St Osmund, Breightmet, Roman Catholic

The church does not have a graveyard.

It was founded in 1914 and the first church opened in 1925. The current building opened in 1961.

The history of St. Osmund's, Breightmet, Bolton, has its origin in Darcy Lever. In June 1913, the late Canon Woods, then Rector of St. Patrick's, Bolton, started a Sunday school for the benefit of the Catholic children in that area who were attending non-Catholic day schools. Holy Mass was said for the first time in Long Lane, on the first Sunday in August 1914.

In November 1923, it was decided to establish St. Osmund's as an independent parish. The late Bishop appointed Fr. J. Linehan as its first parish priest. Having neither church, nor school, nor presbytery, nor the site for the available buildings, Father Linehan, with the kind permission of Major C. I. Scowcroft, continued to use the building in Long Lane for Holy Mass and Sunday school.

On April 24, 1924, a very suitable plot was acquired on the east side of Long Lane. This magnificent freehold site, measuring nearly five acres, and costing a thousand guineas, was presented to St. Osmund's by the late Mr. Brown, K.S.G., of Bradley Fold. The munificence of this generous benefactor, as well as that of his wife, the people of St. Osmund's and the present parish priest all duly appreciate, and gratefully acknowledge all their splendid acts of generosity.

The great day in the history of the parish was Saturday, July 25, 1925, when Provost O'Kelly blessed and laid the foundation stone of the new church. That this event was possible in less than two years from the inception of the parish is a great tribute to the faith and courage of a small congregation. Since then, Fr. Crisp, Fr. Fielding, and Father Meagher have worked in the parish.

Recently the church was decorated inside and out to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of its opening, and a rood screen erected in memory of Mrs. Brown, the gift of her daughter, Stella Brown. The hall was also decorated outside so that now the buildings look quite in keeping. A new school is being built.

Taken from "Salford Diocese and its Catholic past", a survey by Charles A. Bolton, a Priest of the above Diocese. Published 1950 on the First Centenary for the Diocese of Salford.

This site provides historical information about churches, other places of worship and cemeteries. It has no connection with the churches themselves. For current information you should contact them directly.

Copies of Original Registers

• OpenStreetMap
• Google Maps
• StreetMap (Current Ordnance Survey maps)
• Bing (was Multimap)
• Old Maps Online
• National Library of Scotland (Old Ordnance Survey maps)
• Vision of Britain (Click "Historical units & statistics" for administrative areas.)
• English Jurisdictions in 1851 (Unfortunately the LDS have removed the facility to enable us to specify a starting location, you will need to search yourself on their map.)
• Magic (Geographic information) (Click + on map if it doesn't show)
• GeoHack (Links to on-line maps and location specific services.)