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St. John |
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In more recent years the original vicarage was sold and the new vicarage remains locally. From the first appointment until 1992 there were thirteen Vicars at Clifton Parish Church. In 1992 the Team Parish of Brighouse and Clifton was formed with Revd. Gary Mann being appointed Team Vicar of Clifton in 1993. In the early part of 1994, with ensuing problems with the Church steeple and costly repairs inevitable, it was agreed by the Church Council that a programme of re-ordering should take place. A well attended public meeting took place in the Church school in March 1994 to outline the proposal and the ideas for the future, and with enthusiasm a small sub committee was formed. Following deliberations and meetings with architect and builders etc, the go-ahead was given. Pews in the nave, chancel and trancepts were removed, the pulpit was turned and the font moved from the rear of the nave and placed in the south trancept. At the rear of the Church space was created for kitchen and toilet facilities with a further social area above accessed by a staircase from the main door. Sunday School now meets in this Upper Room and joins the main body of worshippers towards the end of Sunday service. Completion was achieved towards the end of 1994, and the dust had settled for the furniture and fittings to be installed in the New Year. The whole project cost some £75,000 with an excellent response to appeals from the Clifton Parish, non residents, friends, worshippers of the church in distant parts and church members. The congregation worked very hard to complete the move in such a wonderfully short period. There is much history connected with both Clifton and Hartshead, whose Vicar in 1815, the Revd. Thomas Atkinson M.A had the initiative to build the Church at Clifton, and who had succeeded Patrick Bronte, he having held the living from 1811. The Revd. Atkinson was to hold the living there for over half a century and it is interesting to note that both he and his wife were Godparents of Charlotte Bronte. The school adjacent to St. Johns is well known in the area and is very popular. It has grown in size over the years and quite naturally has good connections with the Church itself. Clifton sits high on the hill overlooking Brighouse, a lovely village with it’s lovely Church of St. John the Evangelist. Please call upon us ; you are assured of a very pleasant welcome. |
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It was in October 1856 that an initial meeting was held in Clifton to consider the building of a Church and a committee was formed for this purpose. In the following year, Sir George Armytage of Kirklees gave the site on which to build and a cost of £1400 was estimated. Subscriptions brought in over £1,200 including support from Hartshead and Dewsbury, supplemented by grants from the Ripon Diocese Church Building Society. Planning began, and with further subscriptions and generous giving for an Endowment of £1,000 for the resident Minister, the foundation stone was laid by Sir George Armytage on 1 April 1858. After various problems along the way, the Church was opened on 9 June 1859, the committee having made the decision that it should be named “The Church of St. John the Evangelist, Clifton. The Church was consecrated on 4 September 1860, but did not acquire full parochial status until January 1887, when the Revd. John Child was inducted as the first Vicar. In 1890 a further piece of land, next to the Church, was given by Sir George Armytage, on which to erect a vicarage and, with a further subscription list, the cost of the building was met.