Morriston Primitive Methodist chapel

Sway Road, Morriston SA6 6HZ

The foundation stone of Morriston Primitive Methodist chapel was laid on 15th June 1859. Miss Daniel, supervised by her father, laid the stone with a “neatly trimmed trowel” given to her by the leader of the society and local preacher, J Morcom.

Speakers at the ceremony included Rev G Dobson and JR Brenton (circuit steward). In the evening 300 people attended the Baptist chapel for two lectures, one by Rev O Owen in Welsh and one by Rev GP Evans in English. Supporters: named included J Daniel and W Hallam.

The occasion was reported in the Swansea and Glamorgan Herald and passed to the Primitive Methodist magazine by G Dobson. In February 1860 he reported the opening.

“Morriston is a small market town in Wales, about three miles from Swansea, with a sprinkling of English settlers, containing in the whole between two and three thousand people, chiefly miners and hardware manufacturers. Our connexion commenced divine ministrations in this place about twelve years ago, with two members in society, now increased to fifteen. The services have been held, with cordial permission, in the house of Mr. Morcom, jun., for the last ten years ; but a chapel being needed, a piece of ground, 60 feet by 30, was obtained in a good situation, commanding the principal thorough fare on which a neat Connexional structure, which will seat about 100 persons, has been built, and was opened for divine service on Sunday, December 4th, 1859, by the writer (G. Dobson), Rev. J. Thomas (Independent, in Welsh), and Mr. R. Lloyd, (Independent). December 11th, by Mr. J. Orphan, (Wesleyan), Newport, and the Rev. R. A. Jones, (Baptist, in Welsh). Notwithstanding the unpropitious weather of the first day, the collections were liberal, and on the second the congregations were large.”

The chapel measured 26′ x 20′, seated 100 and cost around £133 of which £80 had been raised. Notable donors included  H. H. Vivian, Esq., M.P., and W. Hallam.

The current Morriston Methodist church is on Pentrepoeth School Road. It carries the date stone declaring “Built 1859; rebuilt 1934”. This needs a bit of unscrambling: the 1917 Ordnance Survey map shows no chapel,only two small buildings on the present church site. There is however a smaller Primitive Methodist chapel not far away, on the west side of Sway Road, just north of the Cross, where the police station currently is. This appears to have been the chapel in the magazine article.

Reference

Primitive Methodist magazine August 1859 page 504

Primitive Methodist magazine February 1860 page 115-6

Comments about this page

  • Is the current Morriston Methodist church in the same location as the 1859 chapel at Morriston.  I seems very likely, but can anyone confirm it?

    By Christopher Hill (08/01/2018)

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