The man who went to sleep for 12 years with a casket under his bed

The man who built the tiny Alder Lane chapel in Crank had for twelve years gone to sleep at night with his "last suit" – as he called his casket – stashed under his bed.

Upon Pendlebury's death on February 22, 1873 at the age of 88, the St Helens Newspaper wrote that he'd been a "remarkable man in many aspects" who had been renowned for eccentricities.

His greatest quirk had been to order a made-to-measure coffin complete with brass nameplate years before his demise.

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It was reported that upon the death of his wife, Pendlebury had been so dissatisfied with the quality of her coffin that he wanted his own to be made to ensure it was up to scratch.

The entrance to the Alder Lane Mission in Crank (Image: Stephen Wainwright)

The wooden box had apparently caused quite a stir when it was delivered to Pendlebury's home. That was because the Primitive Methodists were conducting a religious service there at the time.

Born in Arch Lane in Ashton in 1784, Pendlebury had worked as a labourer before arriving in St Helens in 1811. However, he soon obtained a position as coachman to Dr John Rutter. The well-known Liverpool doctor was so impressed with Pendlebury during his 20 years of service that he bequeathed the huge sum of £100 to him in his will.

After his employer's death in 1838, Pendlebury moved to Gerards Bridge in St Helens and then onto Crank. In 1857 Pendlebury used his legacy from the doctor to build the beautiful little church in Alder Lane that still exists to this day.

Then later he made a large donation towards the cost of building the Methodists' chapel in Cotham Street in St Helens and also helped pay for their church in Sutton Oak.

However, there is an apparent mystery attached to William Pendlebury's custom coffin. When he died in 1873 he was supposedly buried in a tiny graveyard outside the Alder Lane church. However, I'm told by locals that many years later when the three graves there needed moving to accommodate building work, no remains could be found.

The Crank church was well supported for many years but by 1947 its congregation had dwindled and so its trustees closed it. Many of the congregation subsequently attended services at the Methodist's sister church at Rainford and for the next five years the Alder Lane building stood empty.

Once the trustees decided to put the building up for sale it seemed certain that Crank would lose its only place of worship. It was then that William Harrison stepped in and paid £200 to buy the 50-seat chapel.

The Rainford farmer said at the time: "I didn't really want anything to do with it but I couldn't bear to stand by and see it turned into a shop or something. After all it had been a church for close on 100 years."

'Erected By William Pendlebury 1857' states the unusual date stone outside the chapel (Image: Stephen Wainwright)

Then James Sumner – a well-known Rainford evangelist from News Lane – asked Mr Harrison if he could use the building as an undenominational chapel. That finally opened in June 1952 and the name was changed to the Alder Lane Mission – although many locals still called it Pendlebury's Chapel.

Sunday services have continued there until recently but the building is once again up for sale, bringing more uncertainty to the beautiful historic building which unfortunately has never been listed.

Stephen Wainwright's latest book 'The Hidden History Of St Helens Vol 2' is available from the St Helens Book Stop in Bridge Street and online from eBay and Amazon. Price £12. Volume 1 of 'Hidden History' is also still available