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Thanks Rupert for the picture of the chapel as it was in 2018.
Within 5 years of the opening, the premises were no longer big enough, especially for the Sunday school. 450 children were meeting in the chapel itself, so they erected substantial school accommodation, measuring 54′ x 28’10” and containing 4 classrooms. They also enlarged the chapel, making it 24′ longer. J Roscoe was the Sunday school superintendent and JT Cooper the secretary. The foundation stone was laid by JD Harris MP. Preachers included Revs S Antliff, W Antliff, J Macpherson, W Jefferson, T Roberts, WH Williams and J Glegg. Donors included JD Harris (MP), Mr & Mrs Roscoe, F and Mrs Warner and JT Cooper. The development is described by T Roberts in the Primitive Methodist magazine of July 1866 (ages 429-430).
I’ve added details of an account of the chapel opening from the Primitive Methodist magazine. It does indeed confirm that the land came from Mr W Tipples, “who sold us the land and generously returned the purchase money”.
When working in the area (c2006-2012) I was shocked to see that since this picture was taken a subsequent developer or owner of this building had seen fit to chisel off the letters above the doorway, but in such a clumsy way that it could still be read – grotesquely disfigured with scrape-marks.
Newspaper: Daily Gazette for Middlesbrough
Roy Stringer has kindly sent in the following information: John Garbutt’s daughter Ann, and her husband Joshua Stringer, have a Memorial in the Churchyard of Saint Peter’s church, Stanley, Wakefield, West Riding of Yorkshire. John Stringer and Hannah Garbutt, are my 3rd paternal grandparents.
The memorial reads:- Joshua Stringer died Jan 3 1866 aged 71 years. He honestly discharged the duties of corresponding secretary of the Wakefield District of the Independent Order of Oddfellows Manchester Unity during the period of 17 years. His loss they lament and whose memory they revere. This stone waserect ed by members of the above District. Ann Stringer wife of the above died 16 Dec 1860 aged 49.
Notes:- Joshua was previously a Headmaster. The church has now been demolished. Whereabouts of Memorial unknown. I do have a photo of the Memorial but the inscription cannot be read.
The Primitive Methodist magazine of August 1873 includes an account by J Ayrton of the laying of the foundation stone for the chapel. The Prims had preached in the village for 30 years previously. The stone was laid on May 24th 1873 (when the weather was beautifully fine) by W Ouston, a Wesleyan village resident.
Preachers included M Sullivan, J Ayrton, Rev C Rumfitt and Rev T Penrose. Donors included Messrs Ouston, Fletcher, Seal, Perks, the Misses Farrer and Forest, Mr Baker, Mrs Dickenson, J Fleck, Mr & Mrs Charlesworth and Jos Farrer
There’s a note by WB Leighton about the clearing of debt on this chapel in the Primitive Methodist magazine of June 1873 (pp.376-377). At that time it had 100 members and a Sunday school of 480 children.
The ceremonies around the laying of the foundation stone of the chapel are described in the Primitive Methodist magazine of July 1872 (pp.442-445). Preachers included Rev G Seaman, R Chamberlain.
JH Tillett (former Mayor and MP) spoke that “there was in the marvellous and utter indifference of the vast majority of the working classes to the claims of Christianity a source of very serious and increasing danger” He believed the Prims had done more to tackle this than any other denomination.
T Newsome writes in the Primitive Methodist magazine of February 1872 (pages 122 an d 123) of the opening of the chapel.
A plot of land at the side of the previous chapel was leased from Sir Tatton Sykes of Sledmere. The opening services concluded on October 10th 1871. The preachers included Revs J Shepherd, J Dawson, W Whitby, T Waumsley, Messrs J Wright, W Major, G Denney, , B Cooper, G Bullock, R Barr and D Railton.
The new chapel seated 220 and had a school room underneath. It even boasted a large copper for tea meetings. The cost was £450 of which £250 was raised by the opening. Donors included J Atkinson, F Knaggs, Miss Railton and Mrs Jefferson. Mr W Brown did much of the work.
I’ve added detail of an earlier chapel from an account in the Primitive Methodist magazine.
Can you supply a reference, please, for the newspaper text.
