the scholars of the Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School; the preacher was the Rector of Middleton.
  • 8.00pm—Service for Free Church ministers and members; the preacher was Rev. L.W. Grensted. MA, BD, Principal of Egerton College.

Friday 6 June:
  • 8.00pm—Closing Week-Evening Service for all; the preacher was the Dean of Manchester.

Sunday 8 June, Final Commemoration Services:
  • 7.00am—Holy Communion.
  • 8.00am—Holy Communion.
  • 10.30am—Service preached by Rev. A.L. Robson, AKC.
  • 6.30pm—Service preached by the Rector of Middleton.

Pageant outline

Opening Ceremony

With the exception of the Saturday evening performance, a different dignitary opened each performance of the pageant. No details have been found, but presumably this involved a speech and/or prayers. The dignitaries were as follows:

  • Monday 26 May: R.C. Ashetton, Esq., JP, DL, CA, of Downham.
  • Tuesday 27 May: John Aspell, Esq., CA.
  • Wednesday 28 May: Jas. A. Lees, Esq., of Congleton.
  • Friday 30 May: The Mayor of Middleton.
  • Saturday 31 May at 2.30pm: A.J. Law, Esq., (Littleborough).
  • Saturday 31 May at 6.30pm: There was 'a grand march past' instead of an opening ceremony.13

Episode I. The Legend of St Leonard, No Date

The 'leader' of this episode was 'Mrs Batey'; it featured the legend of the church's patron saint, St Leonard, famous for using his influence in royal circles to obtain the release of prisoners. The tableau presented was modelled on a stained glass representation of the saint in Middleton Church where St Leonard is shown 'receiving the homage and gratitude of freed captives'. In addition to the saint, eight players took the roles of the captives; all the players were male.

Episode II. Paulinus Baptising in the North, AD 627

'Miss Cooper' was the leader for this episode; she also took the role of 'attendant' in the court scene portrayed. The scene had a larger cast of thirty-seven players—seven women and thirty men. The episode dramatised the baptism of King Edwin by Paulinus. Having heard of Paulinus, the king calls a meeting of wise men together at a place called 'Godmundingham' in AD 627. He asks them one by one to give an opinion on the new doctrine. Coifi, the high priest of Woden, is the first to give an opinion; he states that the new worship is worth noting and suggests that they therefore set fire to the 'Temples of Woden'. No further details of the performance have been recovered, but it is assumed that the drama proceeded to feature the arrival of Paulinus and the baptismal ceremony. Alongside the characters mentioned was the king's wife, Queen Ethelburga (Æthelburh), his niece Hilda (later the Abbess of Whitby) and a variety of court members and soldiers.

Episode III. William the Conqueror and His Army Passing Through Middleton, AD 1070

There were two leaders in charge of this episode: J. Kirkman, Junr., and H.V. Lawson; both also took on roles in the pageant. Kirkman played the headman of the village and Lawson played the messenger. The drama begins with the messenger running breathless into the village to say that the Normans are on their way and would pass through Middleton on their march towards Chester. Villagers gather and excitedly discuss the situation; the headman makes his way to the priest's house to take advice, and both then make their way back to the village to consult the villagers. All agree that the priest should 'offer homage and subjection' to the Normans. When the Normans reach the outskirts of the village, a knight—Gilbert de Lacey—'detaches himself, rides up the street, wheels round and returns'. William, his knights and infantry then follow de Lacey back to the village where the priest offers homage. The Normans march through the village and then depart, and the people quietly disperse. Sixty-seven performers took part made up of men, women and children with men in all the main roles.

Episode IV. Consecration of Middleton Church by Cardinal Langley, AD 1412

L. Sidebotham and H.C.S. Jones were the leaders in charge of this episode; Sidebotham also took the role of a chaplain, and Jones played a knight. Altogether, thirty-eight performers took part, made up of men and women, with men in all the principal roles. The episode commemorates the rebuilding of the church and its consecration in the name of St Leonard. It features Cardinal Langley of Durham who reputedly bore all the costs of the new building. The drama begins with the villagers awaiting the arrival of the cardinal; they are grouped around the main doorway of the new church. Langley, his chaplains and an escort of knights then ride through the groups of villagers; they dismount, and, accompanied by the verger, enter the church. All then re-emerge via 'the left door', dressed in vestments and accompanied by a cross-bearer and servers. A procession forms which makes its way to the front of the church. The cardinal 'raises his hand in blessing then kneels in prayer'. The villagers bow their heads. The procession then regroups, the cardinal knocks three times on the door, and the procession, followed by the villagers, enters the church.

