1735 - 1752, many of the ratepayers of the chapelry of Shaw went so far as to refuse contributing their portion of rates to the church of Oldham. The right claimed by Oldham, was however, effectually enforced, and Crompton in common, with the three other townships, subjected to the jurisdiction of the incumbent of Oldham.

The early history of the church of Oldham is involved in obscurity. An antiquity as high as Saxon times, is claimed for the first erection; but it is diflicult to say whether there is any authority on which this claim is grounded, except the occurrence of a most. absurd widely extended traditionary couplet, which is not worth mentioning; ** nor is it by any means clear that this church was re-edified with stone in the time of King Stephen, though the old font now placed in the grounds of James Barker, Esq., Frank-hill, appears. to be of that age. The original ediiice was probably erected in the latter part of the twelfth, or in the commencement of the thirteenth century, about the reigns of Richard the First, or John, 1189 - 1216, principally by the liberality of the Prestwich family, then apparently large landed proprietors in this part of the country, assisted by the Oldhams, and other families of the district. Some portions of the church taken down a few years ago seem to have formed parts of. the earliest erection. That a church or chapel did exist here previous to the year 1476, is shown by a decree from the archdeaconry of Chester, then in the diocese of Coventry and Lichfield, of the date of 1448. In the title of a deed relative to the Holts and the Cudworths, of the date of 1466, mention is made of the church of Oldham. The first structure was a
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** For the perusal of the curious, the Editor of this edition deems it worth while to reprint the couplet in question. - It is as follows : -

"Old I am, old is my name,
The oldest church in Christendom."

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