All Saints’ Church, Barnacre was the magnanimous gift of the wife and children of Thomas Henry Rushton. It was designed by Austin & Paley of Lancaster and dedicated to the memory of Thomas Henry Ruston by the Bishop of Manchester, The Rt. Rev. E. A. Knox on 28th July 1905. The cost of the erection was £2,000 and its furnishings were gifts from the Rushton family and friends. It was first used as a Chapel of Ease to St. Thomas’ Church, Garstang.
Consecration of the Church and Churchyard took place on 23rd October 1911 by Bishop Knox and, thus, Barnacre became a properly constituted Parish with a Vicarage built in 1911. The first Vestry Meeting was held on 15th April 1912 in the schoolroom when J. L. Rushton Esq. was appointed the first Vicar’s Warden and Mr. T. Atkinson the first People’s Warden.
On 20th June 1912, Worshipful Chancellor P. V. Smith presented a silver Credence Paten to commemorate the Church’s consecration.
The first Parochial Church Council Meeting was held on 15th December 1913. During 1925 – 1926 a Font Cover in oak, designed by Austin & Paley, was donated by parishioners.
On 3rd October 1027, a Day School for children between 5 and 11 years of age was opened in the Parish Room and functioned until summer 1930. On 25th March 1931 a Sanctuary Lamp, a gift from Mrs. Popkin, was dedicated to the memory of Rev. J.L.T. Popkin, the fifth Vicar of Barnacre.
On 8th March 1936 J. L. Rushton Esq., Founder of Barnacre Church, Patron of the Living, died and was succeeded by his only son Thomas J. L. Rushton. The Memorial Chapel was erected in memory of James Lever Rushton by his wife and children. It was designed by Austin & Paley of Lancaster with windows designed by Shringley and Hunt of Lancaster.
The Wheel Window over the Chapel Altar was the gift of parishioners, tenantry and friends of Mr. Rushton. It was dedicated on the 21st December 1937 by the Bishop of Blackburn.
At this service the new installation of electric lighting for the whole Church was brought into operation for the first time, superseding the oil lamps which had been in use since the Church’s dedication. Three of these oil lamps were given for use in the Parish Room and the rest were sold at 3/6d to the people of the parish.
During 1939 many evacuees from Salford came to live in this Parish. In 1941 German Aircraft dropped bombs in the fields of Burns Farm. However no damage was caused – apart from some large craters!
In 1943 Thomas James Lever Rushton Esq. D.E.C, Patron of the Living, was killed whilst on active service in North Africa and is now buried in the British War Cemetery, Alexandra.
July 28th 1955 was the Church’s Golden Jubilee and in commemoration of this occasion new prayer and hymn books were presented to the Church by parishioners and friends. Two Church Warden’s Staves were also presented in memory of Mr. and Mrs. Jonathon Collinson.
The 4th August 1959 saw the installation of an automatic oil heating system. A notice board in polished oak was erected in the Churchyard in September 1960. This was donated by G. H. Watts Esq.
Dr. C. Claxton, Bishop of Blackburn, visited the Parish on the 5th and 6th September 1961 and stayed at the Vicarage.
The Mothers’ Union Banner, which is still used today, was dedicated on the 4th November 1962 and the Church’s Diamond Jubilee was on July 28th 1965. In commemoration of this occasion, parishioners and friends presented a gift of a silver Chalice to the Church.
April 3rd 1966 saw the dedication of the Vicar’s Board which was donated by Major and Mrs. T. R. Shepherd-Cross.
The Church celebrated its centenary in July 2005 and a commemorative booklet “A Century of Change” was produced by Alison Bates and sold to raise funds for the Church.
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