Marsden was for a long time commonly alternately known as Bellastown. However, as the village has become less isolated and people come and gone, the name is rapidly declining from common usage
The following extract is taken from the long out of print book - Bygone Marsden, 2nd edition 1943 - kindly lent to me by Walter Briggs, a friend and long time local resident. It will hopefully shed some enlightenment on this unusual name.
WHY IS MARSDEN CALLED BELLAS TOWN !
"We are nearly at Bellas Town now," said a passenger recently as the train emerged from the tunnel which divides Diggle from Marsden, and stretched himself preparatory to picking up his traps and descending at the latter well-known station.
This curious nickname for Marsden caused the author to reflect on the humours of village history and the verbal persistency of an old tradition. Why call Marsden Bellas Town ? The solution of the problem is simple enough.
On turning up some old musty records of Marsden worthies, many names famous in a variety of ways stand our, but none so arrests the attention as that of the Rev. Lancelot Bellas, who for a period of thirty-six years was supposed to take charge of the spiritual welfare of the Marsden inhabitants.
The parish at the time of Mr. Bellas's appointment to the curacy of Marsden Church--I779--was in the throes of violent emotion over the choice of a new incumbent. For several months the health of the Rev. John Marsden-who held the living--had steadily been declining, and much discussion had taken place as to his successor. Opinions were sharply divided, and only waited for Mr. Marsden's death to break out into a bitter struggle between the contending parties.
Needless to say, the delights of turmoil appealed to the small community, whose mental interests were exceedingly limited and centred chiefly in the life of the village church, and on Mr, Marsden's death the flames burst forth.
One party keenly advocated the claims of the Rev. John Murgatroyd, of Slaithwaite, while the other, with equal tenacity, demanded the appointment of the popular minister of Heights Church, Saddleworth--to wit, the Rev. Lancelot Bellas. The latter candidate quickly gained favour, and his star was soon in the ascendant, but not before an exciting struggle took place.
To form some idea of the bitter contest the following selections from the " Private Journal" of Mr. Murgatroyd are given:--
"I778, March 28th. At Marsden, and the chapel- warden, encouraged by the Methodistical party, kept the door locked again; so we'd no service. I dined at Waterside and got well home between 5 and 6 o'clock. Mr. Marsden came with me to this side Shaker (Shaw Carr) Wood."
" I778, April 11th. At Marsden and the chapel door kept locked again for the same reason. They got foolish Taylor of Saddleworth Church to interfere and do the duty. They at noon kept the chapel door fast, and turned the people in at the other door. Shameful work ! I attended service. Having dined at Waterside as usual, I got well home and thank God was graciously preserved."
" 1778, April 25th. At Marsden, and the door locked still. As I went up three or four men were placed in Mr. Marsden's Wood to abuse me, who did so in a very shameful manner. They were placed there again at night, but Mr. Marsden being with me, and seeing him, they walked off without giving abuse. Bellas, of Heights, came to do duty for them. Robert France, of Blakestones, brought me a message, April 24th, from Mr. Smith, vicar of Almondbury, to persist in going, which encouraged me to go again. Must such work be unpunished!"
" I778, May 2nd. At home. Oh, pity ! Mr. Marsden was to acquaint me if the bell rang, but hearing nothing from him I stayed at home. Snow fell this day."
" 1778, May 9th· At home. Oh, pity ! " Similar entries continue during the next month.
The above quotations show to what length the adherents of the popular parson were prepared to go. Suffice it to say that the influence of the majority was soon felt, and in turn weighed with the patron of the living, and soon the Rev. Lancelot Bellas was safely ensconced in the joys and pleasures of a rural incumbency.
Before dismissing the Rev. John Murgatroyd it may be of interest to relate that before taking up his residence in Slaithwaite he was for several years curate of Almondbury. At Slaithwaite he had charge of the old Grammar School, and eked out a livelihood by casual preaching in the neighbourhood. After spending the greater part of his life in Slaithwaite in scholastic and semi-clerical duties, he died in 1806 at the advanced age of 87 years. In appearance Mr. Murgatroyd was a tall gentleman, wearing a powdered wig and a long, picturesque cloak.
On his appointment the Rev. Lancelot Bellas entered into his pastoral duties with enthusiasm, but being of an easy-going temperament and fond of lively company, he unfortunately developed tendencies to laxity in the performance of his duties, and these lapses soon culminated in complete carelessness and indifference to all the decencies and sanctities of a ministerial calling. Much of his time was spent in the " snug " of the nearest alehouse, where he invariably proved himself to be the centre of attraction.
Tradition records many famous and infamous stories of the popular parson's career, not the least being a well-authenticated one of a corpse having to be left overnight in church owing to the inebriety of Mr. Bellas. The mourners had to return early on the following day so that the parson could be caught sober to complete the sad rites.
Another well-known story records a noisy dispute between the parson and some village yokel, in which Mr. Bellas lost his temper to such a degree that he thrashed his opponent soundly, and when caught in this disreputable action he glibly assured his inter- locutor that he was tired of preaching to certain members of his flock, so he had determined to forcibly drive it in.
Ammon Wrigley, in his "Gossipy Guide to Saddleworth," refers to Parson Bellas as " a rollicking sort of parson, often with more ale than religion in him. One story states that he was drinking at an inn one Saturday night, and it got five minutes to twelve and would soon be Sunday morning. There was a good brew on the tap, and Bellas got out of his chair and put the clock back an hour."
On another occasion he frankly preached words and not deeds. " Follow the light and not the lantern," said he. The consequence of all this degeneration was that a number of the more serious members of his congregation betook themselves to Slaithwaite Church.
Unfortunately, with Mr. Bellas's moral shortcomings came financial troubles, and to check the latter he opened a small day- school at his home at Ready Carr Bottom--now the Market Place. The cottage was an unpretentious building, having but one storey. Later, however, he removed to a more commodious house, now known as " The Swan Inn," and there, with the assistance of his son, Richard Bellas, he practically carried on his day-school to the end of his life, which terminated in the year 1815.
After due allowance for all his frailties, Mr. Bellas was a remarkable man, whose strong social instincts proved his weakness and often caused him to slip from the paths of rectitude.
On the other hand, these very weaknesses secured for him a great reputation in the district for open-handedness, kindly feeling, and a generous sympathy with the humble folk of his parish. Further, he was blessed with a fluent tongue, a pertinent way of giving good advice, and an eloquent style of preaching.
All these extremes of character and conduct, meeting in one man, and that man the parson of Marsden,. were bound to attract close attention from all the district, and to secure a notoriety for the Rev. Lancelot Bellas that was not always enviable.
After all these remarkable incidents--some probably apocryphal --the more sedate commentators on the Rev. Lancelot Bellas are reluctant to say much about him. Canon Hulbert, for instance, dismisses him in a short paragraph as follows:--
" Of the Rev. Lancelot Bellas little is known, except that he kept a school ; that he came from Height, in Saddleworth. He was buried in Marsden I7th Oct., 1815."
The late Rev. A. R. Barrett, in his " Records of Marsden Church," says :--
" It is charitable to suppose that the imperfections of his character were not so pronounced then as they became later. What more natural than that earnest, ill-informed souls should desire to have a rousing preacher for their Incumbent instead of a prosy schoolmaster, and that they should desire for their Curate a man of wide local reputation? He impressed his personality very deeply on the village, as is shown by the nickname of 'Bellas Town,' which still survives." However, the traditional reputation of this old cleric has kept his memory green for generations, and forms the clue to the query as to why Marsden is nick-named Bellas Town.