Luddism: Issues and Interpretation 3: Christianity

                      The right panel lists 14 newly constructed churches and three extended churches. 

In Bronte, Henty and Banks dissent is likely to lead to people taking the law into their own hands, or, as they would see it, setting the law of god above the law of man.    In Shirley the man who shoots Robert Moore is a notorious interpreter of the Bible in an ‘Antinomian fashion’ (Ch XIII, p186).  In Daisy Baines Weller sings in the choir of Netherthong where Charles Milnes is the ‘Ranter Chapel keeper ‘, (Chp I, Column 2, 16.10.1880).   The book, however, develops Charles into a jealous villain from a melodrama, who leaves his religion behind.   

Netherthong Methodist Free Church, a later chapel from 1872.

Now a private house. 

 In Through the Fray John Stukeley turns the dissenter’s chapel of little Bethel into a place to preach violent politics (Ch III).   In Bond Slaves the Hartland family are accustomed to walk 2 miles to and from Stainland chapel, a church of England ‘Chapel of Ease’, where their family graves are (Bk 1, Ch 6, p58).  The Luddites, through their ‘twisting in’ ceremonies are associated with Satanists and Wat’s fall comes as he moves from the traditional pattern of his life to join the protesters.

By the end of the 19th century many Non-conformist objections to architectural pretension

had passed and many chapels as large and imposing as Church of England churches were constructed. 

 Notice the contrast between this building, Dewsbury Upper Independent Chapel of 1890 on the A638, and the house-like chapel at Netherthong.

http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-340973-upper-independent-chapel-#.V8ayXvkrLcs

Oddly architect A A Stott of Heckmondwike used a frontage ultimately derived from pagan Greek Temples...

In Marsden it looks as if the Church of England was sensitive to opinions like Jonathan’s.   The small mediaeval church of St Bartholomews, that survives only as an outline in stone in a small park, was replaced by the ‘Cathedral of the Colne Valley’ http://www.marsdenparishchurch.org.uk/

                The old church of St Bartholomew's                                      The new church 'The Cathedral of the Colne Valley'.

                                                                                                                            It took from 1865-1890 to build.

                                                                                                                                                                                               http://www.marsdenparishchurch.org.uk/history.htm

Marx is characteristically sarcastic about the belief that Christianity could provide a solution to the divisions of society. 

‘This does not prevent him [Richard Ure] from calling upon the factory operatives to thank Providence, who by means of machinery has given them the leisure to think of their “immortal interests.”

Capital Volume 1, Chapter 15, section 5, p564

https://archive.org/details/MarxCapitalVolume1ACritiqueOfPoliticalEconomy

Nevertheless the belief was sincerely held not only by novelists but leading sections of Victorian society; indeed it inspired Harold Wilson.  The Independent’s obituary emphasises:  ‘He was a Christian, inspired by the ''social gospel'', finding his code of conduct in the precepts of the Scout Law and Kipling's ''If'',’

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/22-obituary-lord-wilson-of-rievaulx-1620977.html

Ian Walter's 199 sculpture of Sir Harold Wilson, Huddersfield 

Certainly the Church of England was determined that impressive buildings in which the “immortal interests” of potential parishioners could be served should dominate the industrialised valleys.   This is literally true of Linthwaite, perched on the edge of Crosland Moor dominating the valley beneath 

The spire of Linthwaite Church tries to dominate the skyline behind Titanic Mill though it has to compete with a chimney...

This did not always involve replacement of an old building as at Marsden.   Sometimes an old church was restyled; Huddersfield St Peters lost its spire. 

St Peter's, Huddersfield.

Sometimes new churches were created, such as those of Linthwaite and St Thomas’ Huddersfield. 

                      Christ Church, Linthwaite, 1827                                                     St Thomas, Huddersfield, 1847  

                        Architect: Peter Atkinson Jnr.                                                    Architecht: Sir George Gilbert Scott.

 http://www.linthwaitechurch.org.uk/about                                

 https://huddersfield.exposed/wiki/St._Thomas's_Church,_Manchester_Road,_Huddersfield

The life-work of the Rev Hammond Roberson was building the medieval-styled parish church of Liversedge.   Robert Reid sees Roberson’s  church building, like his opposition to the Luddites, as part of his support for “Church and King”’, (p 52)

Christ's Church, Liversedge, 1812

Architect: Thomas Taylor

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Taylor_(architect)

As noted under the picture of Dewsbury Upper Independent Chapel, as the 19th century developed, some of the non-conformist churches built buildings almost as grand as those of the Church of England, though they tended to avoid spires.  The interiors of such churches have no altars and have bare wall and non-hierarchical seating arrangements unlike the traditional and Gothic churches of the Anglican Church.   

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonconformist

Nevertheless the exteriors are impressively ecclesiastical, whether the style is medieval or classical:

Unlike the classically inspired Dewsbury Upper Independent Chapel, Lindley Methodist church of 1867

uses elements of medieval churches such as a small tower and Decorated windows.

Architect for 1895 modifications: Edgar Wood, Manchester.

  https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1134287

In Shirley Robert Moore offers Caroline a ‘Sunday School’ to make up for the environmental damage his mill will cause (Ch XXXVII, p510).    The utility of this bargain, the improvement of wild souls along with wild landscape, is thrown into doubt by the final comparison of the mill chimney to ‘the tower of Babel,’ (Ch XXXVII, p510).  The fuller implications are considered in the section on Shirley.

Plainly the Luddites condemned to death at York in 1814 took solace in their dissenting faith.  Reid records the Luddites condemned for the attack on Rawfolds going to the gallows singing the Methodist hymn ‘Behold the Saviour of Mankind, Nail’d to the Shameful Tree,’ (Reid, p267).   Daisy Baines repeat this detail whilst In the Toils of the Luddites mentions that the condemned men ‘sang that solemn and impressive hymn composed by the father of the Wesleys’, (CFhp XIII, p185).  Ben O’ Bills transforms the incident so the singing is led by ‘Mr Webster’  ‘the little pastor at Powle’ and spreads to the crowd (Ch XIII, pps318/9) before the execution of Mellor.  In Ben O’ Bills no mention is made of George Mellor joining in, so the hymn becomes sung at rather than by the condemned assassins.   

(Words and original tune: http://ludditebicentenary.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/16th-january-1813-hymn-behold-saviour.html )

Though Mr Webster is a sincere man, Ben O’Bill’s allegiance to the dissenting chapel at Powle Moor (Pole Moor) only exists because of a complicated family connection and a trivial feud (Ch I, 12-3).  Ben’s return to respectability is measured by his marriage in ‘the Parish Church of Huddersfield,’ (Ch XIV, p 338).  The way has been cleared for him to join owners not operatives: ‘Why, I myself, as you know, run my own mill by it [machinery],’ (Ch XIV, p 339).