{"id":5039,"date":"2017-08-28T08:52:03","date_gmt":"2017-08-28T08:52:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/happyvalley.org.uk\/?page_id=5039"},"modified":"2025-06-03T11:47:29","modified_gmt":"2025-06-03T10:47:29","slug":"rev-j-a-aston","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/happyvalley.org.uk\/?page_id=5039","title":{"rendered":"Revd. J A Aston"},"content":{"rendered":"

A dearly loved pastor<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The Revd. J A Aston BA <\/strong>was the fifth Vicar of Bollington St. John’s church in office from 1853 to 1856. We know that he was dearly loved because one of the Sunday School teachers wrote a lengthy poem to be read to him at the Church Sunday School Tea Meeting on December 30th 1856. The poem was typeset and printed presumably for distribution among the audience. Here is the poem …<\/p>\n

\n

RECITATION:<\/p>\n

\u201cTHE TOWNSHIP OF BOLLINGTON,\u201d<\/p>\n

Recited at the Church Sunday School Tea Meeting, December 30th, 1856.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

COMPOSED FOR THE OCCASION BY A SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n

In Bollington township, now don\u2019t think me vain,
\nIf a few facts connected with it I explain:
\nIt\u2019s surrounded on all sides by rocks and fine hills,
\nAnd it\u2019s rivers are useful for turning the mills.<\/p>\n

Near one thousand houses the town contains,
\nWith near five thousand souls, as the census explains;
\nNear one thousand acres is the measure of the ground,
\nYou can see it\u2019s uneven by looking around.<\/p>\n

On the north, the hill Beeston, so rugged and drear,
\nIf you look from its top \u2018twould near fill you with fear;
\nBut it is changing as quick as you could desire,
\nSee, the great alterations of Mr. John Brier<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On the south, the hill Nancy<\/a>, that all here do know,
\nAnd its beacon at top is \u201cas white as new snow,\u201d
\nAnd over the valley, on the opposite hills,
\nIs the great factory own\u2019d by Brooke and Swindells<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s Olivers’<\/a> and Greg\u2019s<\/a>, and what else I can\u2019t tell,
\nAnd there\u2019s the new factory close by the canal;
\nAnd if down you would look, from fam\u2019d Nancy\u2019s high hills,
\nThere\u2019s those hives of industry, \u201cThe Bollington Mills<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

If a little further, you look for awhile,
\nThere\u2019s the Bollington Church<\/a>, in \u201cits pure gothic style:\u201d
\nHer Schools just around her, I am sure you revere,
\nShe is just like a mother and children so dear.<\/p>\n

Miss Minter and Miss Holmes to their scholars are kind,
\nAnd much to their credit, do improve the young mind.
\nMessrs. Davenport and Henstock, you may depend,
\nTo our satisfaction the school superintend.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

 <\/td>\n\n

Of all our kind teachers I\u2019ve a great deal to say,
\nWho at school give their labours on each Sabbath day;
\nAnd our belov\u2019d pastor our spiritual guide,
\nThe Rev. J. A. Aston, in whom we confide.<\/p>\n

Great have been his labours, and his kindness no end,
\nWe, in loosing his service, the poor lose a friend;
\nTho\u2019 his health\u2019s suffer\u2019d much, we\u2019ve not heard him complain
\nOf the toil he\u2019s gone thro\u2019, that we by it might gain.<\/p>\n

In our beautiful Church, if you only look there,
\nGalleries were erected by his special care,
\nAnd the Infant School also, as each of us find,
\nAll connected therewith are the fruits of his mind.<\/p>\n

And all his kind actions are producing much good,
\nLike small streams, when united, swell out in a flood;
\nOf the honour due to him he ne\u2019er made a show,
\nLike a star, by a cloud, is prevented to glow.<\/p>\n

Then let all of us hope, that where\u2019er he may be,
\nHe, fruits from his labours, in abundance may see;
\nHis Home, Wife, and Children, like gifts from above,
\nBe a source of great pleasure, affection, and love.<\/p>\n

As the time will soon come, that he from us must part,
\nTho\u2019 he change his station, may he not change his heart,
\nFor our hearts will be with him whenever we trace
\nThe results of his labours in this thriving place.<\/p>\n

A long life may he live, for the good of mankind,
\nAnd those be not forgot he is leaving behind;
\nAnd the very good maxims he to us hath given,
\nMay they lead us the road to meet him in heaven!<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 E. MARTLEW, PRINTER, STATIONER ETC., GREAT HIGH STREET, BOLLINGTON.<\/p>\n

\n

This poem gives us a number of historically interesting pieces of information. Firstly it tells us that the balconies, galleries in the poem, in the church were added after the church was consecrated. It reminds us that Adelphi mill<\/a> was built in 1856. It tells us that Beeston hill is changing fast – this was the height of the quarrying industry, and John Brier, who owned Oak Bank mill<\/a>, was building something, possibly more mill or maybe re-building it after another fire! Or it could have been his great house on Oak Bank<\/a> above the mill, which was completed in 1858. It shows us that White Nancy<\/a> was not only painted white but also as popular then as it is today. “The Bollington Mills” refers to Higher<\/a> and Lower mills<\/a> at the end of Church Street<\/a>. The reference to the church and ‘Her Schools’ refers to St John’s church, St John’s school which then stood where Vine Street<\/a> is today and also Lowther Street school<\/a>. The poem also suggests that the Infant School, that is St John’s school next door to the church, was built at this time. The printer was located in Great High Street – we call it Palmerston Street<\/a> today.<\/p>\n

\n\n

Your Historic Documents<\/h3>\r\n

Please don't chuck out those historic documents and pictures!\u00a0Find out why here<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A dearly loved pastor The Revd. J A Aston BA was the fifth Vicar of Bollington St. John’s church in office from 1853 to 1856. We know that he was dearly loved because one of the Sunday School teachers wrote a lengthy poem to be read to him at the Church Sunday School Tea Meeting on December […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":4168,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5039","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/happyvalley.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5039","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/happyvalley.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/happyvalley.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happyvalley.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happyvalley.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5039"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/happyvalley.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5039\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20161,"href":"https:\/\/happyvalley.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5039\/revisions\/20161"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happyvalley.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4168"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/happyvalley.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5039"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}