Poulton-cum-Spital Primitive Methodist Barn chapel

Thanks to Chris Wells for the following information:

From Bagshaw’s 1850 Directory of Cheshire, p. 694:

POULTON-CUM-SPITTLE is a scattered village, 4½ miles N.E. of Great Neston.  …   At the last census [1841] it had 23 houses and 209 inhabitants. …  The HALL is a good stuccoed house …In the grounds adjoining are the remains of a castle or fortified house of the Lancelyns.  SPITTLE is a hamlet on the east side of the township.  In the time of Henry III, there was a chapel at Spittle, dedicated to Thomas ‘a Becket; there are now no remains of it.

Poulton cum Spital was a township in the ancient parish of Bebington (to the north), in the Hundred of Wirral. It includes the hamlets of Clatterbridge (part), Poulton Lancelyn and Spital.  The population was 87 in 1801, 294 in 1851 and 487 in 1901 including 8 officers and 100 inmates in the Wirral Union Workhouse at Clatterbridge [built 1836-7].

This 1870s map shows this rural community.

1851:  Joseph Huntington, maniger (sic), provided the above 1851 Census Return for Non-Denominational Places of Worship – the society met in a farmhouse holding at least 20 people.

The 1851 and 1861 Censuses contain entries for Joseph Huntington.  His address is given just as Poulton-cum-Spital.  In 1851 he was 46 and described himself as farmer of 100 acres employing 2 labourers; he lived with his wife Catherine aged 37, one son aged 10 and four daughters between 9 and 3 (all children described as scholars), two farm labourers and a house servant.  By 1861 the eldest daughter had left home (or died) and they had had another four daughters.  Joseph died in about August 1861.

The 1851 census enumerator visited Poulton Hey (north of Poulton), then Joseph Huntington’s house and then Poulton Hall (the 1861 census enumerator followed the reverse route); this suggests that Joseph lived in either Vineyard Farm or Lancelyn Farm in Poulton (see 1897 map).

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 – Beckwith Street or Camperdown Street], Liscard, South Tranmere [Grosvenor Street], Poulton [this society], Bebington, Hoylake Open Air, Greasby and Irby.  At Poulton there was a weekly Sunday service at 2.30, 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.  Almost every week, the preacher then went on to Bebington to take the 6pm service there.  Evening services were held on alternate Wednesdays led by one of the four circuit ministers.  J. Huntington is listed as a lay preacher, Society Steward and Circuit Branch Committee member.

1869:  The 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 the following Places: Camperdown Street (by implication the head of the circuit), South Tranmere [Grosvenor Street], Lower Tranmere [Queen Street], Beckwith Street, Poulton [this society], Bebington, Seacombe and Saughall.  The pattern of services as the same as for 1859.  Mr (William?) Maddock had taken over as Society Steward.  The chapel had one class (there were 19 in the whole circuit).  For a description of PM Classes see here.

1877:  What follows has been deduced from a 1935 newspaper article (given in full later), the 1881 Census and Marriage records:

In 1877 Annie Payne aged 13 (born in Delamere parish) began teaching in a Sunday school held in a granary in Poulton-cum-Spital.  At that time she was probably a servant in the household of Charles Inman (a banker, lieutenant and colonel of the 8^th ? (illegible)) at Spital Old Hall (see 1908 map); the 1881 census shows her as a kitchen maid there.

I believe that the granary mentioned is the one that adjoins Lancelyn Farm; Annie would have had to walked just over a mile to get there from the Hall.

The current owner remembers being told that there had been a chapel in the granary but didn’t know any details.  He thinks that the semi-circular feature used to be decorated and that there was a rectangular decorated board above it.

The barn’s external measurements are 40ft x 20ft and the 9” walls are about 12ft 8ins high.  Slots for the upper floor joists are about 2/3 the way up the wall.  The end wall ventilation slots became redundant when the adjoining building was added; the semi-circle must have been added after the original build since it cuts into the lower ventilation slots.

