Cradley Heath Primitive Methodist chapel, Staffordshire

Graingers Lane

Postcard of the Church circa 1920

Supplied by Mike Fenton

Transcription of an article in the 1842 Primitive Methodist Magazine by David Tonks

CRADLEY HEATH new chapel was opened for divine service on the 17th, 18th, 24th, and 25th of October, 1841. It is about thirty-three feet by thirty-six, with a gallery at one end. This chapel is very neat and commodious, and is in an excellent situation. We had eight sermons at the opening, by Brother R, Jukes, Mrs. Grice, Miss M. C. Buck, Brother H. Higginson, and Brother Batty. The collections and subscriptions were very liberal.

Transcription of Article in the 1902 Primitive Methodist Magazine by R. Hind

A striking illustration of quiet persistent courage, and what such courage will accomplish in circumstances difficult almost to hopelessness, has been afforded by the trustees and church at Cradley Heath. Some years ago the chapel there was wrecked completely by mining operations, and the schoolroom also was seriously damaged. To make this misfortune worse there was a debt of £450 on the building, and many of the members had their houses and places of business damaged through the same means as the chapel, causing them to have to set up new establishments at a considerable distance from the place. They have received a little help from some of the Connexional funds for the chapel; but they have also worked loyally and subscribed liberally themselves, with the result that, after paying off the £450 debt, and expending £100 in renovating the school, they have now sufficient balance in hand to warrant them in undertaking a chapel-building scheme. The cost of this will be between £2,000 and £3,000, nearer the latter than the former figure. They deserve, and we hope will receive support from friends outside their own neighbourhood.

1905 Primitive Methodist Magazine

There is a further account in the 1905 magazine which outlines the previous history and reports that the new church was under construction. The article concentrates on the effectiveness of reducing the outstanding debt on the old and new chapels – the annual bazaars were said to be particularly significant. The new church was expected to cost £4,500

The chapel no longer exists.

References

Primitive Methodist Magazine March April 1842 p 132

Primitive Methodist Magazine 1902/475

Primitive Methodist magazine 1905 October page 916-917

Downloads

1906_Cradley_Heath (636 KB Adobe Acrobat document, opens in a new window)

Transcription of an article published in the Primitive Methodist Magazine 1906 describing the opening of the new chapel.

Cradley-Heath-PM-Chapel (6 MB Adobe Acrobat document, opens in a new window)

A further article about the chapel published in the Primitive Methodist Magazine 1907.

Author

By Geoff Dickinson

Page added

10/05/2017

Comments about this page

The Primitive Methodist Magazine 1902 (page 475) reports that the society had slowly worked towards recovery from the wrecking of the chapel and schoolroom by mining operations some years previously, paying off the debt on the building and reaching the point where they were about to undertake a chapel building scheme. It was expected to cost between £2,000 and £3,000.
By Christopher Hill (18/05/2022)
This page was modified on 31 December 2018 to add a transcription of an article about the chapel published in the Primitive Methodist Magazine 1907.
By Geoff Dickinson (31/12/2018)
This page was modified on 3 May 2018 to add a report from the Primitive Methodist Magazine 1906 about the opening of the new chapel. The report includes a picture of the chapel.
By Geoff Dickinson (03/05/2018)