History
The 1863 Constitution of the Free Church of England made provision for separate dioceses, each under the pastoral oversight of a bishop. This was very much a continuation of the ancient pattern, common to the historic Churches of both East and West. In the case of the Free Church of England there was also a sense of continuity with the structures of the Countess of Huntingdon’s Connexion, out of which the Free Church of England initially grew. In the early decades the situation was very much one of mission and church planting, and it naturally took some time for fully developed dioceses to be organised. The earliest surviving congregation in the North was founded at Tottington, near Bury (then in Lancashire, now in Greater Manchester) in 1853 and acquired its own Church building – St John’s – in 1867. The consecration was performed by Bishop Benjamin Price, who at that time had oversight of the whole Church.
The end of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century saw the planting of Churches all over the North of England, with a particular concentration in Lancashire. Very often a generous benefactor (sometimes a mill owner) would provide much of the impetus and funding. A system seems to have developed whereby Churches were grouped together. Tottington, for example, seems to have acted as a ‘Mother Church’ to congregations in Hoyland, Hollinwood, Harwood, Accrington and Chorlton.
By the 1880s things were sufficiently established for both the Free Church of England and the Reformed Episcopal Church to create fully organised diocese (see the list of bishops).
One of the most prominent was William Troughton, who pastored the diocese from his base at Emmanuel Church, Morecambe. A native of Ulverston in Cumbria, he is said to have regularly crossed the Morecambe Bay sands in his horse and trap. Troughton saw the Free Church of England as a truly episcopal Church preserving a scriptural faith that was being increasingly abandoned in the Established Church: ‘We are not dissenters from the worship and teaching and doctrines of the dear old Church of England … and… we hold dear that historic succession which we have from the Church of this dear land of ours’. After a remarkable ministry, Troughton died in 1917. His funeral service was attended by the Mayor and local clergy of other traditions.
Following Troughton’s death, there was no bishop in the diocese for ten years. On more than one occasion the Synod invited the Revd Albert Victor Bland, who was also based at Morecambe, to become bishop, but Bland always declined, giving as his reason the likely union with the Reformed Episcopal Church, which was being negotiated at that time. He did, however, act as President of the Diocesan Synod. Episcopal functions were performed by bishops from the Southern Diocese.
For a time the diocese also included parishes in Glasgow, comprised mainly of members of the Church of Ireland who had settled in that city and found in the Free Church of England a tradition similar to that which they had known at home. The Glasgow Churches suffered badly in the bombing of the Second World War and the Free Church of England does not currently have a presence in Scotland.
The Northern Diocese was very much at the heart of the various meetings and negotiations that led to the union of the Free Church of England and the Reformed Episcopal Church in 1927. In 1924 St John’s Tottington hosted the first simultaneous meeting of Convocation and General Synod. The business meetings were separate, but the worship and social activities were united. The actual union, on 15th June 1927, took place in Christ Church, Liscard, on the Wirral (still an active congregation today). The previous day the governing bodies of the two Churches had met and each had unanimously passed the same resolution and adopted the same Constitution.
The first bishop of the united Northern Diocese was Frank Vaughan, who occupied that post from 1927 to 1958. Vaughan had already served in the diocese and as bishop he was to be one of the most influential figures of the Free Church of England. In 1936 he published a history of the Church, which has been revised on two occasions, most recently in 1994, the 150th anniversary of the founding of the first congregations. From 1930 to 1962 Vaughan was also Bishop Primus and in that capacity for several years he took on the oversight of the Reformed Episcopal Churches in Canada, travelling by ship across the Atlantic to perform confirmations and ordinations.
Following the union the Diocese has continued to attract new congregations. St David’s at Preston, for example, had been an unaffiliated Anglican congregation for many years before deciding to join the Free Church of England.
In 1958 Vaughan was succeeded as Diocesan Bishop by Thomas Cameron, who was based at Holy Trinity, Oswaldtwistle. After nine years Cameron in turn was succeeded by James Burrell who led the diocese until 1973. In that year began Cyril Milner’s ministry of 25 years. Milner was also Minister of St Paul’s, Fleetwood, and had a widespread ministry in that town. He was elected Primus two years after his consecration, and died in office in 1998.
Following Cyril Milner’s long episcopate, Arthur Bentley-Taylor, the Presbyter of Emmanuel, Workington, was elected bishop by the Diocesan Synod. He was consecrated on 11th September 1999, together with the Revd John McLean, Presbyter of Emmanuel, Morecambe, who had been elected at Convocation. Bishop Bentley-Taylor’s ministry did not, however, prove a happy one. In 2003 a number of charges were brought against him under the Free Church of England’s disciplinary canons. In October of that year he resigned from the Church and was instrumental in founding a small network of congregations which calls itself the ‘Evangelical Connexion’.
Following Bentley-Taylor’s departure, John McLean was appointed bishop of the Northern Diocese. Having been brought up in the Scottish Episcopal Church, and with half a century of experience in the Free Church of England he was familiar with its traditions and contributed greatly to the work of rebuilding the Diocese after its recent trauma. The pattern of Clergy Conferences and Synods at Morecambe was resumed, and the sense of diocesan identity strengthened.
