East Brook Primitive Methodist chapel

The Primitive Methodist magazine tells us that East Brook was first missioned by the Primitive Methodists in 1841 with services held in a cottage. In time this became too small and the opening of East Brook Primitive Methodist chapel took place on December 16th 1846.

The cottage owners donated the site , together with £1 to get the collection going. Mr and Mrs Williams were liberal in their generosity. On opening only £20 debt remained.

The opening preacher was Mr Morris of Rose Cottage.

The Primitive Methodist magazine account gives no location for Eastbrook, and the preacher coming from Rose cottage doesn’t help.  The only clue is that the report in the Primitive Methodist magazine  about the opening is by Robert Langford who the month previously had written a report on a chapel in the Pillawell (Pillowell) circuit, which is in Gloucestershire.

Many thanks to David Ings for locating it to south west of Cardiff, in Dinas Powys, with Rose Cottage a short distance away in Llandough.

Where was the chapel in the village?  Possibilities include:

1. The former Eastbrook Methodist Chapel at the end of Chapel Row was originally built as a tin Mission Church for the navvies working on the Barry Railway – but who built it?  This was taken over by the Wesleyan Methodists in 1887.
2. Opposite Eastbrook station on Cardiff Road the 1915 Ordnance Survey map marks a Mission Church. That building still exists in residential use, called the Old Chapel

Reference

Primitive Methodist magazine 1847 page 119