Derby Albion Street Primitive Methodist chapel

Derby was first missioned from Belper in 1811 and a society established as early as 1812.  William Clowes and High Bourne were amongst the first open air preachers. Their hosts included Gunner John Locker off the Royal Artillery. and Mr Bowden The first chapel was opened in Albion Street in 1817, which is now a major shopping street.

The Primitive Methodist magazine of 1835 contains an account by I Broadbent of the re-opening of the chapel in January 1834.  It had been taken down in 1834 and enlarged by 9′(h) x 7′(l) and 1′(w).

Reopening services were held on 11/01/1834 and 18/01/1834 and the preachers were W Carthy, J Hallam and F N Jersey.

Derby became a circuit in 1836.

Albion Street chapel and society grew into the Traffic Street church. In 1842 they resolved to sell Albion Street and the Babbington Street chapel and rebuild. Click here for the full story.

In the building of Traffic Street they paid great attention to the matter of ventilation.  Thanks to John McCartney for  sharing  a report in HB Kendal (vol 1 p.199) about a service in Albion Street where the chapel was packed to the point of suffocation and the atmosphere was so bad that the candles were going out due to lack of air. Clowes was the preacher and the service was also the subject of some disturbance with the chapel keeper being injured as the perpetrators who had taken advantage of the atmosphere left!

You can read the magazine report and more of the  story here.

Reference

Primitive Methodist magazine 1835 page 268