Manchester Cathedral Timeline

The first church in Manchester was built, possibly near to where    St Anne’s Church now stands.

The present church is built within the precincts of the Baron’s Court, beside the Manor House (which is now part of Chetham’s Music School). The Lords of the Manor were the Greslet family, sometimes spelled Grelley or Gresley and the family coat of arms is still in use in the church today. 

The succession of the Gresley family ends and the estate is passed, by marriage, to the de la Warre family.

The St Nicholas Chantry is endowed by the de Trafford family.

Following the death of his brother, Thomas de la Warre becomes Baron of Manchester.

1422-58: John Huntingdon, first Warden (d.1458), whose rebus, showing a tun(barrel of ale) can be seen in the Quire ceiling, receives further grants of land from Reginald West for the building of domestic accommodation for the fellows of the Collegiate Church.

During his wardenship John Huntington undertakes the building of the Quire, or chancel, at his own expense. In 1440 the carved screen to the Lady Chapel is completed. 

1481-1506, James Stanley II (1465-1515), stepson of Margaret Beaufort and subsequently Bishop of Ely, is fifth Warden of the Collegiate Church from 1485 to 1509.

His eldest brother, Sir Thomas Stanley, marries Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry Tudor

                                           1501: The St George Chantry is built by the Manchester merchant William Galley. It is located next to the St Nicholas Chantry. 
1500-06: Quire stalls and misericords completed by James Stanley II.

1513: work commences on the St John the Baptist chapel (now the Regimental Chapel), endowed by James Stanley, Bishop of Ely. The building was a joint venture with his son John in thanksgiving for the latter’s safe return from and knighted after his part in the Battle from Flodden Field. 

Henry VIII undertakes an inventory of all the goods in the ancient churches.

 Edward VI undertakes another inventory. This time all of the Church plate is confiscated.

Collegiate Church parish registers begin and have continued ever since

1617: Humphrey Booth of Salford pays for Holy Trinity Church and for the erection of a gallery in the Collegiate Church south aisle.

18 July: The Burial in the Collegiate Church of Richard Percival, linenwebster of Kirkmanshulmeand the first fatality of the Civil War.

24 September - 2 October: Royalists siege of Manchester at Salford Bridge, led by James, Lord Strange, 7th Earl of Derby: damage to Collegiate Church.

20 September: Death of Humphey Chetham, merchant, financier, Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire; benefactor; funeral procession at Collegiate Church on 12 October. 

The last gallery is erected to the north-west of the Nave.

1742: Baptism in Collegiate Church of Ann Lee (1736-84) born in Toad Lane, and a founder of the Shaker sect; she emigrates to North America, with followers, in 1774

1781: Founding of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society; early meetings held at Cross Street.

Revd Joshua Brookes, master at Manchester Grammer School and chaplain at Collegiate Church, is amongst those who conduct mass baptisms and Weddings.

South gallery re-erected.

19 December: Burial of Mary Heyes at the Collegiate Church:injured while pregnant at the Peterloo Massacre in August and eventually dies in the December from her injuries.   

The Cathedra, or Bishop’s throne is erected.

April 7: Death of Canon Cecil Wray, chaplain, fellow and co-worker with Joshua Beookes from 1809 (3157 marriages are recorded for 1834, and 7285 baptisms for 1837); institutes a charity, “Wray’s Birthday Gift”.

The whole of the Nave interior is replaced, stone for stone under the direction of Joseph Crowther.

A new south porch is built.

The Victoria Porch is built to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria.

1898: the building of the West End and Porch, designed by Basil Champneys after the completion of his Rylands Library, is completed during deanship of Edward McClure.

1904: the south-east annex, including the Bishop Wickham Library, also designed by Basil Champneys, is completed.

The Derby Chapel, once the St John the Baptist Chantry, is given over to the Manchester Regiment on 11th November.

Restoration takes almost 20 years. 

The West Windows are replaced in stained glass by the artist Antony Hollaway. The first window to be commissioned was the St.George window in 1972 (second image from the left). This was followed by the St. Denys window in 1976 ( 2nd image from the right), the St. Mary window in 1980 (centre), the Creation window in 1991 (far left) and the Revelation window in 1995 (far right). Not  since William of Sens put his team to the glazing of Canterbury Cathedral in 1174 had the complete West end of an English Cathedral been reglazed by the same designer in the space of twenty-three years. (The images are in situ as when facing west.)

6 December 2016: The Installation of the Hope Window (2nd image from left), designed by Alan Davis, comissioned by The Oglesby Charitable Trust completes the stained Glass windows found at the East End of the Cathedral. The window is dedicated to the character and vibrancy of Manchester. The window sits along side the Fire window, (Regiment Chapel,1966, far left), the East window above the Lady chapel in memory of Henry Boddinton (1945, centre), the Healing window, designed by Linda Walton (2004 2nd from right) and the Fraser chapel window designed by Mark Cazalet.(2001, far right). (The images are in situ as when facing east.)

May 2021:- The Cathedral celebrates its 600th Anniversary of becoming a Collegiate Church.

5 May: - A Special Service, after being delayed by a year due to the Covid pandemic, was finally held celebrating the 600th Anniversary of the Collegiate Church in the presence of The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Stephen Geoffrey Cottrell, The Lord Archbishop of York.