Potterhanworth Primitive Methodist chapel

In the 1840 Primitive Methodist magazine, R Thompson tells us that a new Primitive Methodist chapel has been opened at Potter Hanworth (sic) in the Lincoln circuit.

Primitive Methodists visited the area first in 1820, initially at Branston and soon a society was formed.  It met in a house for 11 years, but it was  one and a half miles to walk from  Potter Hanworth so Mr Presswood built a chapel 27 feet by 15 feet at the cost of £104 – 10s – 0.  In 1838 Mr Presswood passed ownership of the chapel to the Connexion and after that the trustees erected an elevated gallery.

The chapel appears in the 1867 register of non-conformist chapels in Lincolnshire, but I cannot see a Primitive Methodist chapel on the 1887 Ordnance Survey map – although there is a Wesleyan Methodist chapel on that map.  That chapel, on the north side of Barff Road, still exists in residential use.

But it’s a bit more complicated: by the 1904 map, the former Wesleyan chapel is labelled as Primitive with a Sunday school along side it to the east. The Wesleyans have a different chapel, still on the north side of Barff Road but to the west.  That chapel also still exists, also in residential use.

In the 1940 inventory of Methodist Church Buildings, both chapels are recorded:

• the Primitive Methodist chapel seated 61 people on forms and had no rooms other than the worship area. It was in the Lincoln (Portland Place) circuit
• the Wesleyan chapel seated 150 people on pews and had one Sunday school room and one other room in addition to the worship area.  It was in the Lincoln (Wesley) circuit.

Reference

Primitive Methodist magazine 1840 pp 6- 7