Clergy

Rev Thomas Towneley (b1669 - d1737)
The seventh son of Richard Towneley and Margaret Paston, of Towneley Hall, Burnley, Thomas was educated at Douai 1689, Paris 1690 and St Maglane in 1694. His appointments after his ordination are not known, but he is believed to have been working in the North of England by 1698, and he was serving at Euxton Hall by 1725. He died in May 1737, probably at Euxton Hall.

Rev William (Viscount) Molyneux (b1685 - d1759)
The Rev William was the third son of William Molyneux (the 4^th Viscount Molyneux) and Bridget Lucy, and became the 7^th Viscount Molyneux in 1745 following the death of both of his elder brothers. In early life he had renounced the family estates, reserving only a very modest pittance. Notwithstanding this, he could not legally dispossess himself of the title, but he never made use of it. The Rev William, the last Catholic Viscount Molyneux, was a priest of the Society of Jesus, and the brother-in-law of the then squire of Euxton, when he lived and officiated at Euxton Hall around 1730. His whereabouts after his time at Euxton are not known, but he died on 30^th March 1759. 

Rev Cuthbert Haydock (b1684 - d1763)

The son of William and Jane Haydock (who was the daughter of Hugh Anderton of Euxton Hall) and one of 8 brothers and sisters, Cuthbert Haydock took the Oath at Douai College on December 27th 1703. He was ordained priest and sent to England on March 26th 1714 and was, for some time, Chaplain to the Duke of Norfolk. He lived for a time at Lane Ends House, Mawdesley, at the home of his sister Mary where he celebrated Mass in the secret Chapel. He was the cousin of William Anderton of Euxton Hall and served the Euxton mission in succession to the Rev Thomas Towneley until 1740 at which time he went to Worksop Manor. He made his will at Worksop in 1762 and died in 1763, aged 78.

Rev John White (bxxxx - d1778)

Fr White served as St Mary's priest in the period 1740 -1778 and was the first of the permanent clergy of the Parish. Civil records (dating from 1762 - 1768) also refer to John White as being William Anderton's Bailiff who looked after Euxton Hall and Fr White's will (dated 1777) nominated "my worthy friend William Anderton of Ince" as his sole Legatee. The codicil to the will is certified as being that of "John White of Euxton, Gentleman" but is also endorsed as being the "Will of Revd John White" - indicating that the Anderton family patronage was all-important at that time, remembering also that St Mary's chapel was situated at Euxton Hall at that time. Revd John White died on 18th January 1778.

Rev Robert Swarbrick (b1746 - d1815)

Fr Swarbrick was the son of John and Mary Swarbrick of Great Singleton on the Fylde, and was born on 28th December 1746 - John and Mary (nee Roe) were married on 20th August 1738. Robert Swarbrick entered Douai College on 2nd November 1762 and was ordained on 21st December 1776, returning to England on the 30th June 1777. He became the priest serving Euxton Hall in 1778 and remained at Euxton until his death on 1st January 1815.

Rev John Bell (b1767 - d1854)

The parish was served by a number of priests in the period 1815 to 1817, among these was Fr John Bell. Certainty of information on Fr Bell is rather difficult to establish, but it is likely that he was born at Snaith in Yorkshire in 1767, the son of Luke and Jane Bell. He trained at Douai and, after his escape from the Revolution, at Ushaw, being ordained in 1794. He taught at Ushaw for a number of years and served at Samlesbury from 1818 to 1828, following which he was chaplain and tutor to the Silvertop family at Kippax Hall, Pontefract. He retired to Selby where he died on 31st May 1854 aged 87.

Rev John Briggs (b1789 - d1861)

The parish was served by a number of priests in the period 1815 to 1817, among these was Fr John Briggs. Certainty of information on Fr Briggs is rather difficult to establish, but it is likely that he was born at Barton Moss in 1789 and was educated at Ushaw 1809 to 1814, at which time he was ordained. He served at Chester until 1832, before returning to Ushaw as its 4th President. In 1836 he became Vicar Apostolic for the Northern Region, residing in York, and when the Hierarchy was restored he became Bishop of Beverley in 1850. He retired due to ill-health in 1860 and died on 4th January 1861.

Rev Joseph Higginson (b1761 - d1846)

Fr Higginson served as St Mary's priest in the period 1817 -1845 and clearly enjoyed the patronage of the Anderton family - civil records show that William Anderton provided a house and land in Ince to Fr Higginson in 1790: this may well have been Fr Higginson's first appointment following his ordination.

Rev Richard Gillow (b1794 - d1864)

Fr Gillow was born on the Fylde in 1794, his younger brother Henry also being a priest. Fr Richard was ordained in 1821 and served as a priest at Scarborough and Fernyhalgh in addition to Euxton. He died at Fernyhalgh on August 16th 1864.

