In the early 1870s it was realised that, with the growth of industry along the Whitewell valley, there was a need for a school to suppliment the day and Sunday School at St Nicholas, Newchurch. With this in mind Captain Charles Patrick and his wife Mary Ann (nee Ashworth) of Spring Hill, Higher Cloughfold donated land, (which Mary Ann had inherited at Edgeside), for the purpose of building a new School. The School, which was built at Higher Piercy, had it's foundation stone laid by Mrs. Patrick on 31st August 1872 was built at a cost of £1,400. It was opened as Edgeside Holme National School by the Bishop of Manchester on the 10th May 1873 and was licensed for divine worship on the 25 of July 1876. With a growing congregation it was decided to build a dedicated church on land once more donated by Captain Patrick and his wife. The foundation stone was laid on 1st August 1884 and exactley one year later on 1st August 1885 St Anne’s was consecrated by Bishop Frazer of Manchester . The church was built at a cost of £3,300 and had seating for 462 people. The curate-in-charge of Edgeside Holme Church School, the Rev J Cross Jones became the first vicar of the parish which was created out of the parishes of St Nicholas’ Newchurch and St Michael’s Lumb. Additional land was gifted by the Patricks for the building of a Vicarage, which was completed in April 1910, and for a burial ground which was opened on 31st December 1923.

The Vicars and Curates of St Anne's