Dewsbury; Dawgreen Primitive Methodist Chapel

'A Fight at a Chapel'

William Clowes preached at a house in West End in 1819, and a society was established at Dawgreen in the 1820’s. A Primitive Methodist chapel existed in Huddersfield Road, Dawgreen by 1830. This may have been the old chapel at Dawgreen used by the Wesleyans 1764-84, and then by the Methodist New Connexion 1807-16.

If so, its rather chequered history may have led to the dramatic fight which broke out over an attempt to sell it to the Baptists in 1845, which was reported in the Halifax Guardian.

‘A Fight at a Chapel’

‘A regular row occurred on Sunday morning last, at the Primitive Methodist Chapel, Dawgreen, Dewsbury, in consequence of one of the mortgagees (who is also one of the trustees) having sold his mortgage to another sect (it is said the Baptists), and engaged to give possession to their preacher on Sunday morning last. This having got to the ears of the other trustees and Sunday-school teachers, they secured the keys of the chapel, and on the arrival of the minister and some friends an attempt was made to obtain them by force, which was the cause of a general row. It is said, as many as seven battles were going on at once out of doors, besides the tumbling over forms, etc, in the school, the children running screaming home, and the teachers eventually ejecting the intruders. The chapel was not opened for service until afternoon, when all went on quietly as usual, and the concern is now put into the hands of the lawyers.’

Wellington Road Methodist Church

New Bethel Chapel was built in Crackenedge Lane at New Wakefield c1850, and a new chapel was then built on the north side of Wellington Road in 1865-66. Wellington Road Chapel was rebuilt in 1886 and closed c1944.

The building was demolished when Dewsbury Ring Road was constructed in the 1980’s.

Source

Halifax Guardian, reprinted in Leamington Spa Courier, 4 Oct 1845

Comments about this page

  • An account by T Holloday in the Primitive Methodist magazine tells us that Daw Green Primitive Methodist chapel in the Huddersfield circuit opened on 19th September 1824. Opening day preachers were T Holloday, W Fieldsend and Brother Walton.


    Reference

    Primitive Methodist magazine 1826 page 97

    By Christopher Hill (01/03/2018)
  • This was the first Primitive Methodist chapel in Dewsbury, originally in the Leeds circuit. Its congregation seems to have merged with Crackenedge to build Wellington Street chapel.

    By Colin Dews (01/03/2018)

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