Very Rev John Worthy (b1815 - d1893)

John Worthy was born at Halifax, Nova Scotia on November 7th 1815. His father was William H Worthy of Devonshire and Yorkshire. His mother, Elizabeth Blundell, was the eldest daughter of John Blundell of Preston and Carside, and of Catherine Crook of Chorley. Canon Worthy was a cousin of the Right Rev, Dr. O'Reilly, Bishop of Liverpool. John Worthy left Halifax in June 1822 and proceeded to Navan, Ireland, where he lived until 1825, when he was sent to Sedgeley Park School. From there, he went to St Cuthbert's College, Ushaw, in 1828 where he pursued his theological studies, and for some time filled the post of Prefect of Studies. He was ordained on 25th July 1840 and immediately entered upon active missionary work. He first became associated with St Chad's, Cheetham Hill, Manchester and started St Chad's new church, which was consecrated in August 1847. He also laboured at Burnley, and through his efforts St Mary's church was erected in 1846-49. He next moved to St Nicholas church in Liverpool and built a new infant school for that mission. He then jointly established the Catholic Middle School in Rodney Street, from which sprang the Catholic Institute in Hope Street. Canon Worthy then moved to St Mary's, Euxton in 1851, where he remained until his death in 1893. At St Mary's, Canon Worthy was the driving force behind the erection of the church and old primary school in 1865 and subsequent improvements and school extensions in 1888. He was secretary to the Clergy Fund in 1856 and was appointed treasurer in 1860, a position he held until his death. He took a great interest in the education and preparation of young men for the priesthood and he was instrumental in the training and ordination of fourteen such. When the Bishop undertook the erection of St Joseph's College, Upholland, the arrangements relating to the laying out of the grounds and other business were placed in Canon Worthy's hands. The last twelve moths before his death saw the Canon's health begin to give way. Canon Worthy died on 8th May 1893 and he was buried in the churchyard on 10th May 1893. The large gathering of clergy and laity present at the Requiem Mass was ample evidence of the esteem in which the late Canon was held. He is commemorated as "1st Rector and Builder" on a stained-glass window in the north transept. 

The following biography is taken from "Old Country Churches and Chapels" by A. Hewitson, published in 1872.

"Fr Worthy is a very worthy gentleman. He has a weird, energetic, go-on-and-never-stop sort of look; is quick in head, eye, and foot; is tall, wears hats that go well upon his head; has a determined, serious matter-of-fact look; is vigilant, earnest, methodical, and up to everything almost; understands architecture, theology, stone-getting, logic, plan-making, preaching, and we can't tell what besides; was to a considerable extent the designer of the church he is at; kept a superintending eye upon the men who got the stones for it, and the those who set them; and is a most industrious and practical gentleman. He was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1815; was educated at Ushaw; ordained priest in 1840; and previous to his coming to Euxton had served the missions of St Chad's (Manchester), St Mary's (Burnley), and St Nicholas's (Liverpool). He has lately been appointed rural Dean of this neighbourhood, and a Canon of the Liverpool Diocese."

Rev Francis Soden (b1842 - d1906)

Francis Joseph Soden was a native of Ireland. He died in 1906 aged 64.

Rev Thomas Keeley (b1862 - d1939)

Thomas Keeley was born at Warrington in 1862. He began his studies for the priesthood at St Edward's College in 1875, and was one of the first company to proceed from there to the newly-founded Seminary of St Joseph, Upholland in 1883. He was ordained in 1886 and appointed to the Church of the Sacred Heart, Liverpool. In 1893 he became Rector of Ss Thomas and Elizabeth, Thurnham, and finally, in 1895, of St Mary's where he spent the remainder of his long and priestly life. He died on April 3rd 1939 and was buried in the churchyard 2 days later in the same grave as Canon Worthy. He is commemorated as "1st Parish Priest" on a stained-glass window in the north transept.

   Photo taken outside St Mary's Church circa 1910

Very Rev Canon Walter Skehan (b1898 - d1980)

Walter Patrick Skehan was born in Liverpool on 4th April 1898, the son of Patrick and Catherine Skehan. His early education took place at St Alban's Primary School and at St Francis Xavier College, Liverpool. His ecclesiastical studies were undertaken at Ushaw College, Durham where he was ordained to the priesthood on 2nd August 1925.

