Bridlington St John's Primitive Methodist chapel

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chapels of the Bridlington circuit

Christian Messenger 1910/90

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Eric Fell has set out a well researched account of the history of Methodism in Bridlington on the Circuit website.

William Clowes preached in Bridlington in 1821 leading to the formation of a society.  The first Bridlington St John’s Primitive Methodist chapel was opened in 1833 but was replaced in 1849.  This church too was demolished in 1877 and replaced on the same site with the church which closed in 1970.  It is now the Co-op Supermarket.

There is an account by Thomas Holliday of the opening of the first Bridlington Primitive Methodist chapel, although he dates it as 31st August 1834 rather than 1833. Opening preachers were W Clowes and A Smith. The society enlarged a building they had acquired and filled it with pews for 166, together with additional free seats.

The first church was built on the west side of St John Street.  Eric Fell tells us that  It was replaced in 1849 by a church on the east side of St John Street.   However, the Primitive Methodist magazine of 1849 tells us that Bridlington Primitive Methodist chapel – probably this one – was reopened from October 15th 1848 after “the whole of the old chapel, except the south wall, was taken down and rebuilt and galleried in front and on two sides”. They also improved the ventilation and light access.  This was necessary because of the growing congregation.  It cost £175  of which they had raised £98. Notable fundraisers were W Dalby and E Tyas, who wrote the magazine account.

This church was demolished in 1877 and a new church built on the same site.

The 1877 Primitive Methodist magazine contains a note of the opening of the new Primitive Methodist chapel: the church in 2018 is the Co-op Supermarket

Reference

History of the Burlington St Johns Methodist church in Bridlington on the Bridlington Methodist Circuit website accessed April 10th 2015

Primitive Methodist magazine 1836 p.393

Primitive Methodist magazine January 1849 p.52-53

Primitive Methodist magazine 1877 page 755