Fryup Ebenezer (Ebenezar) Primitive Methodist chapel
The opening of Fryup Primitive Methodist chapel in the Whitby circuit on September 29th 1865 is described by G Whitehead in the Primitive Methodist magazine. Speakers at the opening celebrations included Rev J Jobling (Thirsk), J Taylor (Whitby) and G Whitehead, and Messrs Isaac Hartas of Ravenswyke House, R Venis, J Watson, S Homer and G Hebbron.
Donors included J Hartas, R Venis, J Elliott, W Tindall, G Hebbron. R Venis gave the site – the Prims had conducted their services in his kitchen for over 40 years.
The chapel was brick built with a blue slate roof, and held 120
I was not able to find the chapel: thanks to Pat Donnor for tracking it down. There is good evidence once you know what it is!- see the comments below. Thanks to Pat too for the pictures.
On a visit to the chapel site, Pat reports that “there are no remains of a building but amazingly two walls built of brick remain up to the height of the rest of the stone built boundary wall. The Chapel was built of brick according to the Primitive Methodist magazine – therefore these 2 sections of brick walls must be the remains of the PM Chapel.
There was also the named stone of the Chapel embedded in one of these brick walls. It was covered with a bit of vegetation and we would not have seen it at all from the road if a lady from the farm hadn’t come up to us wondering what we were doing. We told her and she showed us the stone – amazing; very rewarding to see it. The place is still loved by the people of the dale who were all Methodists in times past.
It was a visit where one expects nothing but the opposite occurred.”
Reference
Primitive Methodist magazine 1866 page 113-114
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The current OS aerial view shows nothing on the site now, but an exploration would be interesting.
I think I have found where the Chapel is. I live not far away but I haven’t checked it out at the moment.
Fryup Primitive Methodist Chapel is named on the 1893 OS Map as Ebenezer Chapel (Primitive Methodist).
It is near Beck Side Farm. On the 1913 OS Map the building is still there but it is unnamed.
Ref: NZ 737 060
J Wilson of Fryup described how Ranters were mocked from other pulpits for addressing the deity in terms of familiarity, offering redemption in the terms that might be used to sell a blanket at a fair. There was talk of “the love of God as sweet as gin and treacle”.
A man at Fryup love feast was reported to have said that when his sins were pardoned, his heart turned over in his belly.
Ref: They Kept Faith – John Rushton Beck Isle Museum Pickering Primitive Methodist magazine 1866 page 113-114
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