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FOUNDER MEMBERS
- Mrs
Hilda Barraclough
-
(Nee
Crookes)
- b.
17th
July
1910
- d.
4th July 2003
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- Mrs
Lilly Hobson
-
(Nee Crookes)
- b.
9th
December 1913
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- Mr
Mathew Hobson
- Husband
to Lilly
- b.
22nd
September 1907
- d.
1977 aged 70.
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Hilda and Lilly were sisters
The
following details were recorded from the personal diary of Mrs Hilda
Barraclough, with additional material from tape recordings
made in 1986, by Spiritualist minister Mr Sid Pickersgill from
Wakefield, and endorsed by Mrs Lilly Hobson. Mrs Barraclough and Mrs
Hobson were awarded life membership as exofficio committee members;
presentations were made to both ladies at a special circle.
“You would travel upon many of life's pathways, before you would meet
such dedication as this.”
Cliff
Lloyd
TIME
SCALE:
1950
Started
visiting the Churches of Shafton, Hemsworth, South Kirkby, Cudworth,
South Elmsall and Ryhill. The three founder members started having a
small open circle meeting at Mrs Crossland’s house in Brierley. This
gradually grew in popularity. A weekly collection was taken, and as the
numbers grew they had to move out of the small room. Mat and Lilly
Hobson decided to open their biggest room at 23 Park Avenue, where the
meetings were then conducted for a period of twelve months, after which
they moved the meetings back to Mrs Crossland’s house. This time they
paid five shillings per week as rental on the largest room in the house,
which used to be the billiard room. The founder members organised a
working group that eventually became the first full committee with
helpers, Mr Mathew Hobson - Treasurer and Secretary, Mrs Lilly Hobson -
Vice-president and I/C refreshments, Mrs Hilda Barraclough - President,
Mrs Dye, Mrs Hawkins, Mrs Hughes, Mrs Crossland and later Mrs Healey.
1951
Thursday 1 January:
AGM
held. Committee re-elected, founder members included. Visited Mr Ackroyd
the church architect.
Saturday 13 October:
Church
Land meeting. Visited the two Kenyon brothers who owned the land that
the Church was eventually built on. It was originally an orchard.
Tuesday
16 October:
Return
to the Church rooms at the Junction of Church Drive and Church Street
from 23 Park Avenue.
Thursday 20th December:
Committee
purchased new chairs. The two brothers had passed away
and the will beneficiary, Maud Le Roy who inherited the land from them,
arranged to sell the orchard.
The
Spiritualist Church in
2005 - 49 years after its opening.
The church stands opposite Hall Farm and the Methodist Church on Church Street
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The
three founder members from left to right: Hilda, Matthew and Lilly seen here
in the 1970s
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1952
Wednesday
6 February:
Annual
General meting held, committee re-elected. King George V died on this day.
Princess Elizabeth became Queen whilst on Royal tour in Africa.
Wednesday
19 March:
Major
fundraiser - meat and potato pie supper.
Tuesday
16 September:
Harvest
Festival service.
1953
Wednesday
21 January:
Annual
General meeting held-committee re-elected, founder members included.
Tuesday
2 June:
Celebrated the Coronation
of H
M
Queen Elizabeth II.
God Bless her.
Wednesday
10 June:
Meeting with
Spiritualist minister Mr Dawson of South Elmsall and Mr Burton re
finances for
the church and joined the National Spiritualist Union.
Thursday
5 March:
Major
fundraiser at church rooms.
Friday
4 December:
Major
fundraiser at church rooms.
Thursday
17 December:
Fundraising Christmas supper at church rooms.
1954
Friday
1 January:
Annual
General Meeting held. Committee re-elected, founders included.
Monday
11 October:
Final
yearly meeting of church building fund. Final payment for church land.
Land clearance well under way by Mr Mathew Hobson and Mr Charles Henry
Barraclough.
1955
Sunday
2 January:
Annual General meeting held. Committee re-elected., founders included.
Tuesday
28 June:
Taylor's of
Oldham contracted to build the church, started the foundations today. Mr Mat
Hobson visited daily, working between his shifts at work.
Saturday
1 October:
Walls
complete, ready for building the roof.
1956
Wednesday
4 January:
Main
church room cleaned. Founder members painted the whole church. More chairs
were ordered ready for the Grand opening.
Thursday
26 June:
Gas,
electricity and all plumbing connected.
Saturday
28 January:
Annual
General meeting held. Committee re-elected, founders included.
Friday
30 March:
Final
Fundraiser and meeting before the new church opened.
Saturday April 14
OUR NEW
CHURCH OPENED!
Six years
of hard but enjoyable work. Ceremony conducted by Mr Harry Dawson -
President of the National Spiritualist Union from Lincoln. Mrs. Kennedy of
Doncaster, and Mr Dawson of South Elmsall. Over one hundred and thirty
people attended the ceremony with the same attending the special celebration
tea arranged by Mrs Lilly Hobson in the Methodist function hall across the
road. The founder members had stood as guarantors for the mortgage taken
with the National Spiritualist Union of £3,500, to be payable over a twenty
year lease. The title deeds were redeemed after a repayment period of only
thirteen years, seven years early. There was a huge amount of interest paid
on this loan. Payments of £70 were made on a three monthly basis, which in
1956 was a lot of money.
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The
opening of the new Brierley Spiritualist Church on Saturday April 14
1956.
Left
to right: Secretary and treasurer Matthew Hobson, President Hilda
Barraclough, Harry Dawson President of the National Spiritualist Union ,
Mrs Kennedy
medium from Doncaster
and Mr Dawson from South Elmsall.
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Sunday
15 April
: Mrs Jenkins of
Mexborough took the
Sunday meeting. The
church then increased the weekly meetings to include, for the first time, a
Sunday, as well as the well established Tuesday’s and open circle on
Friday’s.
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Cliff
Lloyd holds the original records and a copy of the tape recording.
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On
January 31st 2001, the Church held an evening of clairvoyance in aid of
the Church Drive surgery heart monitor appeal and raised £227. Seen
here are mediums l to r Anne Westwood, Betty Elliot and Diane Gardner.
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