Tunstall Jubilee Primitive Methodist Chapel, 1860

The third chapel

Tunstall Jubilee chapel was built to celebrate fifty years since the opening of the first chapel in Tunstall in 1811.

There is a detailed account taken from the Staffordshire Sentinel of the laying of the foundation stone for the new chapel in the Primitive Methodist magazine of February 1860. The stone was laid by Mrs Thomas Allen using ”a beautiful silver trowel, made by Mr. Prime, of Birmingham”. The new chapel would hold 1,400 people and replaced a chapel that could hold 1,000.

Ralph Dain (Burslem) was the architect; the contractors were Mr Mullington (Tunstall) and Mr Ford (Kidsgrove)

The opening of the chapel is described  by Henry Binnell in the September 1860 magazine. The chapel cost £2,300 of which £900 had been raised.  Preachers at the opening included Revs P Pugh, T Guttery, T Greenbury (Hull) and W Jones (Willenhall)

The pictures on this page show the chapel at various stages in its life : it has since been demolished. Unfortunately they  are mostly undated so it is hard to see an evolution.

There are more pages about Tunstall PM Chapel on this site. You can find out about its Origins, see more pictures and information about the 1905 refurbishment, and see pictures and memories of some of the people, including the Bible Classes.

Reference

Primitive Methodist magazine February 1860 page 116-117

Primitive Methodist magazine September 1860 page 512

Tunstall Jubilee Primitive Methodist Chapel, 1860

Downloads

A Transcription of an article in the PM Magazine 1910 that gives some history of the chapel and the ministers that graced its pulpit.

Comments about this page

  • I’ve added a location map for the chapel. Based on Eileen Grice Lloyd’s comment below, investigating on historic Ordnance Survey maps suggests that Calvert Street is actually Calver Street, and the 1876 map and 1937 maps show the chapel, identified as Primitive Methodist on the 1876 map. There is a separate Sunday school, facing the chapel across Wedgewood Street and backing onto Paradise Street. Google Earth shows the site is in residential use on what is now Oldcourt Street ST6 5BL.

    By Christopher Hill (20/07/2023)
  • The opening of the chapel is described  by Henry Binnell in the September 1860 magazine (page 552). The chapel cost £2,300 of which £900 raised.

    Preachers at the opening included Revs P Pugh, T Guttery, T Greenbury (Hull) and W Jones (Willenhall)

    By Christopher Hill (04/02/2018)
  • There is a detailed account taken from the Staffordshire Sentinel of the laying of the foundation stone for the new chapel in the Primitive Methodist magazine of February 1860 page 116-117. The stone was laid by Mrs Thomas Allen using ”a beautiful silver trowel, made by Mr. Prime, of Birmingham”. The new chapel would hold 1,400 people and replaced a chapel that could hold 1,000. 

    Ralph Dain (Burslem) was the architect; the contractors were Mr Mullington (Tunstall) and Mr Ford (Kidsgrove)

    By Christopher Hill (08/01/2018)
  • This chapel was in Calvert Street, and its back was in Wellington Street later Mountfield Street.  I could hear the singing on a Sunday night it was beautiful.  When the parishoners left by the rear door they were some of the nicest people I have ever met.  They were all dressed very smartly but always spoke to me and the other children.  This was in the 1950/60’S  such a disgrace that this building is not still standing.  I never went inside, but always wished that I had.

    By Eileen Grice Lloyd (23/12/2015)
  • We do have a loving cup celebrating the laying of the corner stone by Mrs Thomas Allen, as well as a teapot and other memorabilia produced to commemorate the opening of Jubilee Chapel, which was known as the ‘Cathedral’ of Primitive Methodism. They are very splendid items of pottery and can currently be seen on display at Englesea Brook Museum.

    By Jill Barber (20/10/2013)
  • Michael Portillo’s Great Railway Journeys programme this week visited Mow Cop which brought many memories of my Methodist upbringing in Shropshire. My grandmother, however, came from the potteries and one of the things I have inherited from her is a loving cup celebrating the laying of the corner stone for the new chapel in 1859 by Mrs Thomas Allen. The circuit preachers are listed as well as other lists of names and facts. Do other examples of this exist I wonder. I also have the plate shown on the site as well as a different plate depicting the same event I think.

    My grandparents were very instrumental in the Primitive Methodist chapel in a village called Highley which was part of the Kidderminster circuit but is actually in Shropshire. The chapel is unfortunately now closed and has been converted into flats I believe. I have quite a few momentoes of the “glory” days of the chapel.

    By Ella Thomas (11/01/2013)

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