Talk to Mosborough History Meeting Group
by
Corps Secretary and Local Leader Linda Foster on Thursday 4th July 2024
I began my talk by showing a short video from The Salvation Army Website entitled ‘Faith in Action’. It gave details of the Salvation Army’s work past and present and its origins. The Salvation Army is first and foremost a Christian Church and then a charity. We wear 2 Ss on our uniforms which stand for Saved to Serve. In other words, Saved by Jesus to Serve the people on the community where we live.
The Salvation Army began as The Christian Mission in 1865 and became known as the Salvation Army in 1878. It faced many difficulties in its beginnings with opposition particularly from Public House Landlords and their friends in high places because the Army was against drinking alcohol as very often the working man would get his wage and spend it on drink leaving his wife and family with nothing to buy food and clothing. The et his wage and spend it on drink leaving his wife and family with nothing to buy food and clothing. The Salvation Army open airs and marches were attacked by the Skelton Army and others.
Mosborough Salvation Army does not date back to the late 1800s but was opened in 1925 which means that 2025 will be our 100th year of witnessing in the Mosborough area and our 100th anniversary. We will be holding a lot of special events to celebrate this. Eckington had a corps from the early 1900s and we believe that Mosborough Corps was opened from Eckington. General Bramwell Booth, son of the Founder William Booth, visited Mosborough in 1921 and we have a photograph of this event.
Mosborough Salvation Army was we believe opened by Mrs Clayton, the wife of Mr J.J.Clayton, who was a soft drinks manufacturer. Mr Clayton rented his old pop factory on Mosborough High Street to the Salvation Army at a very low rent.
There were 4 steps to enter the building through a porch and it consisted, all the time I was growing up of a very large hall and 2 back rooms. My Mum and Dad met through the Army. My mum had started going to the Salvation Army Corps of Stockport Heaton Norris, as she was in service in Stockport. My Dad, I believe had got involved with the Salvation Army through Mr William and Mrs Sarah Ward who he was great friends with. Mrs Ward had taken my dad under her wing and helped him. My Mum came to Mosborough Corps after my Nan had told her about it and there being a special tea there on the Saturday my Mum had come home for a visit.
Unfortunately, my Dad wasn’t there as he was in the Trinity Football team and was playing football that day. The first my Mum knew about him was someone coming into the Hall and saying Melvin Foster has broken his leg playing football and Mrs Ward saying it was God’s punishment for him not being at the Army. So my Mum and Dad spent their early courting days with Dad on crutches but he still used to walk Mum part of the way to Killamarsh
.
The hall on High Street was quite unique. It had a large coke stove for heating which was lovely when it was working well and got red hot. It had no running water or a toilet. We collected water in enamel buckets from Mr Clayton whose grocery shop was across the road. This was heated in a large electric boiler when I was young. The toilets were the public ones just round the corner on Station Road. Somehow, we managed. Typical Sundays were prayer meeting 9:30, Open Air or Sunday School at 10:00, Holiness Meeting at 11:00, Sunday School at 2:00 with a possible Praise meeting at 3:00, Open Air Meeting at 6:00 followed by Salvation Meeting at 6:30. We did manage dinner and tea in between and a walk after the night meeting followed by a singsong round the piano at home. On Christmas day we would carol round the village starting at 9:30 and finishing around 1:00 and then it was dinner at Mr and Mrs Ward’s.
There were lots of early Mosborough Salvationists that I didn’t know such as Warners, Taylors, and others. I knew the Wards, Friths, Jennings, Goddards, Prices, Battys. The Sunday School was well attended and was helped by London families being evacuated here.
In 1963 we had Captains John and Margaret Parkin arrive at Mosborough. John was determined to have the hall brought up to date and had running water installed as well as a kitchen. The hall was redecorated inside and out, and a new door fitted. The Salvation Army Hall was reopened by Mrs Edith Goddard. It was the beginning of a tremendous time for the Army as more young people were attracted and one memorable moment was when we went round the village on a trailer pulled by a tractor.
We even had our own version of the Joystrings, nowhere as good of course. After this there was even a Youth Club in the Old stables area quite a few years later.
In 1975 The Salvation Army Hall was condemned as unsafe as the old stables beneath were giving way. Unfortunately, the hall was still rented so no compensation was due to the Corps. By chance The Salvation Army at Eckington had closed and Derbyshire Council wanted to pull it down and build houses. So Mosborough was offered a new building in Eckington or compensation money to find new premises in Mosborough. It was decided to accept the latter.
For some time we worshipped in the Old People Hut at the top of Westfield Crescent but eventually managed to purchase the former Primitive Methodist Chapel in Queen Street , Mosborough and this done out and made ready for the Corps in 1975. We had this building up to 2012 when it was found to be in need of a lot of repairs which, unfortunately, the Salvation Army weren’t prepared to fund. So once again we were homeless.
All the other churches in Mosborough offered us a home but we decided that The Elim Church was the most accessible and The Elim Church had been using our building in a morning for their Sunday School.
I have been local leader of the Salvation Army Mosborough Corps for around 12 years now and God has truly blessed us. We really do want our own building in Mosborough but this has proved difficult to find. We are still busy in the community, We hold a community café (Friendship Café) every Tuesday throughout the year from 10 – 12 with tea, coffee etc at very reasonable prices as our aim is to help people meet others and leave with a smile on their face. It is not to make vast profits but to welcome every one with God’s love.
There is an Art, Craft and Chat Group very other Friday with a buffet meal provided from 12 – 3. Everyone is welcome. The first Saturday in every month we have a Coffee Morning and sale with lots of books, bric a brac, jigsaws for sale. We would appreciate your support at all of these. You do not need to a member of the Salvation Army or any other Church to attend and you certainly don’t need to be religious. Everyone is welcome.
Our Sunday Service is at 3:00p.m. followed by a get together with tea/coffee and cake.
The Elim Church that we use is at 79, Queen Street, Mosborough just below where the Lambsicks is.
As you can probably gather – I love God and I love the Salvation Army.
We are now residing at Mosborough Methodist Church on Chapel Street.
Please get in touch if you want further information. We have a website which needs updating but my number to contact is on there.
Thank you for taking time to read this.
Linda Foster
