On 6th April 2014 a memorial service was held in Much Hoole parish Church to commemorate the life of Jeremiah Horrocks. The service was taken by the Ri
ght Reverend Julian Henderson, Bishop of Blackburn, who blessed a new weather-vane on the church tower, depicting the 2012 transit of Venus. The parish church of St Michael and All Angels already contains a number of stained glass windows, memorial plaques and a side chapel, commemorating Horrocks, who is said to have been a Bible Clerk at the church and was tutor to the children of the Stones family of Carr House, within the parish of Much Hoole. Jeremiah Horrocks predicted the 1639 transit of Venus and observed it from Carr House, having been the first man to recognise that such transits should occur in pairs, 8 years apart.
The service included a celebration of Holy Communion, during which the Church’s antique silverware was used, that dated back to the time of Jeremiah Horrocks, and was probably used by him. The congregation numbered over 70, which filled the ancient little church to capacity. At the conclusion of the service the congregation moved outside and the Bishop blessed the weather-vane, and prayed for all astronomers, who were advancing mankind’s knowledge of the Universe. The service was covered by BBC North West, who ran an item about the event on their news bulletin. The JHI is, of course, named after Jeremiah Horrocks, and JHI Director, Professor Derek Ward-Thompson, and his family, attended the event