Poole North Street Primitive Methodist chapel

“POOLE is a sea-port town, in the southern part of Dorsetshire, and has about nine thousand inhabitants.  A few years ago, it was a place of great trade, but of late, its trade has greatly diminished.  It is one of the best governed towns that I ever visited.  Nearly seven years since, it was first missioned by the Primitive Methodists.  For four years they occupied a neat little chapel belonging to one of our most influential friends, at the yearly rent of eight pounds ten shillings.  During the winter and the spring of 1842, the congregations became so large, that the landlord was desired to enlarge the chapel.  This he refused to do.  It was ultimately purchased for one hundred and thirty pounds; was then pulled down, and a sufficiently large chapel was erected in its stead.  The new chapel is forty feet two inches by twenty-seven feet nine inches, and from the floor to the ceiling seventeen feet.  Its walls are brick, and its roof is covered with good slate.  It has four beautiful circular-topped windows.  The floor is of good deal, and is well ventilated, as is the ceiling also.  It contains twenty-three letable pews, and a communion-pew, besides a great number of free sittings; and is well lighted with gas.

It was opened for divine service on Friday, September 9th, 1842, by the Rev. A. Morten Brown, M. A., Independent minister at Poole; on September the 11th, by Brothers Pope, from Motcombe, and Bartlett, from Enmore Green; and on the evening of September the 12th, by Mr. Notting, Independent minister at Longham. At some of the services the chapel was too small to hold all who wished to be admitted; and the amount of the collections exceeded that which had been expected.

The chapel is conveyed to trustees connexionally.  Its total cost was about two hundred and seventy-six pounds, towards which, thirty-seven pounds have been collected.  It has been well attended ever since it was opened, and nearly all the sittings are let.  It is so circumstanced, that if it be managed properly for a few years, the whole of its debt will be discharged.”

transcribed from the Primitive Methodist magazine by David Tonks

The return from Poole Primitive Methodist chapel to the 1851 Census of Places of Public Religious worship confirms the 1842 opening and the previous site in Cinammon Lane.  On Census Sunday 251 people attended the three services. Isaac Jacobs the Society Steward completed the return.

The previous chapel was taken over from a Swedenborg sect and was in Cinammon Lane.  The Twenty-first Century route of Cinammon Lane is a little different to the Nineteenth Century route. Much of the Lane has been redeveloped to residential use.

The North Street chapel is marked on the Ordnance Survey map of 1888.  It is still marked on the 1937 map but  in  2018 the site is part of the road network at the end of North Street.

Reference

Primitive Methodist Magazine, June 1843 Pages 214-215