[From Ramsey Courier 25 April 1958]
LAST Week the centenary of Ballaugh Methodist Curragh Chapel was commemorated and during the special service on Thursday evening some interesting-hitherto little known-facts were given by speakers with a long association with the district.
It was revealed for instance that the old sod chapel prior to the present building being erected 100 years ago. was put up by a combined effort of the people in three days!
In this week's article in this series we turn the pages back to the days when this little Chapel in the Curragh-now rather isolated and still lit with paraffin lamps-was the centre of activity in the neighbourhood.
The Chapel incidentally is only about 200 yards away from the home of Mr John Kneen, the Island's centenarian and oldest resident.
It was fitting for the occasion that the Chairman was Mr T. K. Kneale, member of a family who have had a lifelong association with the Chapel,
The Kneales' homestead is at Lough Dhoo, one of the nearest -farms to the Chapel. His father, Mr Stephen Kneale, now of Holly Grove, who is one of the Trustees, is 83 years of age and it was a disappointment that he was not well enough to be there in his pew for the centenary. But Mr Tom Kneale did nobly in his stead. Loughdhoo is farmed now by Mr Kneale's other son, also named. Wm. Stephen Kneale, and their daughter Joan played the organ at the Sunday evening' service which began the centenary celebrations and Jean's mother played for the soloist.
If Mr Kneale. senr., had been able to attend there would have been three generations taking part. In spite of his years he takes a keen Interest in the Chapel and it is very gratifying to him that the Kneale’s-who for many long years have worshipped on this spot are keeping up the family tradition.
Chairman Tom told us that sod Chapel existed there formerly and that it. was put up, in three days.
The people in the district rallied round to the task-they were determined to have a place of their own in which to worship. and which would serve the Curragh community.
The Curragh is a sparsely populated area these days but 100 year: ago it was a busy place-Mr Kneale stated that there were 28 to 30 thatched cottages from Ballamoar Jurby, to the Curragh.
He also spoke of an old Man: character, Chris O'Flinn, who lived in a corner of the field nearby and whenever. there was a storm of thunder and lightning she would move into the back seat of the Chapel for she felt she was safe in the House of God.
A word of tribute came from the chairman for Miss Esther Cashen who died just recently at the age of 80 years and who from the time she was 14 years of, age was organist of the Chapel.
Mr Kneale's picture of the Curraghs 100 years ago can be enlarged by the Manx authority,. Mr David Craine, Captain of the Parish of Ballaugh, who was in the congregation last Thursday night.
He states: "The Curraghs was the centre then of a busy farming and fishing community. These crofters eked out a living on the soil-they would each, have a few acres of land and by going to the fishing for about 10 weeks. In the year. They raised big families and of course the population in the area was three times what it is now. These hard Manx folk worked on hedging and in helping in the harvest in an age when so much work was done by hand and - there was a little community in the Curragh distinct from the rest of the parish."
Mr Craine points out that whereas the population of the parish is now about 500 it was 1,500 a century ago. Many, of the cottages, however, were not substantially built and soon became derelict when unoccupied and disappeared from the face of the countryside.
Originally much of the population was centred round the old Church at Ballaugh but this is some distance away from the heart of the Curraghs where the Chapel is situated.
Another speaker who contributed something to the picture of old Ballaugh at the Centenary' services. was the Rev. T. D. Corlett; a retired Methodist minister, who now lives in Ramsey. Mr Corlett said: "I was born in this parish and my forebears lived here or a considerable number of years. Looking back many years one of my earliest recollections is trudging along l½ miles of road to school with my dinner in a bag, how we did it I don't know for so long and there are some here who remember travelling along that same road to school. One other recollection I have is that the Rector of the parish at that time Canon Edward William Kissack (appointed 1890) who was a real father-in-God used to come to my house when I was a little boy. We did not go to school so early in those clays and we learned the alphabet at home and my grandfather used to teach me from the Bible and when Canon Kissack used to come he would put me on the chair and get me to spell some of the Bible characters for him
On one occasion he presented me with a Prayer Book hoping that one day I might be a parson. Of course that did materialise but not perhaps in the way that he thought. It was from this parish that I started to preach and I remember my first appointment was in the little Chapel in Sulby Glen now closed,,
But my greatest achievement was when I was appointed to preach in Sulby-that was where the critics were and they used to speak of it as the College."
