St Helens Primitive Methodist chapel

There is an account by Ambrose Kirkland of the opening of St Helens Primitive Methodist chapel in the Lymm circuit in the 1858 Primitive Methodist magazine.

A society was first formed through missions in 1842 and from 1845 rented a chapel for £10 which, being “in a back street in a bad situation, few people attended it.” In June 1857 they leased a site “near to one of the best streets in the place” and built a chapel measuring 39′ x 30′ with 14″ thick walls. It cost £435 of which they had raised only £120, and because trade was bad they delayed begging for a while. JW Glover presented the with the pulpit, pews and stove from the old chapel.

The chapel opened on December 20th 1857. Rev J Garner (Liverpool), Rev G Hurst (Wesleyan of St Helens) Miss Buck (Leicester and Rev A Kirkland were amongst the preachers.  A tea meeting held in January fed over 200 people who heard sermons by Messrs Owen, Sposh, Lydiatt, Drought and Kirkland.

Reference

Primitive Methodist magazine May 1858 pp.309-310