Manea Primitive Methodist Church, Cambs
Manea was my grandfather’s last appointment (Rev Frank Davidson). He was Superintendent of the Circuit when he died in 1937. My parents met in this village.
(added by CH 05/2017 and 08/1/2018)
The Primitive Methodist magazine contains an account by Samuel Atterby of the opening of a previous Manea Primitive Methodist chapel. The services on March 4th and March 8th 1835 were addressed by Rev Jo Wood, Mrs Harding, S Atterby, Mrs Olphin and Mrs Hardwick.
The chapel was described as “the most beautiful chapel in Isle of Ely‘” with commodious elevated seats.
In 1860 an account by WH Meadows describes the enlargement of the chapel and its re-opening on October 23rd 1859. This followed a revival in 1857. The chapel was made 9′ wider at 29′ (the length staying at 33′), the walls raised and a gallery added. This meant it seated 300. The changes cost £185 of which £73 had been raised.
Preachers at the opening services and tea meeting for 130 included P Daykin (Holbeach), Rev John Wesly Silcox, J. Burgess and T. Barnes. R.Beart, Esq., of Godmanchester gave 5,000 white bricks; James Burgess was a noted donor.
Reference
Primitive Methodist magazine 1836 p.103
Primitive Methodist magazine March 1860 pages 172-173
Comments about this page
I have added a photograph of the original chapel.”The most beautiful chapel in the Isle of Ely” was presumably the later version.
Extra:
The set of colour photos mentions High Street.*
* a need to view all photos and transcript.
Cambridgeshire Archives :
Cambs Photography Collection.
ref. KX/115/1-5, a colour set of photos taken May 1990 before demolition of Manea Primitive Methodist Chapel to include a date plaque year 1831* placed over the South door.
*could this have been kept from an earlier structure. The date on photo needs checking.
There may have been an even earlier Primitive Methodist Chapel. According to the Return for the Census of Religious Worship, 1851 (TNA HO129/191/1/1/11) a PM Chapel at Manea was erected in 1814 and provided 142 sittings. It was stated to be “held by a Leasehold Tenure 83 years of which are unexpired”. The Return was signed by Francis Tombleson, Senior Feoffee of Manea. There was a Schoolmaster aged 76 of this name in Manea in 1851; he was described as a Surveyor on the 1841 Population Census so could well be the signatory. Although it may have been his son Francis who was an Agricultural Labourer in 1841, and a Butcher in 1851.
And a further account of the enlargement of the chapel
I’ve added a note from the Primitive Methodist magazine about a previous Manea chapel.
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