Episode V. The Return of Sir Richard Assheton and the Archers from Flodden, AD 1513

The leaders in charge of this episode were A. Fitton and W. Howles; Fitton also took the role of a steward. There were fifty-seven players taking part, made up of eleven children, twenty-one men and twenty-five women. The scene takes place on the village green and opens with the children at play. Two men (one of whom is the steward of Assheton's household) appear just as the children's play becomes noisy; the children are sent away, except for one who is dispatched to tell the village that Assheton is on his way back from Flodden where he led the bowmen of the Middleton district against the Scots. Villagers then appear and question the two men eagerly. The sound of trumpets is heard, and the children become excited, followed by the rest of the crowd. The steward rushes off to tell Assheton's household; Lady Ashetton, her children, female attendants, a rector and a priest then come on the scene as the archers arrive. The people move aside. Sir Richard dismounts and approaches his wife—they embrace. The families of the archers then greet the returning heroes, but two elderly parents look in vain for their son, and a mother and her children fail to find their father. Lady Ashetton and 'kindly neighbours' try to comfort them. The scene ends with the Ashetton household going back into their castle while the steward disperses the villagers.

Episode VI. The Funeral of Sir Richard Assheton, AD 1617

The pageant programme details that this episode dramatised the funeral of the great grandson of the 'the hero of Flodden’. This description goes on to explain that, as was customary, he was buried the day after his death (d. 28 December 1617); however, the formal commemorative service was not until three weeks later. The performance begins with a procession led by a cross bearer and torch holders to the church. It continues with singing by adult male choristers and choirboys and a great deal of religious ceremony as well as a sermon preached by the Rector of St Leonards, Edward Ashetton, based on Psalm XC: 12. Other named characters include Lady Ashetton, five ladies-in-waiting and four priests. No details of the music have been recovered, and there are no named leaders for this episode. Forty-two players took part in addition to those in the choir who are not named. The villagers attending the funeral were all played by women.

Episode VII. May Day Revels

This episode had a large cast, mostly made up of dancers: twenty-four Morris dancers, thirty-four maypole dancers, thirty-six individuals who performed a dance to 'Greensleeves', thirty-two who performed the English country dance 'Sir Roger de Coverley', and twenty who performed 'Gathering Peascods'. Children and young men and women made up the dance troupes in roughly equal numbers in terms of sex. There were two named leaders of the episode: L. Dixon and M.E. Taylor. The scene takes place in the village with the arrival of the May Queen's party led by the Morris and Maypole dancers, hobbyhorses, jesters and the queen's usher. Child dancers group themselves around the queen's throne, and a party of gentry exits the castle. Lady Ashetton crowns the May Queen, and others among the gentry are presented to the crowned queen who then proceeds to declare the revels open. The dances are then performed. Afterwards, the queen, her attendants and the gentry stroll around to view the revels, which include the children playing a game called 'the Lord of Misrule', a puppet show and a dancing bear. There is singing by the children of the folk songs: 'Spring's Delights' and ‘Summer Is a Coming-in'. Altogether, around 170 performers took part in the scene.

Episode VIII. The Church's Progress Down to the Present Day

The pageant programme describes this as containing 'the ancient and modern elements of the Church's life in Middleton’. Representatives from a number of parish groups appeared in the foreground of a presentation, with the pageant performers from the previous episodes standing behind them. The parish groups represented were:

  • Mothers' Union
  • Girls' Friendly Society
  • Girl Guides (Brownies and Guides)
  • Boy Scouts
  • Missionary Service League
  • Young People's Union
  • Children's Guild
  • Church Army
  • Men's Institute
  • Men's Guild of Fellowship
  • Sunday Schools
  • Day Schools
  • Young Men's Bible Classes
  • Young Women's Bible Classes
  • Church Council
  • Choir, Bell Ringers, etc.
It is not known if a commentary was spoken. The entire group sang 'Land of Hope and Glory'. This closed the pageant.

Key historical figures mentioned

  • Paulinus [St Paulinus] (d. 644) bishop of York and of Rochester
  • Eadwine [St Eadwine, Edwin] (c.586–633) king of Northumbria
  • Hild [St Hild, Hilda] (614–680) abbess of Strensall–Whitby
  • William I [known as William the Conqueror] (1027/8–1087) king of England and duke of Normandy
  • Langley, Thomas (c.1360–1437) administrator and bishop of Durham

Musical production

Few details of the musical accompaniment have been recovered, but it is likely that this was provided by a live band. There was singing of religious music in Episode VI and folk songs in Episode VII. Elgar's 'Land of Hope and Glory' was sung at the close of the pageant. Psalm 90:12 (‘O teach us to number our days’) is quoted in Episode VI.


