St James'

Mr. John Smith of Marchington and Mr. William Keeler Hawkes who ran the boy's school opposite (now Franklin House) were in charge of collecting funds for the erection of a church. The Propagation of Christian Knowledge in England also contributed money.

Bishop Nixon laid the first stone of one of these ten 'oratories' on Monday the 13th October 1844. The following account appeared in the Examiner newspaper on the 23rd October:

Franklin Village. On Monday at three o'clock, the Bishop, attended by the Rural Dean (the Rev. R.R. Davies) and the Revs. Messrs. Stackhouse, Wilkinson, Gibbon and Dr. Browne laid the first stone of the building, to be erected for the united purposes of a chapel and school, at Franklin Village, an acre of ground having been given by Mr. Britton Jones for that purpose. There were about three hundred persons present to whom the Bishop delivered an eloquent address, particularly dwelling on the value and importance of scriptural education.

St James' was officially opened by Bishop Nixon on the 15th April 1845.

Built in the primitive Gothic style this rendered brick building has a gabled roof with square moulded parapets on the ends. At the southern end is a small bell tower corbelled out from the wall. The narthex has a semi circular headed doorway with hood mouldings. It has four Gothic arched windows, two stained, connected by a string course. This small chapel has served the community for 175 years (2020).

In 2018 the church was placed on the Anglican rationalisation list, it has since been removed.