Blyth Cowpen Quay Primitive Methodist chapel

The Return from Cowpen Quay Primitive Methodist chapel in the 1851 Census of Places of Public Religious Worship states that the chapel had only just opened on May 5th 1850. It had attendances of 70 and 90 on Census Sunday and a Sunday school of 76 scholars

John Dawson tells us in the 1869 Primitive Methodist magazine of the opening of a new chapel at Blyth, the head church of the Blyth circuit. The ceremonies started on November 22^nd 1868. Opening preachers were Revs JA Bastow (Gateshead)  J Reed, TB Southron, J Craig, J Barker and J Harrison.

It measured 47’ x 62’ and seated 850. The building cost £1,500 and the land £200. There was room to build schoolrooms and vestries.  They had no option but to build a new chapel – the old one was over-crowded and there was no room on its site to enlarge.

A Primitive Methodist chapel is shown on Ordnance Survey maps at the junction of Beaconsfield Street and Wellington Street.  The Phoenix Theatre is on the site in 2018.

The 1900 November Primitive Methodist magazine records that the society at Cowpen Quay had decided to build a second church and society in the town – but tells us nothing more.

Reference

Primitive Methodist magazine 1869 page 110

Primitive Methodist magazine November 1900 page 876