Primitive Methodism in the Conference Towns - Stockton, and Middlesbrough

Transcription of article published in the Primitive Methodist Magazine by J.G. Bowran

IT was on Sunday, May 13th, 1821, that the first Primitive Methodist missionary came to Stockton. Samuel Laister had been sent from Hull to Darlington, and the devoted evangelist lost no time in breaking up new ground. In his journal for that day he records: ‘‘I preached at two o’clock and six at Stockton-on-Tees. A cold, hard place, where we have no society.” Two months later, in the same diary, this entry appears: ‘‘We had a camp-meeting at Stockton. The day was wet and unfavourable, but I believe Stockton, hard as it was, will not forget that day’s labour. Souls have since been saved.” Samuel Laister died on Christmas Day of that year. His funeral sermon was preached in Stockton on January 9th, 1822, by George Lazenby. The pioneer had not laboured in vain. In March of 1822 there were ninety members on Hull’s Stockton Mission.

The development of the work in the County of Durham necessitated the re-arrangement of circuits. In September, 1823, the Sunderland and Stockton Union Circuit was formed. Practically the whole of South-East Durham was included in this combination. In addition to Sunderland and Stockton, Durham, Hartlepool and Houghton-le-Spring were covered and all the colliery districts adjacent. For thirteen years the Union Circuit laboured and triumphed.

In September, 1836, Stockton became the head of an independent station. There were sixteen places on the plan and three travelling preachers. It is interesting to recall the names of these places in the light of present-day arrangements. The sixteen places were: Stockton, Hartlepool, Yarm, Bishopton, Long Newton, Middlesbrough, Redcar, Marske, Billington, Redmarshall, Acklam, Kirklevington, Lazenby, Norton, Maltby and Haverton Hill. At the first independent Quarterly Meeting 290 members were reported. The income was £40 12s. 7¾d., the expenditure £39 12s. 7½d., leaving a balance to credit of £1 0s. 0¼d. Four years later the membership was 400, ten years later it was 531.

The early missionaries in Stockton were subjected to persecutions of various types. When William Clemitson was stationed in 1844 an attempt was made to prevent the preaching in the open-air. It was the custom for the Stockton Primitive Methodists to meet at the Market Cross each Lord’s Day at five o’clock for a service before the meeting indoors. The Puseyites of the town, annoyed at this, appealed to the Mayor, who in turn commanded Mr. Clemitson to give up the service. Mr. Clemitson found that there was no bye-law giving the Mayor the power of prohibition, accordingly, on the following Sabbath, he appeared at the Market Cross preaching to a larger audience and without interference. The Mayor ordered the recalcitrant evangelist to appear at the Court on the Saturday following. Friends came to Mr. Clemitson’s aid. Generous Quakers and Wesleyans encouraged him to fight the battle for freedom, promising him financial help and their united influence. Such was the feeling of indignation aroused that the Mayor was obliged to withdraw. A message was sent to Mr. Clemitson intimating that his presence would not be needed at the Court House as the charge would not be proceeded with. The ‘‘culprit,’’ however, obeying the official warrant, appeared at the Court. A great crowd had gathered, but the doors were closed. The victory was won for ever.

In 1849 Thomas Russell was stationed in Stockton. The cholera was raging and panic held the heart. The brave evangelist was a messenger of hope and comfort. Forgetting his own sorrows, leaving his own motherless children at home, he went about on errands of mercy. In one week he ‘‘preached thirteen times, conducted eleven prayer meetings, met three classes, visited a hundred families and nearly twenty souls joined our societies.”

Many of the greatest and grandest of the early ministers laboured in this wide Stockton Circuit. Ralph Shields, William Fulton, Henry Hebbron, Peter Clarke, Colin Campbell McKechnie, Christopher Hallam, Moses Lupton, Joseph Spoor, William Dent, Sampson Turner, William Lister, Thomas Southron, William Saul, Thomas Greenfield, William Nation were some of the stalwarts who helped to make the churches strong and aggressive.

