The Sir Thomas Gerard

Gerard Street takes its name from the family which features in much of Ashton's history. One of the best known was Sir Thomas Gerard, who was imprisoned in the Tower of London after an attempt to rescue Mary, Queen of Scots.

The architectural history of the site originates in the occasional preaching visits of the Reverend W Alexander, of Prescot, in 1802. In 1824, a church was formed, and five years later a chapel was built in Chapel Street.