Twyford Primitive Methodist chapel
Motcombe circuit
In the Primitive Methodist magazine of 1861, George Fowler tells us about the opening of Twyford Primitive Methodist chapel.
“The Lord graciously visited our society at Twyford, about the beginning of last February, and several souls were saved, so that the house of Brother John Merrifield, wherein the Primitive Methodists have conducted Divine service for the last thirty-three years, was too small to hold the congregation. Brother John Merrifield kindly gave a piece of his garden on which to erect a chapel, which is 30 feet long by 16 feet wide, capable of seating 100 persons.
It is built of brick and stone, has six windows, and is properly ventilated ; the floor is boarded. Most of the stone was given by a farmer in the neighbourhood ; the pulpit was presented by the Baptist Society at Ewern; a portion of the timber was given. Most of the materials were conveyed gratuitously, and at least one-half of the labour was free. We raised, by subscriptions and donations, £18 Is. Id.
The opening services were held October 4th, 1860, when a sermon was preached by the Rev. G. Warner, after which about 360 persons took tea in a booth erected for the occasion. In the evening a public meeting was held, when ad dresses were delivered by Messrs. S. Timmins, G. Fowler, J. Davidge, G. Warner, and T. Powell. On Sunday, October 7th, two sermons were preached by Mr. S. Timmins. T
The proceeds of the services amounted to £9 9s. 4ld. ; the debt remaining is about £5. Promises have been made for the amount required to liquidate the whole debt, and the money to be paid within a month. Much credit is due to the friends who have acted so praiseworthily in this matter. To God be all the glory. George Fowler“
There are at least nine places called Twyford, but as this one was in the Motcombe circuit, I’m locating it in Dorset.
You can read about the preceding domestic preaching place at Bere Knap here.
Reference
Primitive Methodist magazine January 1861 page 47
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Picking up Martin’s info from Kelly’s Directory, the next one I can find online is 1889 and at that time no chapel is mentioned, so presumably it was no longer in existence by that time.
The same directory confirms that Iwerne (Ewern) Minster had a Baptist chapel which had been enlarged in 1860. It is likely then that when Bere Knap was built in 1861, the Baptists at Iwerne had a pulpit surplus to requirements.
I have now met the owner of the newly built house who showed me around the site and he believes the chapel was to the northeast of the house (roughly where the smaller building on the OS maps is). Nothing visible though. The old OS maps only ever seem to show 2 buildings in Bere Knap in roughly the same place as the buildings shown on recent maps.
A knap is the crest of a hill, and so it is with Bere Knap. The hamlet was at the top of the hill in Drones Lane, above Drones Lane Farm. It may seem strange to us that the the Twyford chapel should be in a hamlet some distance away, but Twyford was quite small and scattered and at that time, most people walked to wherever they needed to go. Even on a modern map the footpaths converging on Bere Knap are clear to see, especially from Twyford. Also, the Parish Church was further still – in Compton Abbas – so perhaps it is no surprise that when a building was available for worship, people used it as is evidenced by numbers on the return for 1851 for the earlier venue.
Ewern where the pulpit came from is likely to be Iwerne Minster, a few miles southeast of Bere Knap although I have no proof yet that there was ever a Baptist chapel there!!
Thanks for the information Martin. Primitive Methodist magazine accounts give lots of fascinating detail, but rarely tell us where a new chapel was actually located.
Twyford Primitive Methodist chapel was at Bere Knap, a hamlet about half a mile east of Twyford and about one and a half miles west of the village of Compton Abbas. The Grid Reference is ST 860189
The 1875 Post Office Directory for Compton Abbas makes a reference to Bere Knap, ” a hamlet of a few houses and a small place of worship for Primitive Methodists” This would have been in the Motcombe circuit.
The 1861 Census for Compton Abbas lists a John Merrifield living at Bere Knap, so the chapel would have been built in his garden there,
Chapels are normally marked on O S maps 1:2,500 but nothing is indicated on O S maps of the area for 1888, 1902 and later, so it appears the chapel had closed.
On the 1980 OS map one dwelling is marked at Bere Knap on Drones Lane. The postcode is SP70JQ
Further research is needed to confirm when the chapel closed and if any evidence remains of its existence.
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