The Stockton station has been the mother of many stations. In 1863 Guisborough, after many vicissitudes, became an independent circuit, the Hartlepools in 1864 and Middlesbrough in 1872. Divisions of these have since been made; West Hartlepool being formed in 1885, Eston in 1890, Saltburn in 1895, and Brotton in 1908. The total membership of all the stations which sprang from the original Stockton Circuit is now 3,515, and instead of three travelling preachers there are fifteen.

In the three Conference towns Primitive Methodism flourishes and abounds. There has been wonderful progress in the Stockton station. Meeting first in Green Dragon Yard, a chapel was built in Stockton in 1825 in Maritime Street. To this day it is known as “Ranters’ Buildings.” The Paradise Row Church was built in 1866. The ministries here of James Jackson, John Atkinson, John Day Thompson, George H. Beeley, Thomas Elliott, Emerson Phillipson, Joseph F. Sherman, Matthew P. Davison and their colleagues are gratefully remembered. The Bowesfield Lane Chapel was built during Mr. Beeley’s superintendency. The ministry of the Rev. Emerson Phillipson was the chapel-building epoch of the circuit. In six years the four churches at Victoria Avenue, Yarm, Thornaby and Eaglescliffe were erected. A chapel was also purchased from the Free Methodists at High Leven. Two additional manses were bought. In April of this year a new church and school have been opened in the Newtown suburb of the town. The ninth society is at Fairfield, another suburb. The circuit justly boasts of its fine properties. With splendid sites and handsome and suitable buildings the churches continue to prosper. The membership reported to this Conference is 760. The total cost of the properties has been £24,760, the debt remaining being £3,765. The three manses are debtless. Many loyal and devoted families have contributed to this success. The name of Robert Clapham, of Yarm, will always be recalled whenever Stockton Primitive Methodism is under review. In his early years he was a travelling preacher on the station. Afterwards his business life was spent at Yarm and Stockton, and his gifts to the circuit were generous and numerous. His son, John R. Clapham, J.P., C.C., has been the steward of the circuit for many years. Towards the Newtown Church he gave the site and £500 towards the buildings.

Primitive Methodism in Middlesbrough is the glory of the North of England. In 1829 Middlesbrough was just ‘‘a solitary farm-house, surrounded by marshy land.” The development of the town is one of the wonders of the nineteenth century. Erimus, ‘‘We shall be,’’ is the town’s motto. The motto was born in faith, and the history of the town and its environs and industries is the marvellous justification. In 1834 a resolution was passed in the Stockton Quarterly Meeting to this effect: “Resolved, that if a request came from Middlesbrough for preaching we attend to it as best we can.” In March, 1835, there were six members on trial and a contribution tq the Quarterly Meeting of nine shillings and eleven pence. The first meeting-place was in Davison’s Yard in Dacre Street, where two rooms of a cottage had been thrown into one. A yearly rent of six pounds was paid. Afterwards the Unitarian Chapel in West Street was taken, and in 1841 the Richmond Street Chapel was erected. Famous indeed it became. To this day the glorious experiences are recited. Great revivals were then the order of the day. Who can tell all the good this church has done? For nearly fifty years Richmond Street was the centre of a soul-saving work. During the ministry of the Rev. R.G. Graham the Conference Church in Linthorpe Road was opened. The coal-strike and the consequent industrial depression hampered the efforts of the friends. It was here that Robert Hind rendered such valuable service. He grappled with the financial problems and laid the basis for the success the society has realised since. In later times, under the direction of the Rev. W.J. Ward, the fine suite of school buildings has been put up. We cannot speak too highly of the loyalty and generosity of this congregation.

