Stories in Stone
In this public square you can find a selection of stone items from the collections of Gallery Oldham. Each one has links to buildings or people from Oldham’s history.
Pair of carved-stone crests
It is believed that these were originally part of Werneth Fire Station. The Latin motto written across the two stones reads Haud Facile Captu which translates as ‘not easily captured’.
When the Borough of Oldham was granted its incorporation in 1849 the new body was responsible for areas of local government such as street lighting, policing and fire fighting. It originally used the coat of arms that had been granted to Hugh Oldham, Bishop of Exeter in the early 1500s.
The town used this motto for several decades until it was formally granted its own coat of arms and took a new motto Sapere Aude, meaning ‘dare to be wise’.
Stone lions
The pair of stone lions once stood proudly above the entrance to Oldham’s indoor market. This grand building was built in 1904 and officially named the Victoria Market Hall.
The building was destroyed by a fire in 1974. The lions were rescued from the ruins and you can see that they are still blackened from the events of that fateful night.
Following the fire another historic treasure was also uncovered in the ruins. This was a time capsule containing newspapers and other documents from 1904 that had been laid under the foundation stone. This capsule is now part of the Gallery Oldham collections.
Stone post with sundial
This stone post records the names of the four men who were appointed to the role of Oldham churchwarden in 1745. It isn’t clear what function the post was meant to serve but today it features a sundial that was kindly donated by the Friends of Gallery Oldham.
By long established tradition, Oldham elected four churchwardens each year. In 1745 these were John Wolfenden of Oldham, John Wallwork of Royton, Ralph Brown of Chadderton and Jonathan Taylor of Crompton. Their role was to uphold the peace of the parish and you can see all four names are inscribed on this post.
In 1745 the peace of Oldham was dramatically disrupted by an invading army. Bonny Prince Charlie’s men had marched from Scotland to challenge for the throne. While most of the force was stationed in Manchester, a small contingent of highlanders arrived in Oldham and demanded lodgings at a local inn. The following day they rode through Royton causing much local panic while looking for recruits to join their uprising.
The local militia was raised but before any conflict took place these unwanted guests returned to join the main force at Manchester and marched further south to their fate. Perhaps this stone post was erected in memory of the four churchwardens and the role they played in these dramatic events.
Square stone with coat of arms
This stone features the traditional Oldham coat of arms that was formally awarded to the Borough of Oldham by the College of Arms. It prominently features three owls and these birds has become a symbol of the town. It is also a heraldic pun, intended to represent Oldham as Owl-dom!
As well as the owl, the coat of arms is usually displayed with a Latin motto, Sapere Aude, which means ‘dare to be wise.’ In part this is yet another pun as the word Aude contains the syllable Owd which gives the local pronunciation of Owdham.
Today the Oldham Owl can be found all over the borough. From Oldham Athletic’s mascot Chaddy the Owl through to the imposing sculpted owls in Parliament Square. If you look up at the J R Clynes building you will see the coat of arms features here too.