Newspaper coverage of pageant

Lancashire Evening News
Manchester Guardian

Book of words

n/a

No book of words: it is unlikely that this pageant included dialogue.

Other primary published materials

  • Middleton Parish Church Historical Commemoration Pageant May 25th to June 8th, 1925: 800th, 500th, 400th Anniversaries, Price 6d. Manchester, 1924.

References in secondary literature

n/a

Archival holdings connected to pageant

  • Lancaster University Library Special Collections: One copy of the programme. 9MWVG.K.

Sources used in preparation of pageant

n/a

Summary

This pageant celebrated the history of what the Manchester Guardian newspaper referred to as 'among the more notable ecclesiastical buildings of Lancashire'.14 Certainly, the church could claim antiquity; a place of worship had existed in Middleton from Saxon times when its church was dedicated to St Cuthbert.15 While other pageants in the north, such as those held in Carlisle, enthusiastically dramatised both the life of Cuthbert and the efforts made after his death to preserve his remains from attacking Danes, Middleton's pageant chose not to cover such early Christian history. Instead, it began its story with an undated tale of a later patron of the church—St Leonard. While this particular saint's history may be 'dimmed by antiquity', he proved to leave a more lasting legacy in Middleton.16 Indeed, this church, which is still today a working parish, continues to be known as St Leonard's. The first church built on the site of the present building dates from Norman times having been erected in the early part of the twelfth century; thereafter, it was rebuilt and dedicated to Leonard in 1412. The next reconstruction took place in 1524 when the church was enlarged and largely rebuilt, allegedly to celebrate the victory at Flodden in 1513 (making 1924 the 400th anniversary of the church still standing). The Flodden connection can be attributed to the fact that the parish's local squire, Richard Assheton, led a group of Middleton archers into battle against the Scots and was knighted for his contribution. Thereafter, St Leonard’s achieved some fame for a stained glass window that was installed depicting Sir Richard, his wife and the Middleton archers.17 The pageant and associated religious services, held over a fortnight in 1924, principally celebrated this quatercentenary; but, for good measure, the organisers threw in the two other relevant dates, claiming that the church's octocentenary and quincentenary also fell at approximately this time.

Although the pageant had many illustrious patrons from across Lancashire, the event seems to have been organised solely within the congregation. The pageant master was the then rector of the parish, and all of the performers were in likelihood parishioners. The organisers sought historical advice from an authority on medieval history at Leeds University, Professor Alexander Hamilton Thompson, whose specialism was ecclesiastical history.18 Interestingly, the professor's wife was also given credit for advice. However, whatever scholarly advice was received, the organisers appear to have taken some dramatic license for some scenes. While it may have aimed to educate about the church's history, the pageant was clearly the entertainment on offer alongside the many worthy services and sermons provided during the period of commemoration. The pageant also tried to make what was enacted relevant to the fabric of the church; thus, the first episode, which was presented in tableau form, copied a scene familiar to parishioners from one of the stained glass windows in the church. This showed St Leonard receiving thanks from a group of former captives who owed their freedom to his intervention. The press suggested that the church's patron saint was likely mythical, but this depiction was nevertheless 'agreeable in retrospect' because of Leonard's reputation for freeing slaves.19 The second episode moved the narrative to a wider history of Christianity in the north of England and depicted King Edwin's conversion in what was likely an abbreviated version of the account documented by Bede. At any rate, it did not dwell on any probable misgivings that Edwin may have experienced about giving up the old religion. The wider history of England was focused on in Episode III when the passage of William the Conqueror northwards was dramatized. This scene included an equestrian display as the knight Gilbert de Lacey made his way into the village.

In Episode IV, the consecration of the new church built in the fifteenth century was celebrated. In the story told, Bishop Langley of Durham, who had been born in Middleton, endowed the building of a new church and paid for this out of his own pocket. It was perhaps for this reason that the edifice did not last long and was replaced a little over a century later by Richard Assheton, a few years after his return from the battle of Flodden in 1513.