The Gilkes Street Church is known throughout the denomination. The ministry of the Rev. H.B. Kendall, B.A., is affectionately recalled. The great revival during the ministries of Robert Hind and William Younger was a marvellous work of God. Hundreds were converted and the gracious influence continued for years. Here the church is always crowded, and the schools have recently been re-modelled and enlarged to meet the needs of its hundreds of young people.

it was the revival which made possible the extension schemes in Ayresome Street and Southfield Road. These churches were in new neighbourhoods and have been distinctly successful. The North Ormesby Church has had an honourable history. For many years the Nelson Street buildings were crowded to excess. Now a beautiful block of school and church buildings has been erected on a most commanding site, and already the place is thronged, and increases in all departments are their reward. The Newport society is progressing and a fine site has been bought for a chapel in the future. Haverton Hill is one of the oldest societies in the district. The little chapel there is now debtless.

Our friends in this circuit have had to face financial risks and bear heavy burdens. Ali through these strenuous years they have toiled together and their future is full of hope. Scores of honoured names might be mentioned. Robert Knaggs was the circuit steward for many years. We are glad that Mr. and Mrs. John Meredith are still with us. They are among the oldest of our members. The membership reported to this Conference is 846. The station properties have cost £24,906, the remaining debt is £9,459.

Many efforts were made in the early years to establish a cause at Eston, but it was not until 1851 that a society was commenced. Then a class was formed under the leadership of Thomas Williams. From that time there has been much progress. A dwelling-house was the first meeting-place; afterwards a room was hired above the miners’ offices. The first chapel, ‘‘California Chapel’’ was built in 1857 at a cost of £375. In 1869 the present chapel was opened and nine years later the school was added. The cost has been £2,978 and only £78 remains as debt. Lazenby Chapel was built in 1861 at a cost of £369. The property is free from debt. The South Bank society has had a prosperous career. Their buildings involved an expenditure of £3,690; the debt is now £696. In 1888 a chapel was built at Grangetown. Of the £1,231 expended, only £84 remains to be raised. The Normanby Chapel, built in 1900, cost £1,059. The present indebtedness is £281. The two manses cost £1,155, the debt remaining is £570. The total cost of the church and school property is £9,602 and the total debt is £1,139. In writing of Eston we are reminded of Elisha Beacham, who for years was a leader in all good works. His pride in the circuit and his love for all the churches were always evident. His brother-in-law, Rev. George Paulin, M.A., B.D., is native of Eston. There are many who still recall his early preaching days.

There are many ministers now in the active work who received their call and early training in the Conference Towns. Middlesbrough Primitive Methodists are proud of the Revs. William Nelson, T. Allison Brown, James Clark and William Spedding. Mr. Spedding was an employee of the North Eastern Railway Company when he was chosen to be a minister. His great preaching gifts, his organising skill, and his enthusiasm for the interests of young people have won for him successively the secretariats of the Christian Endeavour Council and the Sunday School Union.

Stockton Primitive Methodists rejoice in the success of the Revs. Jacob Walton and Edward Jobling. To this day the pathos of the death of Harley O.H. Richardson abides. He belonged to a well-known Stockton family. Two of his brothers are influential officials of the circuit. From the beginning their brother’s abilities were recognised. As a youth he was exceedingly popular as a local preacher. His beautiful disposition endeared him to young and old alike. His ministries in Leeds and Hull were wonderfully effective. “The Big Brother’’ he was for thousands of “Leader” readers. In the very prime of his life he was stricken. His portrait hangs in the Victoria Avenue Schoolroom. The sight of it is a constant inspiration.

If space had permitted we should have rejoiced in writing of scores of others. The history of our churches is the history of families. Generous and loyal families these three circuits have had in hundreds. Primitive Methodism has made a strong and successful appeal to these multitudes of busy toilers. All these are arduous industrial areas and our churches have met the needs of thousands.

Primitive Methodism was never more flourishing in the three Conference Towns than now. The generous and aggressive spirit prevails. This is the first time the Conference will have been held on Teesside and there are the liveliest anticipations and prayers for an especial time of blessing. Ministers and people, the young and the old, will give the delegates and representatives and visitors the heartiest welcome.

References

Primitive Methodist Magazine 1914/434