Lye Waste Primitive Methodist chapel

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possible location of Lye Waste Primitive Methodist chapel

The Primitive Methodist magazine for November 1862 contains a list of places where the foundation stone for a new Primitive Methodist chapel had been recently laid. Amongst them was the foundation stone for the wonderfully named Lye Waste  Primitive Methodist chapel. This account is written by Benjamin Brown.

Lye Waste, Brierley Hill Circuit.—The society at this place has been long inconvenienced for want of a larger and more commodious place of worship. At length the time to favour Zion has come. A site of land, at the cost of £106 8s. 6d., was offered for sale, and in about three weeks, the noble sum of £104 7s. Od. was begged, and the ground purchased.

On Monday, June the 9th, 1862, the trustees, preachers, leaders, members, Sabbath school teachers, and congregation, commenced a procession through the neighbourhood, at about half-past nine o’clock in the morning ; the scene was grand and imposing. Upon the arrival of the procession at the ground, the stone was laid by Thos. Wood, Esq., of Cradley, who was presented with a neat silver trowel on the occasion, and who promised a donation of ten pounds towards the erection. Addresses were afterwards delivered by the Revs. J. Arnold, M. Nicholas, T. Clarkson, Mr. J. Cartwright, and James Aston, Esq.

The sum of £11 14s. 3d. was collected on the ground, besides the £10 promised by Mr. Wood. Benj. Brown”

I was sceptical about the name of the location until I found on the 1903 Ordnance Survey map of Lye and Wollescote  the name Waste Bank on Bald’s Lane. There is only one chapel I can find in the area – on Hill Street, north of its junction with Fletcher Street.  On the site today is the Bethel chapel.  The building carries the date 1900 so is clearly not the chapel Benjamin Brown is writing about. Was this a later chapel on the same site? OS maps do not at any time specify a denomination.  See the comment below by Jonathan Edwards for an alternative location.

The 1884 Primitive Methodist magazine tells us they were working  on  a new Primitive Methodist Sunday school with two large school-rooms and four classrooms at Lye Waste.

 Reference

Primitive Methodist magazine November 1862 page 696 -697

Primitive Methodist magazine 1884 page 635-636