St Lukes Church, Acklam Road, Thornaby. The foundation stone was laid on 2nd August, 1900 by the Dowager Marchioness of Harewood. 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
St Lukes Church, Acklam Road, Thornaby. The foundation stone was laid on 2nd August, 1900 by the Dowager Marchioness of Harewood.
Picture Stockton Archive 
I was baptised in this church in 1942, and still have somewhere my Baptism certificate, I understand when it closed all the Church records were given for safekeeping to Middlesbrough Records office situated then in that posh square, located directly opposite Middlesbrough railway station, I think they, in turn, transferred them to Northallerton Records office when Middlesbrough Records office either closed or moved premises ?.
I recall a church hall which the National School in George Street, Thornaby, used for serving school dinners, it was (or was it?) perhaps the Methodist Church Hall, whose entranceway door was located in the 1st street on the right, after passing Rounds the Chemists, with St Lukes being so close, maybe a 100 yards away, I wonder now whether there was a connection?
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Hi. Does anyone remember me? I am Sandra Dover. Dad was Tommy Dover. Mum was Sylvia Dover a former Mayoress of Thornaby. I went to Robert Atkinson school. Sandra Dover
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St Luke’s has reopened as Teesside Vineyard church a year ago and there has been lots of work done on the building. We meet for service at 11am on a Sunday (with refreshments from 10:30). I’m trying to collect some stories/pictures of the church such as stories of people being married/christened etc to put into a book and so any help would be great. If you want to submit to the book, please email me at hannah.boal@hotmail.com
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It is sad to see just how much of my childhood has dissappeared over the years. The new road developments in the 1970’s removed my home in Mary Street along with St Lukes Church Hall and the row of Terraced houses on Acklam Road which I knew so well. Our house at the end of Mary Street overlooked the round window in St Lukes Church and it will remain strongly in my memory. It is a pity that this building may eventually be no more, which progress unfortunately brings. This picture record is all we will have to remember it by. Thanks to all who contibute.
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Some gothic-arched internal doors from St Luke’s Church Hall were salvaged and reused in the barn conversion at 32A High St Norton in 1982 or thereabouts. The doors were very tall so were cut down at the middle-rail – the key hole is at floor level and although you might think double “sacrilege” they still look pretty good even at that scale and at least have a life after demolition. The cast iron loop handles were re-positioned further up the door and the evidence that they were part of a taller door is the tell tale key hole at floor level. I salvaged some thick floor boards for my house so you may have walked over them before I did. I also got a pair of brass rope twist handles which I fixed on doors in the hall way of my house at no. 32 High St. They are admired every day.
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Not sure if you’ll see this or not, but St Luke’s has reopened as Teesside Vineyard church a year ago and there has been lots of work done on the building. We meet for service at 11am on a Sunday (With refreshments from 10:30). I’m trying to collect some stories/pictures of the church such as stories of people being married/christened etc to put into a book and so any help would be great. If you want to submit to the book, please email me at hannah.boal@hotmail.com
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What a shame St Luke’s had to close. I was christened there, got married there and our two daughters were christened there. Another Thornaby landmark and place lost – what will become of it?
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Not sure if you’ll see this or not, but St Luke’s has reopened as Teesside Vineyard church a year ago and there has been lots of work done on the building. We meet for service at 11am on a Sunday (With refreshments from 10:30). I’m trying to collect some stories/pictures of the church such as stories of people being married/christened etc to put into a book and so any help would be great. If you want to submit to the book, please email me at hannah.boal@hotmail.com
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I was a Choirboy at St. Lukes in the 60’s when Mr Penistone was the Vicar. I joined the Sunday School and later joined the Choir at the age of 7 which was not allowed at the time (8 was the limit!). My Gran Meg Davies was a regular churchgoer (is that a word?) and I remember her going to Oberamagau with the Church. I was 7 ‘ish at the time. My Mam, Jessie, later on was a member of the Women’s Guild and Mother’s Union, and also an active member of the Church. I have some great memories and I love my home town. I was born in Glasgow Street and then moved to Short Street along with Mam and Dad, Jessie and Norman, and Brothers Norman, david, me, Roy and Stephen. I would love to hear from anyone who remembers my family, my Mam’s maiden name is Davies, her Dad was once the Secretary of the Bon Lea Club.
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Just came across this site and yes I remember your family well we lived at no 13 Short Street The Barrons mam dad myself Anne and Brothers Stephen and Nigel. We lived next door to the Browns and I remember Baxter shop on the corner very well used to love the ‘the penny box’ ha ha . I remember your family living on the end house and I think you backed on to the Davies and the Foster’s who’s house would have been in Anderson Street. I have so many happy memories of Short Street.
