The Chapel was built in 1850 at a cost of £437.17½. There were 488 lettable and 122 free sittings. By 1871 a further £283.0.10½ had been spent on extensions and improvements. The chapel was closed in 1940 when the congregation moved to Lowther Street. The site is now vacant land used in association with adjacent dwellings.
Sources
Cumbria Archive Service, Whitehaven DCM2/384
JH Tonkin, Lowther Street Methodist Church, Whitehaven, Cumbria, Centenary Brochure, 1877 – 1977
Site visit 24.05.2016
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My great great grandfather was the minister in Whitehaven in 1862. Thomas Yates. My great grandfather was born at primitive terrace howgill street in 1863.
We’re these connected to the chapel. On a recent visit I was left a little confused geographically.
The 1866 1:500 OS maps show a primitive Methodist chapel in Whitehaven in Cricketfield Rd. which is shown as Richmond Terrace in the later 1925 1:1250 map. This map and the intervening 1899 map also show a Sunday school to the rear fronting Mill St. Both buildings are still visible on Google streetview. Howgill St. is adjacent to Richmond Terrace and the location of the chapel on the map on this website looks conspicuously like that shown on the 1866 1:500 map.
This is of particular interest to me because my grandfather, Harold Wright was minister there from 1922 to 1925 and my mother was born there in 1 High St.
Is the chapel referred to as in Howgill Street actually
the one shown in Cricketfield Rd/Richmond Terrace? (the shell at least of which is still there).
John Fowler tells us about the opening of Whitehaven Primitive Methodist chapel in the Primitive Methodist magazine (December 1859 page 739-740). Soon after Whitehaven was missioned 36 years previously they had rented a chapel at Mount Pleasant for a while but left it. The drive for a new chapel was triggered when Mrs Bennett left £40 for it in her will.
Mr Lumb, agent to Earl of Lonsdale, arranged for the site and a new chapel was built, measuring 51′ x 39′ and 21′ to ceiling. It had a good vestry and a yard behind and cost £427 of which £247 was raised by the opening. A new chapel was essential as the society had increased by 178-180 members in 15 months.
Speakers at the opening events from August 21st 1859 included Revs William Harland, H Saunders (Independent), A Dodds, J Taylor, J Lacells, J Harper, J Young (Belfast), and Messrs Bainbridge, Scott, Benson, Temple and WE Parker (Manchester). Mr Mickel chaired a tea meeting for 300.
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