Thanks
I have the Admissions Register which will have his name in Anne. Do you have a copy of his medal? Can you please contact me via JB43@york.ac.uk
Thx.
JOHN BIBBY
The Primitive Methodist magazine for February 1872 (pp.121-122) contains an account by T Newsome of the opening of the chapel from September 29th 1871. Preachers included Revs W and Mrs Harland, C Kendall, P Milson, F Rudd, J Wood, T Waumsley, W Robinson; also H Hodge, Messrs Richardson, H Evans, C Williamson, , G Bullock, W Petch, and W Dawson. The new chapel seated 220 and there was space for a school room. A Celebration tea was provided for for 1,200 people!
The church closed for regular worship in January 2019.
My great grandfather Thomas Michael Turnbull was at Elmfield College as a master in the 1881 census. He must have been a former pupil because he was awarded a silver medal for Maths in 1875 presented by J Bradbury and a silver medal for English in 1876 presented by C Brown Esq. He went on to study Maths at Durham University. I would be interest to know if you have any information about him. His parents were not rich,
On an entirely unplanned walk through Donisthorpe today, in Chapel Street I came a cross a house with a Primitive Methodist 1853 date tablet, so I’ve added the picture to this page. It’s on the opposite side of the road to the later chapel and a bit further south. It’s ironic that the earlier chapel has outlasted the later one!
I recorded in 1959 – but where I got the information from I don’t recall (perhaps GF Spencer) – the foundation as being in 1845, not 1849. Are there two dates? Foundation 1845, building 1849? It was extended in 1909 and a kitchen added in 1931
The ‘Twixt Aire and Calder website records that the chapel was originally built in 1866 at a cost of £1,390. It was destroyed by fire on 10 February 1907 and rebuilt. The congregation transferred to Trinity Methodist Church in 1964. Records associated with the chapel are held by the West Yorkshire Archive Service. The 1941 statistical return records the chapel as brick built, seating 600 with 2 halls and 5 additional rooms.
When did the chapel close down as a chapel
I’ve moved here content from a second page on Nelson Street which was based on an article in the Primitive Methodist magazine. There was also the following comment contributed in April 2017 by the Newcastle District Archivist which gave additional information. “The Primitive Methodists began meeting in Gateshead Town on 16 November 1819 when Metheun’s Long Room – previously used by the Wesleyans – was rented by them. In 1832, a preaching room was opened in Garden Street and regular services were conducted by preachers from Newcastle.
The extreme poverty in the Garden Street area (Hillgate) was amongst the factors that resulted in the room being closed and the little Society moving to the Brandy Vaults public house on Church Street. the owners mustn’t have approved of their singing or exhortations as they were expelled from there for being too noisey! From there the Society met in a member’s house (registered at Durham on 2 November 1825) and from another (registered at Durham on 4 May 1833). This latest “house” was known as the Sail Loft and was at Church Walk near to St. Mary’s Parish Church. The building was destroyed in the Great Fire of Gateshead in 1854 when the Wesleyans were using it.
In 1838, a large chapel was built at the junction of Mulgrave Terrace and Grosvenor Street though they were forced to abandon there shortly afterwards when the Treasurer stole all the chapel’s money. The congregation moved back to Church Walk and from there to Swinburne Place then to a meeting room at West Street.
The chapel referred too above, is the replacement for all of these and was Nelson Street, opened on 1 January 1854. Nelson Street soon became head of the then Gateshead PM Circuit which covered considerably more than Gateshead.
As the population moved away from the north of the town and the areas around Hillgate, Oakwell gate, Pipewellgate etc., the congregation numbers began to dwindle and so the Society moved to the Northbourne Estate and built the huge Durham Road PM Church which closed in 1964 when the congregation amalgamated with the former Wesleyans along the road. The ex WM Church then became known as St. Mark’s which it is to this day.”
Vivian,
Thanks for pointing out the typo. Further investigation identifies that Basil was born on 18 December 1917.
Herbert Sydney would be my Great. Great uncle I am not sure if the date of birth of Basil his son is correct at 1818, as Herbert’s date of birth is down as 1885. Could this possibly be a typo? Maybe it should read 1918!
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