Hurworth Primitive Methodist chapel

David Tonks tells us that  Ralph Fenwick, who signed the Return, was a 31 year old Primitive Methodist Minister, who lived at Chapel Row in Shildon, but on Census Sunday was a visitor in the household of Margaret Wrathall in Skerne Place in Darlington.

Patterson, in his Northern Primitive Methodism(1909) page 75 writes ‘As far back as 1825 a society was formed at Hurworth, and one of the first members, Margaret Maynard, subsequently became leader, which office she held for over thirty years.’

According to J.W. Fawcett in his Memorials of early Primitive Methodism in the County of Durham 1820-1829 (1908) p. 59 the first society was formed in Hurworth in May 1825 and a Preaching Room opened in 1826.

In 1856, Whellan’s History, topography and directory of Durham (p. 406) described it as ‘a small chapel.’