Newspaper Cuttings

An envelope filled with newspaper cuttings, all containing articles related to the Rochdale Unitarian Church and Spedding. They all seem to be from the Rochdale Times, although this is not clear on the majority. One article is by Spedding himself and gives a general history of the church and of non-conformity and Unitarianism in the area since 1635, giving a positive account of the use of open-air preaching to spread knowledge. Other cuttings mention the activities and works of ministers or lay people connected with the church and the Unitarian community, as well as on developments such as new windows for the church. One cutting gives an account of Spedding and his recent work (seems to be pre-Van Mission), such as preaching to a crowd at the request of the Trades Council on 'the principles of Jesus as applied to present relations between employers and employed', which suggests that he had some political engagement with the labour movement. There is also a pamphlet included in the envelope, entitled 'for friends, visitors, and enquirers' from 1898, which gives a summary of Unitarianism and its appeal, then lists the services of the church and includes a photo of it.