Ossett Mount Zion Primitive Methodist chapel
Queen Street WF5 8AW
The 1863 opening of a new chapel in Ossett is recorded in the Primitive Methodist magazine of 1864. The 1863 date reflects the opening date of Queen Street Primitive Methodist chapel which lives on as a Grade 2 Listed Building.
On Street View in 2008 and later it is in residential use.
The pediment has a central tablet inscribed:
“MOUNT ZION
Primitive Methodist Church
1863″
This is the account:
“At Ossett a very commodious chapel, with a school-room and two dwelling houses underneath, was opened for divine worship under very encouraging financial circumstances in November and December, 1863. Externally, it is considered the handsomest building in the neighbourhood, and when an improvement which is contemplated in the internal arrangement, shall have been completed, it will be a valuable piece of connexional property.
It is 16 yards by 12, and galleried all round, and will accommodate about 500 persons. The entire cost is about £1,100, towards which upwards of £400 have been raised already ; bazaars, tea-meetings, collections, public and private beggings and firings having all been brought into requisition, to accomplish this result.
To the honour of the Independents at Ossett, during the whole time that our chapel was in the course of erection, they allowed us the use of their very commodious chapel every Sabbath afternoon, and their school-room for week-day services. At the opening their minister preached for us in our new chapel, and allowed our minister to preach at the same time and make a collection in his chapel, and thanks to the Wesleyans, they did likewise.”
Thanks to Dr Gerard Charmley for supplying the pictures and confirming that the Queen Street Chapel, Mount Zion, is very much still there, albeit in residential use. He tells us that he schoolroom down the hill was used by the Congregationalists (later URC), but is now sliding into dereliction.
Reference
Primitive Methodist magazine 1864 page 633
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The story of Trinity is shown on this site Robert – but we called it Ossett Common because that is the name used in the accounts in the Primitive Methodist magazine about the opening of the two chapels on the site. You can see the story here.
I was a member of the “Independents” church and Sunday School in days gone by and remember Mount Zion being open. I think it closed in 1959 when the three town centre Methodist causes amalgamated.
Can anyone tell me when the former Trinity Primitive Methodist chapel, South Parade Ossett was founded? In my younger days there was Trinity (former) Primitive Methodist and St Johns, (former) Wesleyan Methodist on South Parade. St Johns which closed in 2020 was founded in 1846. Anyone know when Trinity was founded?
Hi Donald
I run a local history group on a Facebook platform. Ossett Through The Ages (OTTA) would love to see your treasure.
PS I once lived on Birchen Avenue
Thanks for the offer Donald. The Museum of Primitive Methodism at Englesea Brook in Cheshire is always interested in items from the history of former Primitive Methodist chapels and the people associated with them. The museum can be contacted at:
enquiries@engleseabrook.org.uk
Hi I have come across (while sorting out my Mother’s possessions who has had to go into to a care home) an original small handout relating to the Church’s Centenary celebrations dated 1955.
Inside the handout is a an interesting history of the Church with reference to certain Ministers and speakers taking part in the celebrations.
Perhaps the handout would be of some historical interest to soneone
My mother was born in Ossett (Birchen Av) in 1929
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