Wallasey Liscard Primitive Methodist Chapel

According to Kelly’s 1850 directory, page 671:

‘WALLASEY, anciently called Kirby in Walley, is a parish comprising the townships of Wallasey, Liscard and Poulton-cum-Seacombe, the parish forms the north-west corner of the county, and is a peninsular of triangular form, bounded on the west by the Irish sea, and on the north-east by the Mersey.’

Then on page 672:

‘LISCARD is a populous township, about 3½ miles N.W. from Birkenhead, which contains the modern sea bathing places of Egremont and New Brighton, situated at the north-west extremity of the peninsula of Wirrall (sic).  … in 1841 there were 400 houses and 2,873 inhabitants.  Population, in 1801, 211; in 1831, 967.  … since [1841] many handsome villa residences have been erected, which are chiefly occupied by the merchants and tradesmen of Liverpool.’

I have not been able to find a definitive history of Primitive Methodism in this area; what follows has been pieced together from various sources.

1849:  A 1923 booklet states ‘a plan of 1849 [of the Liverpool Circuit] shows societies at Prescot, Lime Kiln Lane, Bootle, Garston, Liscard, Birkenhead and Wallasey’.  The first four are on the Liverpool side of the Mersey and the last three on the Birkenhead side.

1850:  On page 672/3 of Kelly’s 1850 directory it says ‘There is a school (Anglican?) …. , a handsome Independent chapel, a Catholic chapel, and a Methodist chapel [denomination not given] in Liscard.’

1859: The 1859 Q2 Preaching Plan for the Liverpool Circuit showed that the circuit had a Birkenhead Branch that consisted of eight ‘Places’: Birkenhead [location not given], Liscard, South Tranmere, Poulton, Bebington, Hoylake Open Air, Greasby and Irby.  At Liscard there were weekly Sunday services at 2.30 and 6, led entirely by lay preachers apart from once during the quarter when it was led by the Branch Superintendent Rev W. Wilkinson who lived at 190 Beckwith Street.  Evening services were held on Tuesdays every week, led by one of the four circuit ministers.

Liscard held a Tea Meeting on Whit Monday 1859 ‘for the Chapel’.

1864:  Morris’s 1864 Directory, page 509 mentions under the Liscard entry: ‘the Primitive Methodists and Society of Friends have places of worship here.’  Elsewhere, the address is given as Wallasey Road.

Morris’s 1874 Directory has the same information.

1867:  Liscard is listed in the Register of Non-Conformist Chapels.

1869:  The 1869 Q3 Preaching Plan for the Birkenhead Circuit (a copy of which was put in a time capsule under the foundation stone of Grange Lane chapel) showed eight Places not including Liscard.  Perhaps the society was too small to justify ‘planning’ a minister or lay preacher to take the services.

1874/5:  an 1874/5 map shows ‘Methodist Chapel (Primitive)’.

1878:  The Post Office 1878 Directory mentions that the Primitive Methodists have a place of worship in Liscard.

1883:  Slater’s Directory (the Liscard entry is listed under New Brighton) does not mention Primitive Methodists under Dissenting chapels (it does however include a Wesleyan chapel in Withen’s Lane).

1898/9:  an 1898/9 map shows the previous PM chapel now labelled ‘Meth. Chap. (Wes.)’.  It scales at 43ft x 33ft.

1899/1900:  According to the History of Wallasey Churches: Liscard: ‘Before the building of ‘Wesley Hall’ (full name ‘Wesleyan Mission Hall’) in Liscard, worshippers used to meet in a building on the junction of Wallasey Road and St. Alban’s Road [this could have been the PM chapel].  The foundation stone of the new meeting place was laid in 1899 and ‘Wesley Hall’ opened on 31^st May, 1900, costing £1,300 to build.’

I have not found any reference to when or why the Primitive Methodists passed their chapel to the Wesleyans – presumably around 1880.  The chapel building was eventually demolished in about 1930.

The site of the chapel is now occupied by a Wilko store, Town Field Way Cherry Tree Centre, Wallasey Road, CH44 5XU.

I conclude that there was a PM society active in Liscard from before 1849 and there was certainly a PM chapel between 1859 (and possibly 1850) and about 1880.