Ellesmere Port Whitby Primitive Methodist chapel

1851:  There is a return to the 1851 Census of Places of Public Religious worship from the PM society in Whitby. The members were meeting in a dwelling house; a congregation of 46 had attended evening service earlier in the month.  There were two respondents:

• Susanna Meacock who lived in Whitby (detailed address not given); She was a widow farming 42 acres and employing two labourers.
• Robert Hill who lived at Bache Hall and described himself as Landed Proprietor and Merchant. Living with him were his wife, three sons, a niece and six servants.  Bache Hall still exists; it is a Grade II-listed building on Countess Hill, just over a mile north of the centre of Chester.

1873:  According to Kelly’s Directory of Cheshire 1902, page 314:  ‘The Primitive Methodist chapel here, built in 1873, is of red brick with stone facings.’  The 1940 list of Methodist chapels has an entry for this chapel in the ‘Districts C’ download, page 73, Circuit 411: Ellesmere Port:

Whitby: Brick; seating for 216 Pews; 1 School Hall; 1 other room.

The chapel is marked on the 1897 25” OS map; it scales at about 28ft x 52ft.  The site is now occupied by 1 Chapel Mews CH65 6UA.

1882:  The Q4 Preaching Plan for the Chester 1^st Circuit showed twelve ‘Places’: George Street (1862/3) Chester (head of circuit), Guilden Sutton, Saughall, Willaston, Little Neston, Whitby, Ellesmere Port, Pool Town, Manley, Elton, Dunham and Trafford.  At Whitby there were weekly Sunday services at 10.30pm and 6pm, led entirely by lay preachers except for one visit from each minister once during the quarter.  Most weeks, the morning preacher also took the evening service.  Alternate weeks there was a Wednesday evening service at 7pm usually taken by a minister.  The chapel had two classes.

1892:  Ellesmere Port Circuit was formed, separating from Chester First; Upper Mersey Street chapel (Ellesmere Port) became the head of a new Circuit, with Whitby and Pooltown as members.

1968:  According to the Cheshire Archives, a new chapel was opened in Hope Farm, replacing the old chapel.