Washbrook (Wash Brook) Primitive Methodist chapel

Oldham, Hollinwood Circuit

Washbrook Primitive Methodist chapel: 1896 Sunday School and later church
Source - "The Story of Primitive Methodism in Washbrook 1862-1915" published 1916 by E J Wildgoose, Printer, Oldham and Wikipedia!
A young men's group outside an unnamed Primitive Methodist church; later identified as Washbrook Primitive Methodist Church, it became simply Washbrook Methodist Church and latterly South Chadderton Methodist Church.
from a postcard provided by Mark Graham 2021
Washbrook Harvest Festival, 1912
postcard in collection of Revd Steven Wild

The Primitive Methodist magazine tells us that at Wash Brook (sic) “A plain good building, serving for chapel and school room, was erected here in 1868. at a cost of £413. In the unavoidable absence of J. Platt, Esq., M.P., the corner stone was laid by J. T. Hibbert, Esq., M.P., who kindly gave a subscription to this and the Hollinwood new school-room also. The following donations have been received from T. Platt, Esq., M.P., £20 ; Eli Lees, Esq., £15 ; J. Robinson, Esq., Mayor, Oldham, £10 ; A. Butterworth, Esq., £5 5s. J. Taylor, W. Richardson, D. Davies, Esqs. ; Messrs. Joseph Whitehead, S. Taylor, J. Purdy, J. Ogden. and T. Whitley, £5 each, and a list of smaller sums amounting to in all to £179 11s.    T Doody”

The next stage in the story of Primitive Methodism in Washbrook followed from the postcard sent in by Mark Graham showing a young men’s group lined up outside an unidentified  Primitive Methodist chapel  entrance.

One clue to the location is the minister named on the notice board as the Rev G Hunt.  In our obituaries for Primitive Methodist ministers, we only have one Rev Hunt – Rev German Hunt (1859 – 1934). He served from 1880 – 1925 almost exclusively in Lancashire and Yorkshire circuits.  That would fit with the terraced housing in the background of the picture.

Rising to the challenge of identifying the chapel, John Anderson tracked it down as the 1896 Sunday School and later church with hexagonal tower at the corner of Butler Green and Coalshaw Green Rd in Chadderton, Oldham. Originally known as Washbrook Primitive Methodist Church, it became simply Washbrook Methodist Church and latterly South Chadderton Methodist Church.  Door, doorway and decorative stonework are identical. Brilliant work John!

Detail is completed by the report in the 1893 Primitive Methodist magazine of the opening of the new set of premises at Washbrook – chapel, school, classrooms to replace the earlier small school-chapel.

Reference

Primitive Methodist magazine 1868 page 621

Primitive Methodist magazine 1893 page 379

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