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Not sure if you’ll see this or not, but St Luke’s has reopened as Teesside Vineyard church a year ago and there has been lots of work done on the building. We meet for service at 11am on a Sunday (with refreshments from 10:30). I’m trying to collect some stories/pictures of the church such as stories of people being married/christened etc to put into a book and so any help would be great. If you want to submit to the book, please email me at hannah.boal@hotmail.com
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Are Mr & Mrs Allen still alive now? I would love to know.
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Violetta Buxton died age 35 in the September quarter of 1929. The registration district is Middlesbrough. The Register Office there will supply you with the death certificate if that is what you require. If you want any further advice you can get my email address from the PictureStockton team
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Hello my name is Jane and I was wondering if you could help me? I am trying to find some information about my great nana and great grandad. They were Benjamin and Violetta Buxton (nee Hardwick).I know that they were married at St lukes in Thornaby on the 18th of october 1915 and there residence at the time of marriage was 43 teesdale street. Benjamins father was also called Benjamin and Violettas father was John William Hardwick. They were married in the precence of James mMlcolm and Blanche Prisilla Buxton. My great grandad Benjamin was a railway porter in 1915, and then a lift attendant at bridge works in 1925. They went on to move to 7 Barnard Street in 1925 and had three children, George, Jessie and Joan my nana. We think Violetta passed away when my nana was two and Benjamin went on to marry Violettas sister Mary. We know that my great grandad Benjamin died on the 14th september 1966 and was buried at Thornaby cemetry. I”m really sorry if it all sounds very confusing but that is the only information I have. I can”t find my great grandad Benjamins grave and any information on the death of my great nana Violetta is zero. So I would be very gratful if anybody could help me.
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I have only just discovered this post 7 years on while researching Barnard Street. We lived at 11 Barnard Street and my uncle Howard Fulton was a close friend of Benjamin Buxton. I have a photograph of him on a bus trip C1950 I’d be happy to send some memories , although I was only 12 when Benny died.
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Hi Derek – my name is Christine could you give me more information on my great grandad who is Benjamin Buxton of 7 Barnard Street, Thornaby or if you got any photos of him please
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Hi Jane, we lived very close to your grandmother Mrs Buxton, (we lived in number 1a) I knew your (1950?) gran, she was a lovely woman, fine, quiet, always nice, I did not know your grandad because ‘older people’ held no interest to young children in my age group. From memory it was 1a Barnard Street, Wilson, 1 Nesbitt, 3? 5 Acock’s, 7 Buxton, 9 Wilberforce’s, Over the road it was 2, Tolson, butcher, 4 Scott, 6 Mrs Cuthbert, a widow, 8 Medds, he kept rabbits in the yard, 10 ? a Policeman, 12 ‘The Fultons’, children Ray, Francis, Gladys, Anne, Norman, and a lodger who in WW2 was in the Navy, all I can remember is his uniform and ‘bell bottom trousers’. I broke your grans window whilst playing football in the street, and it took all of 10/- to have it mended, in those days kids did not run away or deny it, we knocked on her door and pointed out the ‘bedroom window had scored us a goal’. I do know she was not best pleased!
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My name is Tom the youngest of the Wilberforce family. We lived at 9 Barnard St.
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I lived at 112 Acklam Road from 1971 until 1987 when my parents moved 2 St Lukes Avenue. (I moved there in 2002). We are concerned as they want to close St Lukes Church. Public meeting is to be held on 1st September 2008 at 7pm in church hall. Patrons of church & neighbours are upset as there is nothing left in old thornaby. Mr & Mrs Allen still live on Langley Avenue, shes still a fine lady.
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Hi again Terry. Indeed I remember Mr Sigsworth, a very slim gentleman with a featured face and large adams apple that used to wobble up & down. You have brought back a few more memories. Corresponded with T.A.Wain for many Xmas”s until about 1984 when we moved to our present house, then lost contact although I knew he lived in Huntingdon, Nr. York. I am searching for a picture of our school class and also fotball team but can”t yet find it. If and when I do I will send it into P.S. for uploading. Think I also have a separate photo of him too. I am still very active but it takes just a bit longer to do things now, it comes to us all eventually. Hoping to meet up with Peter Laverick in the near future, a friend from school and our 60″s pop group, who lived in Cobden Street. We have a lot of catching up to do. Next to Dr Ritchies place was the Methodist Manse Occupied by the minister Mr & Mrs Paddon from Cleveland Methodist Church in Mandale Road. My mother used to clean for him as she did for others in those days. I went to the Methodist Church and also sang in the choir until I was about 13 yrs old. Oh happy days!!!
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Hi Jeff, remember me ? John Vincent is the name and we go back a few years !!!! I do have school photo’s and the football team, so if you want you can contact me , ok ? Mr Sigsworth, by the way, is on the photo’s !!