"I left Ballaugh 45 years ago." said Mr Corlett, "to go to Didsbury College."
He added that he had read the deed of the Chapel and was very impressed by the way it was beautifully written and clearly expressed He noticed that the building was described as a "house" which was the legal term in those days. The idea of a Methodist building being a Church or Chapel had not been accepted entirely 100 years ago and, these places of worship were known as meeting houses or preaching houses. He noted too that there was mention in the deed of starting a Sunday School which was a great thing in those days also that his father was one of the original trustees of the Chapel.
"I wonder If you can picture the scene here 100 years ago," he continued. "Everything was difficult, money was scarce, there was little transport and life, must in some ways have been very lonely down here. But the problems which they faced were in some ways very similar to those we face today. When I was stationed in a Circuit on the Birmingliam-Bristol Road called Selly Oak, the old books there showed the same kind of question and answer for the leaders' meetings 120 years ago as today. They asked, "How is it that we cannot get teachers in the Sunday School?" "Why is it that we cannot get people to come to Church.?" and the answer then as now was that it was because of the godlessness of the age in which we live. We sometimes think all the saints lived 100 years ago and,all the sinners today. Don't you believe it, all through the years the Church has survived to witness to God's truth. One hundred years ago this Church was erected by our forebears to the glory of God and today we honor those who planned and developed the Church. those who have fallen asleep and have handed down the torch to us.
Mr Corlett pointed out that a century ago there was a lot more illiteracy and the majority of people could not read or write and many learned in the Sunday School. He also declared that often village communities were divided into three sections-Church, Chapel and Pub.
The Superintendent Minister (Rev. A. C. Blain) who was the next speaker told the congregation that he had just returned from Selby, near Leeds where he had been invited to take Part in the 25th anniversary of the Guild he had founded.
He brought greetings from the Ramsey Circuit and good wishes for the future of the Chapel. Mr Blain stated that he had discovered an old plan in respect of the. Ramsey and Peel Circuit as It was then, dated 1851 and the Curragh Chapel (which would then be a sod building) was mentioned and the preachers appointed were:- James Cleator, Barregarrow; William Cain; Kerrowgarrow; John Cain. Ballaugh: Thomas Crennell, Sandygate; Edward Gale, Jurby West: P. Taggart, Bride; John Cottier, Andreas: Robert Corlett, Ballaugh; Thomas Corlett, Ballaugh: John Corkill, Glen Auldyn; Daniel Craine, Sulby; Lace Radcliffe, Kirk Andreas: John Martin, Smeale; John Kaighen, Jurby East.
Mr Blain said the congregation might be surprised to learn that he himself could go back 50 years in that locality because he used to be taken to Sulby Glen by his mother for a holiday as a boy and they walked a good many miles in visiting Ballaugh, Kirk Michael and Other Places.
He remembered going about too in a horse-drawn trap, It was pulled by an old horse which had been in the Boer War which had a silver tube in its throat with the result that when they went uphill there was a whistle through the tube and the following year when , they came over again they asked: for the whistling horse!
Mr Blain spoke of the faith which the people had in building that place of worship-they felt the need to worship God and did something about it. They established a house of prayer. "We don't pray as much now in public as we used to do," he declared "And I do hope that you pray in private-I have been tremendously helped in my ministry by the prayers of the people." The Chapel, too, had been built as a place where the people could sing their praises to God. Mr Callister would be delighted to see the place full every Sunday, but of course that was, not possible because the people did, not reside in such numbers in that locality in these days.
"There was a time, too," he continued. "when the back pews of the Chapels especially were full of young men. Where are they today'?
I can remember even in my lifetime the galleries of our big Chapels and the back pews of our little Chapels were filled with young people and how they enjoyed. to sing on a Sunday night;" The Chapel should be a centre of teaching and those who preached the gospel had a great privilege and responsibility in this direction for besides the Sunday School , there was adult education through sermons and addresses.
The Chapel, should also be the circle of fellowship -our best friends were those who met together in the house of God
Finally, Mr Blain made an appeal for all to join in the fight against evil in these days. There were sometimes evil suggestions on the radio and TV and in some newspapers and books and Christians must take up arms against these tendencies and set an example by regular worship and by attendance, at the Lord's Supper.
