A plaque has been unveiled at a Keighley church in memory of the man who instigated and financed the building.

And family of the benefactor, James Ickringill, were at the ceremony on Sunday, November 17.

The plaque, at the Church of the Nazarene, in Oakworth Road, was provided by great grandson Steve Ickringill.

He spoke about early Methodism and how his great grandfather had been inspired to build “The Mission” for the working class.

James Ickringill – who lived in Keighley and whose family textile firm employed 2,000 people – gave the Mission Hall, and another in Heysham, to the Primitive Methodists in 1911. The building became the Church of the Nazarene in 1962.

Church secretary, Janette Jones, said: “Several members of the family attended the morning service and the unveiling.

“At the end of the service there was a talk by Reginald Davison on how the Church of the Nazarene purchased ‘The Mission’ from the Methodists for the sum of £2,000 and he gave thanks to God for inspiring James Ickringill to build the church and then give it to the Primitive Methodists.”