Idle Ebenezer Primitive Methodist chapel
Town Lane, Idle BD10 8PN
Ebenezer Primitive Methodist chapel in Idle was opened in 1823 and served until closure in 1960. If I have read the 1921-22 1:2,500 Ordnance Survey map correctly, it was located at the corner of Town Road and Sandmoor Garth. The site is currently occupied by a block of flats.
John Maylard gives an account in the Primitive Methodist magazine of the laying of the foundation stone at the chapel in 1861. They decided they needed more room – the children often had to leave to allow adults to attend services – so were given some additional land by WRC Stansfield. In the new chapel, the school room was underneath the chapel.
The stone was laid on July 27th by Alderman Brown, of Bradford. Preachers included Revs. Rowson (Baptist), Trethaway (Wesleyan), S. Dyson, W. Jackson, C. Hallam, and J. Maylard. There was of course a celebration tea.
The 1892 magazine tells us that the foundation stones for new school accommodation had been laid.. It would include a large assembly room, classrooms, young men and young women’s rooms and infant classrooms. It was expected to cost £2.000 of which they had raised half.
Reference
1999 Terry J G The Causes and effects of the divisions within Methodism 1796 – 1853 PhD thesis, University of Huddersfield accessed online January 27th 2016 at http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/4607/1/300547.pdf: sets out the story of the development of Primitive Methodism in Bradford and District
Primitive Methodist magazine October 1861 pages 615-616
Primitive Methodist magazine June 1892 page 379
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The chapel was renewed in 1861 because it was too small – the children often had to leave to allow adults to attend services
The architects of the Sunday school premises, 1892, were Howdill & Howdill
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