1882:  In about August 1882 Annie, then aged 18, married William Waring, aged 23 (born in about February 1859 in Saughall).  The 1881 Census shows that he was the nephew of William Waring Snr of Laburnum House (very near Poulton Hall), where he lived as a ‘farm servant indoor’.  William Jnr and Annie became joint leaders of the ‘mission hall’ and Sunday school and continued for the next 53 years.

1889:  By the time of the 1889 Q2 Preaching Plan, the Birkenhead Circuit consisted of Grange Road; Mount Tabor, Higher Tranmere; Beckwith Street Birkenhead; Poulton; Seacombe; Irby; and West Kirby.  Mrs Thomas, living at Thornton Common near Neston, had taken over as Society Steward.  Weekly Sunday services had moved to 6.30pm and the Wednesday service was held every third week.  Seven members are recorded (the congregation was probably much larger).

1891:  The census shows that William Waring Snr had moved with his wife Elizabeth to ‘Poulton Farm’ (Vineyard Farm?), that William Jnr and Ann lived with them and that they now had two sons.

1902:  The Birkenhead News, April 19:

POULTON-CUM-SPITAL

PRIMITIVE METHODIST CHAPEL. – A concert in connection with the above was held at Mr. and Mrs. Waring’s [Vineyard Farm] on Wednesday last.  A goodly company assembled and listened with rapt attention to the fare provided.  The artistes were Miss Wright (soprano), Mr. Tom Luxton (tenor), Miss Pritchard (violin), and Mr. Hambleton Jones (humorist), all of whom were well received.  Mr. F. Critchley’s gramophone (an exceptionally good instrument) also contributed to the evening’s enjoyment.  Mrs. Jarvis (Liverpool) made an ideal lady president, and was supported by the Rev. John Bradlay [a misspelling of John Bradley] (superintendent minister of the Circuit).  Several friends from Tranmere and New Ferry attended, and the funds will be materially benefitted by the concert.

1906:  The Birkenhead News, October 6:

POULTON-CUM-SPITAL

The harvest services in the chapel at Poulton-cum-Spital, held on Saturday 16^th September, were distinctly successful.  Divine service was conducted by Mr. Parry, of Liscard, and the congregation was so large that the small room used for the purpose was all too small.  On the Monday following, the fruit and vegetables were sold by auction, the proceeds going to the chapel funds.  At the same time a brief entertainment of an enjoyable character was given by Miss Clarrie Wainwright and Mr. Relph, the former reciting and thew latter singing humorous songs.  Both were enthusiastically applauded, the former especially receiving repeated encores.

1913:  The Birkenhead News of 22 March described at length the Poulton Primitive Methodist Missionary Anniversary.

‘On Sunday the Rev. M. T. Pickering, of Birkenhead, preached the missionary sermon.’  This was followed by the annual missionary meeting.  ‘The financial statement was wonderful considered the sparseness of the population.  It was good in any case, but remembering that Poulton was only a hamlet, it was really amazing, the total being £19 8s 9d.  Of this sum, Mrs. Waring, of Vineyard Farm, Poulton, collected £16 17s.  Mrs. Waring received and well merited the hearty thanks of the audience for her magnificent work.  The collecting of this considerable sum entailed many journeys and much labour.  It is an exceedingly noble service rendered to the cause of missions.’

1915:  There was a similar report in the 13 March edition: £24 0s 7d had been raised, of which £22 1s by Mrs Waring.

1935:  Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail, 9 January (why Hartlepool!?):

A converted granary, which has served as a mission hall and Sunday school at Poulton-cum-Spital (Wirral) for 60 years, has been closed, ending a chapter in the religious work of a farmer and his wife.

Mrs. Waring, of Vineyard Farm, was a teacher in the granary 58 years ago [~1877] and on her marriage 52 years ago [~1883] she became joint leader with her husband, Mr. W. Waring.  They have continued the work ever since.

Now the flooring is giving way and, as Mrs. Waring said: ”The fervour of the folk, old and young, is also on the wane.”

Far off the beaten track, the granary provided for the religious needs of farmers, gamekeepers, workmen, and their families, and Mrs. Waring’s Sunday school treat was the event of the year.

Mrs Waring has collected £1,300 for foreign missions.

The photograph above shows that the granary adjoins Lancelyn Farm, CH63 9LL.