The first George Street Chapel was built in 1862/3. Unfortunately, from its earliest days it was found to be too small for the growing congregation and in 1864, after a camp meeting in Chester, its society was split into two. One remained at George Street and the other worshipped initially in a rented room in Pepper Street, and then in Cuppin Street before acquiring the Mount Zion Chapel in Commonhall Street. [1]
In 1885 the George Street society purchased a nearby site on the north side of George Street at the junction with Victoria Road. The foundation stone of the new chapel was laid on 8 April 1887 and opening services were held on 26 February 1888. It was described as ‘of brick with stone dressings, with a squat tower and spire’ [1] and could seat 780. Images of this chapel and more description can be found in [2]. A 1911 map [3] shows the chapel with a Sunday School building to its north.
The opening services of the new chapel were reported in the Cheshire Observer of 18 February 1888:
PRIMITIVE METHODIST CHAPEL. – We beg to call the attention of our readers to the opening services in connection with the new Primitive Methodist Chapel, George-street, which will be held on Sunday, the 26th inst. Special sermons will be delivered, the Rev. T. Guttery, of London, being announced as the preacher at the evening service.
In 1889 a third circuit was created out of Chester First Circuit with Tarvin Road Chapel as its head. The Preaching Plan for the Chester Circuits 1894 Q3 shows the chapels in each circuit; the First Circuit headed by the new George Street Chapel consisted of nine chapels lying in a sector north-west to north-east of Chester, the furthest being Little Neston, 10 miles north west.
On 28th October 1903 a census was taken in Chester of religious buildings and attendance at worship. The record for the George Street Chapel was: capacity 850; attendance 761 [2].
The Cheshire Record Office holds Marriage Registers for 1917-55.
The chapel closed in 1970 to make way for a new bus station.
Editor’s note:
The intention to add several new classrooms for the use of the expanding Sunday school is declared in the 1898 Primitive Methodist magazine (page 792
References
1. 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
2. ‘Bicentennial History: Wesley Methodist Church, Chester’ by Brian C. Heald, pages 21 and 22 accessed January 2021 online at https://d3hgrlq6yacptf.cloudfront.net/5f1aef020f71c/content/pages/documents/1504869973.pdf .
3. https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/340549/366753/12/101234
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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