Maidenhead Bridge Street Primitive Methodist chapel

The opening of Maidenhead Primitive Methodist chapel is described in an article by Dennis Kendall in the Primitive Methodist magazine.  Thanks to Geoffrey Oxley for confirming that this chapel was in Bridge Street and not the later Queen Street chapel.

“Maidenhead is a town of very respectable appearance, in the county of Berks. For some years the energies of our people have been crippled for want of a commodious place in which to worship. This barrier, however, is now re moved ; we having purchased for £300 the chapel recently occupied by the Wesleyans, and which was opened for Divine worship, October 30th, 1859, by the Rev. W. Harland, Connexional Editor. London, who preached morning and evening, and Mr. R. Walker, Wesleyan, in the afternoon. We trust the impressions which were made will not be speedily effaced.

On Monday, October the 31st, it had a tea meeting in the Town Hall when about ninety persons surrounded the tables : after which a public meeting ‘was held, Mr. R. Walker presided, and the meeting was sustained by Messrs. W. Good man, W. Soames, W. Hewitt, W. Woodbridge, T. Laird, W. Harland, and J. MacFarland, M.A. A good influence pervaded the meeting ; we retired from the place saying, ‘ Truly it was good to be there.’ “

Bridge Street Chapel was occupied by the Primitive Methodists from 1859 until 1882 when their Queen Street chapel opened.

Although they were to leave the chapel two years later, the 1881 Primitive Methodist magazine tells us that Maidenhead chapel – presumably Bridge Street- was re-opened  after renovation. The society had “got very low” but had experienced a “marked improvement” with considerably increased congregations and several conversions.

Reference

Primitive Methodist magazine January 1860 pages 46-47

Primitive Methodist magazine 1881 page 124