St John the Evangelist's Church, Cressbrook

In 1895, according to Kelly's Directory of that year, Cressbrook had a “Mission Church with a turret containing 2 bells, in connection with Tideswell church (with) 150 sittings”, and where divine service was held every Sunday. This was enlarged into the present St John the Evangelist's Church in 1902-3, by Mary WORTHINGTON, the owner of Cressbrook Hall. Mary was the eldest daughter of Henry McCONNELL, who had come to Cressbrook in 1835 from Ancoats in Manchester to take over the operation of Cressbrook Mill. Mary inherited the Hall from her father in 1885, following the death of Henry's second wife Isabella; however sadly, she was to die herself in 1904, less than two years after the church she refurbished was completed.^[1]

Cressbrook Hall itself is now a Listed Building (Grade II).^[2]

(Information provided by Rosemary Lockie)

References
[1] Behind the View: Life & times in Cressbrook - a Derbyshire mill village. Read more in this Review of ‘Behind the View’, by Julie Bunting (Peak Advertiser, 19th December 2005).
[2] The British Listed Buildings account describes Cressbrook Hall as a small Country House, dating from 1843, probably by Weightman & Hadfield.