Methodism in Hoole: Difference between revisions

 

In April 1890 Dr. Butt, Medical Officer of Health for Hoole, was asked to be involved. The guardians at that point were J.D. Bowers, J.S. Moss, W.J. Davies, R. Lamb and Jas. Walker. The chairman was Richard Peart. In October 1891 David Dickinson, having resigned his position moved that the mission be given up. In May 1895 it was recommended that a sum be sought from the Home and Foreign Missionary Collection, and that is the last entry in the minute book. The Chapel was presumably at some time demolished and it has been suggested that the erection of a more substantial chapel in Hamilton Street by the Primitive Methodists led to its closure.

 

==Primitive Methodists in Faulkner Street and the Hamilton Street School Room<ref>''<small>Sections which follow are based on material found in and reproduced courtesy of the Cheshire Record Office</small>''</ref>==

The payments and receipt book show on 5th March 1904 income of £1 from the 'Band of Hope' (Mr. Dawson, Newsagent) and on March 6th £1 2s from a Bible Centenary collection. Also in 1904 the first record of Sunday School class monies (£4 2s 7d) appears. On 26th February 1913 a tenth anniversary service raised £5 14s 6d.

 

[[File:4RHF17 Edith Randle's letters.jpg|left|thumb|''<small>Edith Randle's letters</small>'']]

In 1914 a new building fund was set up, Mr. Kennerley still being the Treasurer. Two letters to him from Edith Randles who lived at The Oaklands are in the Cheshire Record Office files; one dated 4th October 1917 enclosed £5 from Sunday School collections towards the new building, the second undated enquires on progress, since Miss Randles had provided income every month since 1901. Her father, Joseph Randles, long associated with Methodism died in July 1917 and his funeral service was held in the Chapel, which was often referred to as the School Room. A foundation stone of the new Church was laid in his name.

 

After 25 years of planning Primitive Methodists had a place of worship which reflected the enormous amount of work done by this non-conformist organisation in Hoole. In 1932 the various branches of Methodism were to be reconciled, Primitive and Wesleyan Methodists coming together.

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Records show the turnover of ministers, the following list, not fully researched, gives some indication of the changes over the years:

 

Morning and evening services and Sunday School in the afternoon on Sundays followed the established pattern for worship with extra celebrations at Easter, Christmas, and Harvest time etc. Frequently services were devoted to themes such as business, sport, civil defence, and railway workers. Whilst having a strong basis in prayer, both the Ladies Circle and the Men's Fellowship provided the stimulus and the means for the Church to be an active and outgoing organisation, participating in many local and national events.

 

A minute book of the Sunday School 1934 to 1978 records monthly teachers' meetings and reports that the Hamilton Guild of Youth was formed in September 1934, girls meeting on Mondays and boys on Fridays.

 

[[File:4RHF33 Sunday School outing 1970s.jpg|thumb|''<small>Sunday School outing 1970s</small>''|267x267px]]

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File:4RHF34 Quartet of Rose Queens an retinues 1.jpg

File:4RHF35 Quartet of Rose Queens an retinues 2.jpg

 

 

In the 1920s and 1930s members of the Church staged a mock auction and a mock wedding as entertainment. There was a production of Dick Whittington in 1979 closely followed by an epidemic of chicken pox amongst the cast. In 1985, Church members presented an Old Time Musical.