Sometime in the 1890s the society based in the Mount Zion Chapel, Commonhall Street must have decided to build a new chapel as headquarters of the Second Circuit.
‘On 20th April 1898 the stone laying ceremony took place for a replacement church, the ‘City Temple’ in Hunter Street. This was the only Methodist Church within the City Walls and was officially opened on 1st February 1899. It took 22 years to clear the debt from building this church. … Hunter Street was a family church with a very warm, friendly spirit. The final service at the church was on 10th September 1967, just 68 years after its opening. The congregation then united with those of St. John Street and George Street and, after the transition period, settled in the renewed premises at Wesley [St John Street] in February 1970.’ [1]
The chapel was described as ‘brick with stone dressings, with a tower and spire’ [2]. There are several images in Reference [1]. It is marked as ‘Church’ on a 1911 map [3], on the south side of Hunter Street at the junction with Hunter’s Walk, about 200m west of the cathedral. It could seat 575 (slightly smaller than the Commonhall Street chapel that it replaced).
On 28th October 1903 a census was taken in Chester of religious buildings and attendance at worship. The record for the Hunter Street Chapel was: capacity 500; attendance 282 [1].
The Chester Record Office holds Marriage Registers for 1916-48.
References
1. Bicentennial History: Wesley Methodist Church, Chester’ by Brian C. Heald 2012 page 21 accessed online Jan 2021.
2. British History Online; then Browse catalogue>Victoria County History – Chester>A History of the County of Chester: Volume 5 Part 2, the City of Chester: Culture, Buildings, Institutions>Churches and religious bodies: Protestant Nonconformity>Methodists>Primitive Methodists
3. https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/342071/366448/12/101234
See also:
‘Chester and Primitive Methodism’
‘Chester: The Introduction of Primitive Methodism’
‘The coming of Primitive Methodism to Chester and Saughall’
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The Primitive Methodist magazine of September 1898 (page 714 reports on legal difficulties encountered in lifting restrictions on the character of the building they could erect, especially to do with light.
In the end it went to court and the Trustees were saddled with debts of £150. in addition to the £3,500 cost of the new building. They were appealing for help from the Connexion.
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