Dorchester on Thames Primitive Methodist Chapel, Oxfordshire.

Please follow the link to view the Primitive Methodist Chapel at Dorchester on Thames, now a private dwelling.

Dorchester on Thames is a village and civil parish in Oxfordshire, about 3 miles northwest of Wallingford and 8 miles southeast of Oxford. The town is a few hundred yards from confluence of the River Thames and River Thame.

The British History Online website states that the chapel was built in 1839. The congregation was 18 in 1851 but had closed by 1882.

Additional information CH 01/2024

In the 1840 Primitive Methodist magazine, Samuel West tells us about the opening on Sunday September 18th 1839.  Brother Coxhead from Farringdon and Mrs West preached.

The village had been missioned some seven years earlier, but the missionaries met a brutal response, including stoning which caused cuts, eye damage and lost teeth, having a hay rick overturned upon them and death threats. At one point significant evangelist John Ride faced them down with good effect.

The society met for “in a very inconvenient cottage house” and a move for a chapel grew, earning positive response from the villagers.  The chapel built was 28′ x 20′ and 8′ high to the wall plate.  It cost £55 (although not at that point fully complete) of which they owed £47.18.6.

Reference

Primitive Methodist magazine 1840 pages 374-376

Comments about this page

  • I’ve added some detail of the opening and the troubles that went before it from the 1840 Primitive Methodist magazine.

    By Christopher Hill (30/01/2024)

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