Surrey Primitive Methodist chapel

The 1888 Primitive Methodist magazine contains an account of the laying of memorial stones for Surrey chapel on Good Friday 1888.  The chapel was in Blackfriars Road and replaced an earlier building designed by Sir Rowland Hill which was located some 50 yards away. Although it rained, the services  were successful.

The new building was planned to seat 800 and incorporated school room, lecture hall, , class and committee rooms, “and other accommodation”.  It was planned to cost £11,000 of which they expected to raise £8,000. Rev B Senior played a leading role in obtaining finance.

We are told a lot more in the November 1888 magazine about the opening.  The detail shows the importance of the new chapel as by then few details were routinely given about chapel openings.

Of course, it cost more than they expected – around £12,500. In part this was because of the high price of the land – but it was freehold and they had been forced to leave their previous chapel “owing to the exorbitant demands of the ground landlord” when the lease expired: that chapel became  a machinist’s warehouse.

The new buildings consisted of a chapel seating 700, schoolroom for 300, classrooms, committee rooms, vestries and chapel keeper’s house. The role of Rev Senior is again emphasised.

The 1908 Primitive Methodist magazine (page 550) contains an account of Primitive Methodism in London at that time. In it, there is a picture of Surrey chapel, but we are told nothing more than the fact it still carried a debt.

What happened to this chapel?

Reference

Primitive Methodist magazine May 1888 page 315

Primitive Methodist Magazine 1908/550