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Dear Jeffery Ellis. I remember very well the days in Mandale Road shop, we had a club where people could pay one shilling a week, 5p now, to save up to buy tools. Mr Brennan lived only a few doors from me, and he grew a lot of passion flowers, named after the 10 disciples,he had a nice greenhouse at the back of his house, my wife also went to Miss Brennan for piano lessons. Do you remember Mr Sigsworth had a big adams apple,I met Mr wain in Scotland about 20 years ago, while waiting in a queue to go into the Tattoo in Edinburgh, he was very supprised. Hope you are keeping well, I had a Quad bypass two and a half years ago, but I still keep very busy. Terry Dicken.
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The gentleman with the trilby and flower in his lapel was indeed Alderman Edward Eland Brennan, one time mayor of Thornaby. I saw him regularly back in the 1950″s, on account of having piano lessons for many years, from his daughter Vera, at 115 Aclam Road.
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Dear Terry Dicken, I remember both yourself and your brother in the shop and in the garden at Acklam Road. Used to wander up the stairs in the shop to the various nooks and crannies to find what I needed and loved the smell of the timber. Times were hard in those days had to wait & save-up for anything that I wanted. I am 4 years younger than yourself, also went to Westbury St school, Mr Pybus was the head and I also remember teachers Mr Tom Wain and Mrs Bell. Dont know if you can recall a small,well dressed gentleman who wore a trilby and always had a flower in his lapel when walking down Acklam road from the Park area, I think his name ws Mr Brennan ,he always passed the time of day with a couteous smile and doff of the hat. In the early sixties I played in a pop group called “The Fremonts” with Peter Laverick from Cobden St, Bob Gray from M”bro was the drummer, Ray Harris the Lead singer from Yarm, David J. Lewis from Acklam the lead guitarist, whom I last bumped into in Holland about 1978. I am still actively singing country, rock and pop in a trio which won the silver stars over 60″s talent competion in 2006 as well as barbershop harmony & will be appearing at the Salvation Army Evening Show in Acklam, M.bro on Sat.1st March. I left Teesside in 1969 when I moved to live in Leeds with my new wife. We are still together 39 years later now in the village of Bramham. Hope this news helps with all those who I bumped into over the years, I still have fond memories of the area. Will try and find some more photos. Best regards, Jeff Ellis
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Dear Jeff Ellis. I lived in Acklam Road next to golf club, I moved there in 1943 at the age of 7, later I was in the choir at St Lukes Church, Mr Penistone was there, I went to Westbury Street school, then to Robert Atkinson, I am 71 how old are you ? Terry Dicken.
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Hi Terry Dicken. You wont remember me but I used to go into the wood shop in Mandale Road in the 50″s for timber to build a canoe or other stuff for home. Used to ride my cycle everywhere. Lived in Mary St. attached to the back of the church hall. Remember you well although I am I believe 5 or so more years younger. See other St. Lukes picture and comments Best regards Jeff Ellis
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If i remember right too he painted it himself? I seemed to remember my father saying he was a painter but i have probably got my wires crossed yes he was proud of his car and his garage was so immaculate you could eat your tea off any surface, they were lovely people i remember them fondly
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Sorry Angie, no pictures. All I remember about the car is that he worked a lot of overtime and there was not much chance of him using the car, together with the hard way in which he had to garage it. He only used the car on Sunday. He went home from work for his lunch break and returned with the car. I don”t think that he used it for anything else that day but spend time on cleaning it, then back home after work to return it to the garage.
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It sounds that it is the same people they were very upperclass,Mrs Allen was a Proper Lady 🙂 i remember them fondly as very nice kind people I cannot remember how he got the car into the garage but it seems to ring a bell that he only used it once a week or the like do you have a pic? i would love to jog my memory of them? if so i can put my email addy on if needs be i would imagine they would be probably passed now as i think they were in their 60″s+ in 1973 i might be wrong the memory does play tricks especially after all those years – and a footnote to that I am sure he was a bigwig in the local Thornaby Golfclub i remember that he loved golf
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A Latif. The Allens living next door to you in Langley Avenue. Was it Ray Allen a Painter working for Head Wrightsons. He worked with me. I left HW in 1963 only knowing he lived in Thornaby. He did have a very smart car and looked after it. I think it only came out of the garage on a Sunday. To place the car in the garage he said he had a trolley using this to turn the car into the garage because the back alley was so narrow. I did learn later that he lived in Langley Avenue because in 1981 me and my wife did the Government Census in that area and I visited his house.
