2 July 2013

John Wroe in Ashton-under-Lyne

This building in Park Square, off Mossley Road, was threatened with demolition in 2003 but was given a Grade II listing because of its historical interest.

'PROPHET JOHN WROE
(1782–1863)
 
Founded the Christian Israelite Church and declared that
Ashton-under-Lyne would be the new Jerusalem.
Four gatehouses were built of which this building
was one. Later banished for alleged indecent
behaviour, he went to Australia where
the Christian Israelite Church
still survives today.'

Wroe was born in Bradford the son of a woolcomber and it was during an illness that he had visions which led to him establishing the Christian Israelite Church. He conducted baptisms in the River Medlock. The Sanctuary was built in Ashton-under-Lyne in 1825, and later became the Scala cinema. The gatehouse here became Ashton's cholera hospital, and later the Odd Whim pub.

In 1830 Wroe asked members of his flock for seven virgins, two of whom were to accuse him of indecent behaviour. Although acquitted, this spelled the end of his church in Ashton. In the novel Mr Wroe's Virgins, Jane Rogers  gives a fictional account of the virgins' story.
 
Below are links to John Wroe's three-part autobiography, plus a link to my review of the novel:

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Private Communications, Given to John Wroe, Vol. I (1845)
Private Communications, Given to John Wroe, Vol. II (1846)
Private Communications, Given to John Wroe, Vol. III (1853)
Jane Rogers: Mr Wroe's Virgins (1991)
à

7 comments:

  1. Unknown31 July 2016 at 10:00

    Thanks for this John was my Great Great Granddad Nice to see some of the buildings he left behind

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous29 June 2018 at 09:49

    І love lookіng through a post that can make people think.
    Aⅼso, thank you for allowing me to comment!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous20 March 2019 at 08:18

    Do you mind if I quote a couple of your articles as long as I provide credit and sources back to your site?
    My blog is in the very same area of interest as yours and my visitors would certainly benefit from a lot
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    ReplyDelete
  4. Dr Tony Shaw20 March 2019 at 09:00

    As long as there's accreditation to source, that's fine.

    ReplyDelete
  5. craftyv7 October 2020 at 11:46

    My name is Wroe and I am from Ashton under lyne. I lived in Richmond St. Which is where the Christian Israelites printing press was. I only heard of the John Wroe story when I moved to Melbourne Australia in 1973. An obituary for, I think, Mary Wroe. It said the last remaining.... I visited the sanctuary in Melbourne and saw the swords crossed above the doorway which came from the Star in Ashton. Thats about it. (Just an aside) at least 5 members of the Wroe family are Austistic or on the spectrum. Makes you wonder.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Dr Tony Shaw7 October 2020 at 12:18

    Interesting. Thanks for this.

    ReplyDelete
  7. craftyv3 May 2021 at 13:50

    I have only just recently realised what a weak response was made to my report. How can my story not be of interest? The name, the Richmond St.etc. I know of no other Wroe's in A-U-L and when we came to Australia there were none anywhere that we could find. Yes; Interesting thanks for this. Ok.not scientific but "interesting".

    ReplyDelete