He was followed over the years by visits from other outstanding priests who also made their mark in Dewsbury, including two former Archbishops of Canterbury and several Archbishops of York.

In 1942, following his enthronement as Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr William Temple chose Dewsbury Parish Church as the church in which to conduct his first service.

It was a great honour for the people of Dewsbury and, not surprisingly, great crowds assembled outside the church early that Sunday morning to greet him.

The numbers were so great that extra chairs had to be placed in the Lady Chapel, down the sides and in the west end of the church.

It was estimated that a congregation of 1,300 were in the church that day to witness this historic occasion.

The vicar at the time was Canon W J Brown, and among the civic dignitaries present were the Dewsbury MP, Ben Riley, the Mayor, John Chadwick and the Chief Constable, Mr F E Pritchard.


THE fact that this year marks the 200th anniversary of Patrick Brontë's arrival in Dewsbury has given me the opportunity not only to do research about Patrick himself but also about some of the other curates and vicars who served here.

Two of these, the Rev John Buckworth and the Rev Thomas Allbutt, were long- serving and well-loved vicars who also had connections with the Brontës.

The Rev Allbutt came to Dewsbury in 1833 as curate to the then incumbent, the Reverend Buckworth, and like Patrick Brontë before him, quickly endeared himself to the people of Dewsbury.

So much so that on the death of Mr Buckworth in 1835, a petition was addressed to the Crown – in whose gift the living of Dewsbury then was – praying for the curate's appointment as vicar. This was granted and Mr Allbutt remained vicar of Dewsbury for 27 years.

His connection with the Brontës was through his wife, Marianne, who was the younger sister of Margaret Wooller, who ran a school for girls in Dewsbury Moor, known as Healds House, where Charlotte Brontë was a teacher and her sister Ann a pupil.

The friendship and affection between Charlotte and Margaret Wooller continued throughout Charlotte's life and was emphasised by the fact that at Charlotte's wedding, Miss Wooller gave her away.

Mr and Mrs Allbutt often invited Charlotte and her sisters Ann and Emily to tea at the vicarage and Charlotte also worshipped at the church frequently.

Mr Allbutt's son, Sir Clifford Allbutt, a distinguished physician, later wrote of his meetings with Charlotte and her sister Emily, when they visited the vicarage for tea when he was a boy.

He said of Charlotte that she was always a 'quite homely visitor' but of Emily, who wrote Wuthering Heights, he said: "No human being could get on with Emily."

Sir Clifford always spoke of his father with the greatest veneration and in later life emphasised that he was 'one of the practical saints.'


ONE of the finest preachers who ever stood in the pulpit at Dewsbury Parish Church must almost certainly have been the Rev John Buckworth, who like Patrick was of the evangelical school.

So inspiring were his sermons that he was encouraged to have them published in book form, which he did in 1812, the year after his curate Patrick left to go to Hartshead.

The book contained numerous sermons which he had preached in Dewsbury Parish Church, and which he was now publishing for the use of families in his parish.

However, the demand for copies from outside the parish became so great that further editions were published.

Mr Buckworth also wrote a series of articles for magazines and composed many hymns, one of which was familiar in many nurseries and schools for years afterwards, beginning: 'Great God wilt thou condescend, to be my Father and my Friend?'

Respected for the work he did in training young men to serve as missionaries, chiefly to India as agents of the Church Missionary Society, Mr Buckworth opened a college in the vicarage at Dewsbury.

It was attended by young men anxious to become missionaries, and one of them, Mr William Greenwood, became the first clergyman of the Church of England to be sent as a missionary to India.

In 1811, four missionaries, their wives and six young women went out from the congregation of Dewsbury Parish Church to serve in the mission field.


SOME years ago a copy of Mr Buckworth's book was loaned to me by a gentleman who brought it into the office. He said it had belonged to a relative who had been related to Mr Buckworth's wife.

Unfortunately the man never returned to collect it, but if he is reading this, it is still in my safe-keeping waiting his return.

The book it seems was presented by Mrs Buckworth to her nephew James Halliley, owner of Aldams Mill in Dewsbury.

At the time, Mrs Buckworth, was living at Grove House in Union Street where the magistrates court now stands.

The message written on the inside cover reads: 'Mr James Halliley, with the best wishes of his Aunt Buckworth, Grove House, Dewsbury, Jan 13, 1857.'

The book is a second edition and the foreword reads:
'A deep sense of the importance of leading mankind to clear and correct views of the Way of Salvation, of establishing their minds in the fundamental doctrines of the Gospel, and of exciting in them a sincere regard to practical Christianity, has led to a publication of the second edition of the work.

'The first edition, consisting of 1,200 impressions, was originally intended for the exclusive use of the author's parishioners, but, several copies of it having met with a favourable reception beyond his parochial boundaries, he has been induced to hope that a more general circulation of the work, by means of the present edition, will prove both acceptable and useful to the public.

'A sincere love for his fellow-creatures first directed his thoughts to the train of subjects. The same principle induced him to preach them; and under the influence of this disposition they are proposed for public inspection. The motive, he trusts, will disarm criticism of its severity, silence the censorious reader, and excite the utmost candour in the perusal of every page."