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i remember the church hall i attended Brownies there 🙂 circa 19 72-76 and went to St Lukes church sometimes. I used to Live in 64 Langley avenue and the Allens lived next door he also had a HUGE blue classic car not sure if Rolls but he was a lovely person as was Mrs Allen. then i remember also a man lived in Teesdale he owned a very old car he also was a portly man and i think it was a victor? or the like is this the Dr Richie who moved to Norton/Billingham? i am sure i have been treated by him too. along with Drs Galloway, MacNally and Pinto
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Hi Terry. BTW is an abbreviation of “bye the way”. The shop that my uncle worked in was near to the Town Hall as I explained. You could see him working through an open door from the rear of the counter. His name was George Dale. I do remember your shop on the other side of the road but did the shop that I mentioned belong to the Dickens family. (This shop was there in 1945ish) I do remember Bill Crosby, he was Manager of the Erection Dept. They were responsible for sending gear to the sites the HW worked on. Ron Alinson was the Company Secretary, his name was in small print on all HW”s vehicles. The other names I can”t place. At the Joiners Shop I was the only person who achieved any exams so I can”t think of any teachers there only George Reeves who could have been a Sunday School Teacher at the Thornaby Methodist Church. He was also a member of the Stockton Male Voice Choir.
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Dear Bob. What do they call your uncle who sharpened the saws in the back of high Street shop, which by the way was where Greenwoods mens ware shop is now not where Mcdonalds is. Do you remember the name of the teacher in the joiners shop ? What does BTW mean, yes we moved from 69 High Street, to 54 Mandale Road in 1951. Do you remember the following at Head Wrightsons Bill Crosby in erection, Mr Lackenby senior also his son Donald, or Ron Allison ?
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Hi Terry. I”ll get the name right this time. Sam Ferguson. His christian name was Watson. Yes all his supplies were from your Mandale shop. He did buy a house near to you on Acklam Road. When Frank Shepherd (Personnel Manager at Head Wrightsons) moved, he bought his house. No I can”t remember the Gas Show Room but I do remember the Fish & Chip Shop there. As the youngest Apprentice at Head Wrightsons Joiners Shop I was known as the “shop lad” and it was my job to get the fish and chips in on a Friday. The shop gave me a free meal for the orders I collected. BTW did you move your business to Mandale Road from Stockton High Street. I seem to remember my uncle working there sharpening saws in the back room of this shop. It was where the MacDonalds is now, near the Town Hall?
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Dear Bob Irwin. I do not remember Sam, I am bad at names, but no doubt he would buy wood and nails glass etc of us in Mandale Road shop, our sawmill was in Darlington street, until one Sunday a passing train puffing up the hill past the sawmill sent some sparks out of its chimney and set the mill on fire, it burned to the ground even though the fire brigade were there in minutes, by the way do you remember on the corner of Darlington Street there was a little gas showroom. Terry Dicken.
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Hi Terry. You would not remember me but the Joiner I refer to Sam Watson did work after hours when you had the Joiners Shop in the Road opposite the Town Hall in Thornaby. Alongside the Railway. Railway Street I think. Do you remember him? I have to correct myself. It was Sam Ferguson. Watson was his surname but always known as Sam.
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Bob Irwin is correct, we lived at 103 Acklam Road Thornaby from 1943, my mother lived there till 1972 then moved to Fairfield, I moved when I got married in 1960, I moved to Thornton near Stainton.
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Terry Dicken, yes Rev.Pennistone that was vicar I recall with the two girls living in the vicarage next to the church, and next door ? to them Dr.Richie, our gardens backed on to each other, I remember been given a ride home one day in his Roll”s Royce a real treat and a rare vehicle in those days, his surgery I seem to remember was at the bottom of Mansfield Avenue.
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The name of the vicar at Saint Lukes Church was called Pennistone, he had two daughters, he was a good vicar, I do not know what they called the one before or the one after him,he went to Whitby after he left Thornaby.
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Peter. I did some property repairs as a Joiner at 105 but it would be before your time. It would be 1957ish. I can remember because Mrs Dicken next door asked if we would erect some fencing at her house after we had finished at 105. Maybe Terry Dicken can confirm this? I worked with another Joiner called Sam Ferguson.
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I used to go to St.Luke”s church in the early 50s, living just on the corner of Langley Avenue the vicar was Pennock ? a tall chap would always be in his black gown and hat, and there was the church club in the adjacent building.
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Bob Dicken – I think our family used to live next door to you (or at least your Mum) from about 1970. We lived in 105.
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My parents were married in this Church on 4th January 1912 they were Beatrice Louisa Jones,of 12 Acklam Terrace and Herbert Burton, of 14 Reed Street, his employment status at that time was a Carman.
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I used to go to St lukes Church, when I was about 10 years old, I was in the church choir for a few years, I went to morning service, then choir practice, then sunday school, then evening service, [4 times on a sunday] It was very nice in those days, I lived in Acklam road next to the golf club.
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