St Giles Priests

1827 - 1833 James Jefferies
James Jefferies was Cheadle's first permanently resident priest. It is said that he did much for the religious life of the community and, with the help of the Earl, parish building projects.

1833 - 1847 Francis Fairfax
Francis Fairfax, a much younger man than Fr Jefferies, was ordained in 1833, and was parish priest during the building of St Giles' and the school. While the presbytery was being built in Chapel Street, Fairfax lived in a cottage nearby. There were 90 communicants when he began his ministry and 250 ten years later. Fr Fairfax left Cheadle in 1847. He died in 1898 at Oulton Abbey and, at his request, was buried in Cheadle churchyard facing the high altar.

1847 - 1855 William Gubbins
Fr Fairfax was succeeded by Fr William Gubbins, who came from County Wicklow in Ireland. In 1848 he invited the Sisters of Mercy from St Leo's Convent, Carlow to come and set up a Convent in Cheadle. Fr Gubbins was not a success. His main interest appears to have been race horses. He built a stables for his two hunters at the bottom of the school, near the kitchen. His parishioners complained to Bishop Ullathorne that he was spending more time on his equine parish than on them. The Bishop duly ordered Gubbins to pay more attention to his pastoral duties, only to be told that his allegiance was to the Earl, his patron, and not to the Bishop. Ullathorne, unable to get Gubbins to change his attitude, placed the parish under an interdict, which lasted for a month. This meant that Mass could not be celebrated and parishioners had to walk over to Creswell. Gubbins then added to his sins by providing devotions in the Guildhall (which in those days was behind the school) for his fellow Irishmen. This served to seal the division of the parish but all the blame does not belong to Fr Gubbins. A small number of Irish immigrants came to the Cheadle area and they were not made welcome by the tightly-knit Cheadle community. Fr Gubbins was dismissed from Cheadle in 1855 and refused to move. Eventually he retired to Ireland and died on the 6 April 1896.

1855 - 1860 Canon F J Jones
Canon Jones left Brewood in 1855 for the divided and embittered parish of Cheadle. Fr Gubbins would not allow him into the presbytery and refused to hand over the parish funds. Canon Jones lived in penury in Cross Street until he could gain access to the presbytery. He lost his funding completely the next year on the death of Earl Bertram. Despite the difficulties he worked hard and loyally for Cheadle and healed the rift of the parish. He sold his books, his piano and even the blue bricks from the paths in the church grounds to raise some funds. This saintly man died in great poverty and in a state of near starvation in 1905. 1860 - 1861 Clement Harris Fr Harris was educated in Carlow, Ireland and had been working in the northern part of the Potteries, where he became known as its apostle. Bishop Ullathorne hoped he would do great things for Cheadle but he left six months later for Harvington, where he died in 1905.

1861 - 1871 Stuart Eyre Bathurst
Bathurst came to Cheadle in 1861. Converted by Newman in 1850, he had aristocratic connections and it was hoped that he would be able to persuade the Protestant Earls of Shrewsbury to honour Earl John's wishes regarding Cheadle. Bathurst's private means meant that he did not have to depend on the charity of his parishioners and he was very generous on their behalf. Legend has it that he would very often give away the collection after Mass and provide bread for the hungry. Perhaps, partly because of this the congregation began to increase, and the church was packed on Sundays. Many, however, fell away after his departure, leaving one to wonder how many were 'bread and butter' Catholics. Bathurst left Cheadle for Wednesbury in 1871 and later became diocesan inspector of schools, living at Aston. Some words about his later life are necessary because Bathurst was a saintly man whom Cheadle was fortunate to have had as parish priest for ten years. His biographer says of him that his only passion was for the poor and that he literally stripped himself that he might give to those in need. One night a parishioner discovered him asleep in a chair, covered by only a railway rug. Bathurst had to confess that he had given away his bed and bedding to a sick person. He let his handsome presbytery at Aston and took up abode in a house built for the schoolmistress. He then gave up his own room to the housekeeper and lived in the tower of the church, which was furnished only with a bed and a rush-bottomed chair. He used to walk to the station in Stone to save money and wore clothes until they were rags. If he was given new boots or socks he was sure to give them away. He delighted in sending young boys to college and many of those he helped later became priests. A poor man who was hanged at Stafford left all his children to Bathurst who, it is said, accepted the charge with joy. His only extravagance was books, which he delighted in giving away and lending. He died in 1900.