In March 2006 Bishop McLean resigned as Diocesan and the same month the Diocesan Synod elected the Revd Dr John Fenwick, then Assistant Minister at Morecambe, as his successor. Dr Fenwick was consecrated at Christ Church, Liscard on 29th July 2006, together with the Revd Paul Hunt, who was later to become Bishop of the Southern Diocese.
The end of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century saw the planting of Churches all over the North of England, with a particular concentration in Lancashire. Very often a generous benefactor (sometimes a mill owner) would provide much of the impetus and funding. A system seems to have developed whereby Churches were grouped together. Tottington, for example, seems to have acted as a ‘Mother Church’ to congregations in Hoyland, Hollinwood, Harwood, Accrington and Chorlton.
By the 1880s things were sufficiently established for both the Free Church of England and the Reformed Episcopal Church to create fully organised diocese (see the list of bishops).
One of the most prominent was William Troughton, who pastored the diocese from his base at Emmanuel Church, Morecambe. A native of Ulverston in Cumbria, he is said to have regularly crossed the Morecambe Bay sands in his horse and trap. Troughton saw the Free Church of England as a truly episcopal Church preserving a scriptural faith that was being increasingly abandoned in the Established Church: ‘We are not dissenters from the worship and teaching and doctrines of the dear old Church of England … and… we hold dear that historic succession which we have from the Church of this dear land of ours’. After a remarkable ministry, Troughton died in 1917. His funeral service was attended by the Mayor and local clergy of other traditions.
Following Troughton’s death, there was no bishop in the diocese for ten years. On more than one occasion the Synod invited the Revd Albert Victor Bland, who was also based at Morecambe, to become bishop, but Bland always declined, giving as his reason the likely union with the Reformed Episcopal Church, which was being negotiated at that time. He did, however, act as President of the Diocesan Synod. Episcopal functions were performed by bishops from the Southern Diocese.
For a time the diocese also included parishes in Glasgow, comprised mainly of members of the Church of Ireland who had settled in that city and found in the Free Church of England a tradition similar to that which they had known at home. The Glasgow Churches suffered badly in the bombing of the Second World War and the Free Church of England does not currently have a presence in Scotland.
The Northern Diocese was very much at the heart of the various meetings and negotiations that led to the union of the Free Church of England and the Reformed Episcopal Church in 1927. In 1924 St John’s Tottington hosted the first simultaneous meeting of Convocation and General Synod. The business meetings were separate, but the worship and social activities were united. The actual union, on 15th June 1927, took place in Christ Church, Liscard, on the Wirral (still an active congregation today). The previous day the governing bodies of the two Churches had met and each had unanimously passed the same resolution and adopted the same Constitution.
The first bishop of the united Northern Diocese was Frank Vaughan, who occupied that post from 1927 to 1958. Vaughan had already served in the diocese and as bishop he was to be one of the most influential figures of the Free Church of England. In 1936 he published a history of the Church, which has been revised on two occasions, most recently in 1994, the 150th anniversary of the founding of the first congregations. From 1930 to 1962 Vaughan was also Bishop Primus and in that capacity for several years he took on the oversight of the Reformed Episcopal Churches in Canada, travelling by ship across the Atlantic to perform confirmations and ordinations.
Following the union the Diocese has continued to attract new congregations. St David’s at Preston, for example, had been an unaffiliated Anglican congregation for many years before deciding to join the Free Church of England.
In 1958 Vaughan was succeeded as Diocesan Bishop by Thomas Cameron, who was based at Holy Trinity, Oswaldtwistle. After nine years Cameron in turn was succeeded by James Burrell who led the diocese until 1973. In that year began Cyril Milner’s ministry of 25 years. Milner was also Minister of St Paul’s, Fleetwood, and had a widespread ministry in that town. He was elected Primus two years after his consecration, and died in office in 1998.
Following Cyril Milner’s long episcopate, Arthur Bentley-Taylor, the Presbyter of Emmanuel, Workington, was elected bishop by the Diocesan Synod. He was consecrated on 11th September 1999, together with the Revd John McLean, Presbyter of Emmanuel, Morecambe, who had been elected at Convocation. Bishop Bentley-Taylor’s ministry did not, however, prove a happy one. In 2003 a number of charges were brought against him under the Free Church of England’s disciplinary canons. In October of that year he resigned from the Church and was instrumental in founding a small network of congregations which calls itself the ‘Evangelical Connexion’.
Following Bentley-Taylor’s departure, John McLean was appointed bishop of the Northern Diocese. Having been brought up in the Scottish Episcopal Church, and with half a century of experience in the Free Church of England he was familiar with its traditions and contributed greatly to the work of rebuilding the Diocese after its recent trauma. The pattern of Clergy Conferences and Synods at Morecambe was resumed, and the sense of diocesan identity strengthened.
In March 2006 Bishop McLean resigned as Diocesan and the same month the Diocesan Synod elected the Revd Dr John Fenwick, then Assistant Minister at Morecambe, as his successor. Dr Fenwick was consecrated at Christ Church, Liscard on 29th July 2006, together with the Revd Paul Hunt, who was later to become Bishop of the Southern Diocese.
