There’s an account of the opening of Skelton Primitive Methodist chapel (then in the Guisborough circuit) by H Pratt in the Primitive Methodist magazine of April 1866 (pages 236-237).
The society had been turned out of their previous meeting room when property prices rose with the increase in demand in the area, so they erected a chapel that they owned rather than renting.
The exact cost was £259/12/6 and the balance owed at the opening was £67. This was covered by a loan from Mr Stonehouse.
Opening preachers were R Clapham, Rev H Pratt and D Baker. Donors included Jos. Pease, Mr Bell, Earl of Zetland, J Wharton, J Pease MP, G Pease, Captain Challoner, FA Millbank MP and Jos Fawcett.
There are several Skeltons over the country – and four in North Yorkshire/Cleveland alone. The nearest I can find to Guisborough is one on the banks of the Ouse in East Yorkshire. Thanks to Chris Twigg for identifying – by the opening date and the names of folks involved – this one as Skelton-in-Cleveland. See Chris’ comment below.
Thanks to Pat Donnor for the photographs and the following information about the chapel:
In the 1940 Methodist Statistical Returns, the former Skelton Green Road Primitive Methodist chapel is described as brick-built, seating 250 persons on pews and having one other room.
OS Grid Ref: NZ 65553 18646
When the chapel was built, the Primitive Methodists in Skelton had previously been meeting in local rooms. The movement was by then 50 years old.
John Thomas Wharton of Skelton Castle, being a strong adherent to the Anglican Church, disapproved of them. At first, he refused to let them have the land on which to build their own Chapel. He finally relented and sold it to them – but at a high price.
A newspaper of the time reported that one of the Primitive Church members made 30,000 bricks for the structure, working after his normal daily stint at work. His employer provided the clay and means of leading them to the site
Reference
Primitive Methodist magazine April 1866 (pages 236-237)
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Ironstone, a sedimentary rock.
SMELTING: extracting of iron/metals from its Ore by intense heating and melting.
Became very useful for main structures of a building, e.g., some Primitive Methodist Chapels.
Later possible problems before the galvanized process was developed : rust expansion causing cracks in renderings and structural unsafety.
Extra to my previous posting.
Ironstone:
In Cleveland/North Yorkshire it was taken to ironworks to extract metal-iron.
This is/was another PM Chapel nearby built of iron at New Skelton, it suburban.
The Builder, vol. 75, issue 2906, 15th Oct., 1898, page 348 :
PRIMITIVE METHODIST CHAPEL, NEW SKELTON, YORKSHIRE, – The new iron chapel which has been put up for the Primitive Methodist Society at New Skelton was opened 2nd inst. The building will seat about 200 persons. Mr. W. Wardman of Redcar was the architect and Mr. Pallister of Redcar undertook the construction.
Thanks for the clarification and information Chris. I have amended the account (including Guisborough for Gainsborough – not sure where that came from), added a map and removed the entry from the unknown chapels category, which is always a satisfying thing to do.
It would be good to add a picture of the former chapel as it now is.
I think it should read “Guisborough” rather than “Gainsborough” the chapel is still there.
Pease and Bell were ironstone mine owners.
Zetland, Chalenor and Wharton were all ironstone landowners around Skelton.
http://www.hidden-teesside.co.uk/2020/02/05/skelton-primitive-methodist-chapel-1865/
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