The aftermath of Flodden is a common subject of pageants, both in Scotland and northern England. Unsurprisingly, given Middleton's celebrated contribution to a famous English victory and the association of the church with the Flodden heroes through its well-known stained glass image, the victorious return from battle in 1513 was the subject of Episode V.20 Yet, in the drama presented, as in other northern English pageants, victory was not celebrated with a display of triumphalism. English losses were also recalled. Within the context of the United Kingdom, this approach was a diplomatic one that did not take pleasure in Scotland's tragedy. Moreover, since the Middleton pageant took place only six years after the end of World War I, sensitivities about the appropriate memorialisation of war must also have been an issue. Thus, in the Flodden episode, while many villagers rejoice and give thanks for the return of fathers, brothers and sons, two families are seen coping with the knowledge that their loved ones will not return. The lady of manor was depicted as leading the way in showing appropriate sympathy for such losses and demonstrating that these individual losses were a cause for collective grief. Such community solidarity in the aftermath of war was, of course, part of the Christian ideal, which this church pageant would certainly have endorsed.21 An interesting codicil that demonstrates the power of Flodden within local and national histories is that until quite recently it was believed that the stained glass window in St Leonard's was probably the oldest war memorial of its type (the Middleton archers and Richard Assheton's knighthood having long been famous for their connection to Flodden). This belief was countered in 2013, however, when it was discovered that the window was in fact created in 1505, eight years before Flodden, and was most likely a commissioned manorial image that had been moved into the new church when it was built in the 1520s, thereafter serving as a reminder of the battle.22

In many pageants, a Flodden episode is followed with something a little more light-hearted. However, in Middleton's case, the grief-stricken mood was retained in Episode VI, which depicted the 'elaborate funeral obsequies' undertaken following the death of Sir Richard Assheton in 1617. In this, the sea of black portrayed was leavened somewhat by the 'bright heraldic colours' included as part of the display in the funeral procession.23 Given this family's close historic association with the church, it is more than likely that the organisers and their historical advisors had access to a contemporary account of this extravagant funeral. The episode seems to have fulfilled multiple functions: First, it reinforced Middleton's historic associations with the Assheton family; second, it recalled elaborate post-reformation religious ritual; third, it maintained the momentum of the pageant's chronology; and last, it consolidated the solemnity that had been introduced in the Flodden episode. Episode VII, which followed, necessarily had to be jolly, and for this the obvious choice was a depiction of a village festivity. This was again set in the seventeenth century and had all the usual panoply of entertainments that a Mayday, secular and pre-industrial era fair could provide with its folk dancing and singing; in addition, there was a performance by a dancing bear.

The pageant eschewed the industrialisation that came to Middleton in later centuries. While this was not unusual in inter-war pageants, there may have been another reason for this in that the town had become very much associated with political radicalism. It was the birthplace of, for example, the handloom weaver, autodidact and campaigner for political reform, Samuel Bamford (1788–1872).24 Certainly, the avoidance of the more recent past was not out of any kind of sensibility about avoiding the modern world. Indeed, Episode VIII celebrated contemporary congregants as the inheritors of their church's history. The final episode underlined what must have been evident already throughout this entire performance—that the church had a healthy congregation involved in many religious and civic associations. The scene presented settled for a simple display of many representatives from all of the parochial organisations surrounded by performers from the previous episodes. All gave a rousing chorus of 'Land of Hope and Glory' and ended the pageant on a resounding patriotic note.

Live music was probably an important element in this pageant, which probably carried little or no dialogue; however, few details of this have been found. The press failed to mention it. Similarly, no information about the numbers who attended the pageant has been recovered. It was held in a local private estate which would have afforded plenty of space for a sizeable audience. It does not appear to have been ticketed and took place in the evening on weekdays as well as on a Saturday afternoon, so these hours may have provided encouragement to attend if it were a free event. This may have been possible for there appears to have been considerable patronage from private individuals; moreover, some kind of collection in aid of the church and all its works may well have taken place at the grounds. In addition, some expenses incurred, such as for the production of the pageant booklet, were subsidised by advertising.25 The booklet carries either a half or full page advertisement on alternate pages throughout. The press reported that the local people who participated carried the scenes through 'creditably' and that many of these stayed in the mind 'as finely impressive'.26 On such evidence, it is difficult to know what were its successes and failures, but in all likelihood it was at least well supported by its own church members and by the Lancashire clergy. The main interest of this pageant, and others like it, is that it was not simply a means to proselytise. The main objectives of the undertaking were more about bringing congregants and parochial organisations together in a collective endeavour and, significantly, as the Lancashire Evening News pointed out, doing something positive to 'stimulate interest in the richly-laden story' of this church's past.27