In August 1925 he was assigned to the parish of St Mary's, Chorley. In April 1939 he was appointed Parish Priest of St Mary's, Euxton. From 1945-46 he was also Treasurer of the Clergy Insurance Fund. In January 1956 he was appointed the first Dean of the new Deanery of St John Fisher, Leyland. In 1960 he moved to St Joseph, Birkdale as Parish Priest. He was appointed a Canon of the Metropolitan Cathedral Chapter in 1965. He retired in September 1979, and he died on 3rd September 1980.

Rev Thomas Ames (b1906 - d1986)

Thomas Ames was born in Ireland on 18th November 1906, the son of Michael and Mary Ames. His early education took place at the College of the Immaculate Conception, Sligo, and his ecclesiastical studies were undertaken at St Joseph's College, Upholland, where he was ordained to the priesthood on 6th June 1936.

In September 1936 he was appointed to the parish of St Charles, Liverpool, where he remained until November 1941 when he moved to Ss Peter and Paul, Crosby. In 1950 he transferred to St Sylvester, Liverpool, and in January 1952 he became Chaplain to Newsham General Hospital. In October 1959 he received his final appointment as Parish Priest of St Mary's. He retired on 15th July 1977, and he died on 11th July 1986.

Rev Daniel Cadogan (b1922 - )

Daniel Cadogan was born in Cork City on 10th July 1922, the son of Dan and Catherine Cadogan (nee Leonard). Having been baptised on 12th July 1922 at St Finbarr South, Cork, he returned to the family home on Cape Clear Island. Fr Dan studied at St Colman's College, Fermoy and then at St Kieran's Seminary, Kilkenny and was ordained at St Mary's Cathedral, Kilkenny on 9th June 1946. Following his ordination he spent some time as a curate in Clifton Diocese before returning to the Liverpool Archdiocese. In the course of his 52-year active ministry Fr Dan served at nine Parishes:

Sacred Heart, Tisbury    1946 – 1948

Holy Rood, Swindon    1948 – 1949 

St Sylvester's, Scotland Road, Liverpool    1949 - 1954 

St Thomas of Canterbury, Windleshaw, St Helens    1954 – 1958 

St Francis de Sales, Walton    1958 – 1966   

St Joseph’s / St Jude's, Wigan    1966 – 1969 

St Aidan’s, Winstanley    1969 – 1972 

St Stephen’s, Orford, Warrington    1972 – 1977 

St Mary's, Euxton    1977 – 1997

Since his retirement from active Parish life, Fr Dan has lived at St Joseph's, Upholland and at Ince Blundell Hall, where he is Chaplain to the Religious Community there. He celebrated the Diamond Jubilee of his Ordination at St Mary's on 16th June 2006. 

Fr Cadogan pictured "on high" next to the gable-end statue of the Mother and Child during restoration activity. 

A Commemorative Booklet was produced to mark Fr Cadogan's Diamond Jubilee of his Ordination - use this link to read the booklet. 

Rev Christopher Crowley (b1933 - d2003)

Christopher Donald Crowley was born in Cork City on 22 November 1933, the son of Christopher and Eileen Crowley. He studied at the National School in Ireland and later at Stonyhurst College, Lancashire, before studies for the priesthood at St Joseph’s College, Upholland, where he was ordained to the priesthood on 31 May 1958. Following ordination his first appointment was as Assistant Priest at St Monica’s, Bootle, in September 1958 and three months later in December 1958 he took on additional responsibility as Chaplain to St Monica’s Mixed School. It was during this time that he also worked with the Young Christian Workers in both school and parish. In May 1974 he moved to be Assistant Priest at St Mary’s, Woolton and five years later in 1979 to St Marie on the Sands Parish, Southport. Two years later in September 1981 he was appointed as Parish Priest of St Marie on the Sands where he remained until he took up what was to be his final appointment as Parish Priest of St Mary’s, Euxton, in August 1997. His latter years were marked by serious illness but he continued to minister fully to the Parish until his final days. He died on 27th June 2003 and was buried in the churchyard on 4th July 2003.

Rev Michael McCormick (b1959 - )

Fr Michael, a native of Liverpool, came to the parish as Parish Administrator in 2003 having previously spent 5 years as a LAMP missionary in Bolivia in addition to his parish appointments. Fr Michael's responsibilities here as Parish Administrator were shared with those of the setting-up and subsequent ministering to the Cenacolo Community at Kendal. Fr Michael joined the parish team at Holy Trinity and St George, Kendal in 2005 to enable him to commit more time to his Cenacolo work. 

Rev Deacon Gerard Fishwick (b1947 - )

Gerry Fishwick was born in Euxton in 1947 and was baptised at St Mary's on 22nd June 1947.

He was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate at Liverpool Cathedral on 11th June 2006

More to follow

Rev Gerry McCusker (b19xx - )

biography to follow