Footnotes

  1. ^ Middleton Parish Church Historical Commemoration Pageant May 25th to June 8th, 1925: 800th, 500th, 400th Anniversaries, Price 6d. (Manchester, 1924), 29.
  2. ^ Advertisement, The Guardian, 26 May 1924, 1.
  3. ^ Middleton Parish Church Historical Commemoration Pageant May 25th to June 8th, 1925: 800th, 500th, 400th Anniversaries, Price 6d. (Manchester, 1924), 21.
  4. ^ Middleton Parish Church Historical Commemoration Pageant May 25th to June 8th, 1925: 800th, 500th, 400th Anniversaries, Price 6d. (Manchester, 1924), 8–9.
  5. ^ Middleton Parish Church Historical Commemoration Pageant May 25th to June 8th, 1925: 800th, 500th, 400th Anniversaries, Price 6d. (Manchester, 1924), 21.
  6. ^ Middleton Parish Church Historical Commemoration Pageant May 25th to June 8th, 1925: 800th, 500th, 400th Anniversaries, Price 6d. (Manchester, 1924), 23.
  7. ^ Middleton Parish Church Historical Commemoration Pageant May 25th to June 8th, 1925: 800th, 500th, 400th Anniversaries, Price 6d. (Manchester, 1924), 23.
  8. ^ Middleton Parish Church Historical Commemoration Pageant May 25th to June 8th, 1925: 800th, 500th, 400th Anniversaries, Price 6d. (Manchester, 1924), 23.
  9. ^ Middleton Parish Church Historical Commemoration Pageant May 25th to June 8th, 1925: 800th, 500th, 400th Anniversaries, Price 6d. (Manchester, 1924), 23.
  10. ^ Middleton Parish Church Historical Commemoration Pageant May 25th to June 8th, 1925: 800th, 500th, 400th Anniversaries, Price 6d. (Manchester, 1924), 23.
  11. ^ See advertisement, The Guardian, 26 May 1924, 1.
  12. ^ Middleton Parish Church Historical Commemoration Pageant May 25th to June 8th, 1925: 800th, 500th, 400th Anniversaries, Price 6d. (Manchester, 1924), 26–27.
  13. ^ Synopses based on Middleton Parish Church Historical Commemoration Pageant May 25th to June 8th, 1925: 800th, 500th, 400th Anniversaries, Price 6d. (Manchester, 1924).
  14. ^ 'Middleton's Place in History', Guardian, 27 May 1924, 18.
  15. ^ See ‘The Parish Church of St Leonard, Middleton’, St Leonard, Middleton, accessed 17 April 2016, http://www.middletonparishchurch.org.uk/about-us/history/.
  16. ^ 'Lancashire Pageant: A Parish With a Long History', Lancashire Evening News, 27 May 1924, 2.
  17. ^ Middleton Parish Church Historical Commemoration Pageant May 25th to June 8th, 1925: 800th, 500th, 400th Anniversaries, Price 6d. (Manchester, 1924), 13.
  18. ^ See entry regarding Thompson's personal papers held within special collections at the University of Leeds, accessed 27 April 2016, https://library.leeds.ac.uk/special-collections-explore/5007/alexander_hamilton_thompson_collection.
  19. ^ 'Lancashire Pageant: A Parish With a Long History', 2.
  20. ^ The Flodden window was restored in 2013 in time for the 500th centenary of the battle.
  21. ^ For discussion of the war and expressions of grief and remembrance in pageants, see A. Bartie, L. Fleming, M. Freeman, T. Hulme, P. Readman and C. Tupman, '"And Those Who Live, How Shall I Tell Their Fame?" Historical Pageants, Collective Remembrance and the First World War, 1919–1939', Historical Research (forthcoming, 2017).
  22. ^ See 'Window Opens on Middleton's Historic Mystery', Manchester Evening News, 2 May 2013, accessed 28 April 2016, http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/local-news/window-opens-middletons-historic-mystery-3313628. For an early twentieth century reiteration of the window's association with Flodden, see 'The Parish of Middleton', in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 5, ed. William Farrer and J. Brownbill (London, 1911), 151–161, in British History Online, accessed 18 April 2016, http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol5/pp151-161.
  23. ^ Middleton Parish Church Historical Commemoration Pageant, 53.
  24. ^ See Peter Spence, ‘Bamford, Samuel (1788–1872)’, entry in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, first published 2004, online edn., accessed 28 April 2016, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/1256.
  25. ^ There is a lengthy list of patrons included in the pageant book; see Middleton Parish Church Historical Commemoration Pageant, 17 and 19.
  26. ^ 'Lancashire Pageant: A Parish With a Long History', 2.
  27. ^ Ibid., 2.

How to cite this entry

Angela Bartie, Linda Fleming, Mark Freeman, Tom Hulme, Alex Hutton, Paul Readman, ‘Middleton Parish Church Historical Commemoration Pageant’, The Redress of the Past, http://www.historicalpageants.ac.uk/pageants/1129/