Mr Blain’s address was followed by another "flash-back" of exceptional interest by one of their most faithful adherents of the Chapel-Mr Tom Callister, of Castle Lake.
His memory of the Chapel goes t back 64 or 65 years and he emphasised that from a very early age he was brought up to join in the worship of God in the Chapel each a Sabbath-that was a rule which had to be observed.
He said that when the second body of trustees was appointed in 1893 the Superintendents of the Sunday School were Mr Robert Kneen, of Ballamona beg and Mr Thomas Corlett, of Close-e-corvalley.
About the same time the first musical Instrument-a small harmonium-was installed. Prior to that the tunes had usually been "raised" for the congregation by William Kaighen, one of the original trustees, of Close Rhennie, Ballaugh. If he was not, present. it was his (Mr Callister's) father who would start the tune.
In 1893 three of the trustees-John Corlett, of Baldromma, Lezayre, William Kaighen, and William Quayle, of Close Moughtin, retired from the Trust on account of age. Mr Quayle died at Ballachrink, Jurby East, where he resided some time and he was one of those on the original Trust Deed. He died in 1896 at the age of 85 years.
Mr Callister said that the collection boxes which had been used in the Chapel that evening were the same that Mr Quayle. whose duty was to take up the collection. had employed and it was thought that they were as old as the Chapel itself.
In 1928 during the ministry of the Rev. C, H. Brown, on the advice of Mr H. K. Callow,. builder, of Ramsey. It was decided to renew the floor and seating.
Referring to the missions which, had been held in the Chapel, Mr Callister said that- the 1916 Mission was by Miss Kelly of Abbeylands, Onchan. and on the last night of this Mission there were as many as 70 people in the Chapel.
"It was during that Mission," added Mr Callister "that I had the privilege of joining membership of the Methodist Church and I have never regretted that step. I think it is rather a pity that these revival meetings have been allowed to drop because they are the means of stirring up members of the Church as well as those outside."
He also referred to the Mission held in 1927 by Mr Francis Rome, of Ramsey.
In a reference to the beginnings of the Curragh Chapel, Mr Callister said there was no doubt that this meant a sacrifice on the part of the people and much of the labour would probably be given voluntarily.
"Let us now do our part," he said, in keeping open the doors of this house of God, that is our great privilege today."'
He added that he had himself been Chapel Steward: since 1931, and he wished to thank all friends v ho had come to support the services. He referred especially to the Rev, T. D. Corlett, who had preached on Sunday evening and Mrs Clague, of Ballasalla, the soloist, also those who had taken part in the service that evening including the chairman, the speakers, the Rev. R. E. Wharton who had offered prayer, the Rev. I. S. Duncan, Mr Norman Kaighen, Mrs Kelly and Miss Elsa Kelly, of. Douglas, who had given vocal items.
The accompanist for the service was Mrs Callister.`
The following details included in the First Trust Deed will be of particular Interest:-
Indenture made 2nd April, 1853, between Thomas Kaighen, Close Rhennie and wife, John Corlett of the Loughdhoo and wife in Ballaugh of the one part Stephen Kneale. John Mylcraine. Patrick Callister. John Corlett., Wm. . Kaighen, Thos. Kaighen, junior. Thomas Corlett, Wm. Quayle. Thomas Callister, Thomas Craine of the Glaick, Thomas Calley of Ballaugh and. Daniel Caley of Lezayre, on the other part: : Consideration 5s receipt thereof acknowledged. Doth give grant-pass over and sell to the above mentioned parties of the second part a parcel or plot. of ground part of Loughdhoo and Close ne Rhennie, being intack land-whereon a house is new built. comprising the whole land in front of said House, with two yards in breadth on the west, two yards to breadth on the North Gable. and two yards in breadth on the East side of the house. for the purpose of repairing the said House when required. the said House to be a Preaching house. To Have and to Hold said plot, House and appurtenances for the following and no other purposes whatsoever, to them the parties of the second part forever and to such persons as shall represent them at all times, said premises to be used as a Preaching House with liberty to conduct a Sunday School therein, so as not to interfere with public worship, said trustees to permit and suffer the Society of people called Methodists of the Curragh to be possessed of and interested to said Chapel and premises upon the trust that. at all times hereafter to permit and suffer such person or persons only as shall be appointed by the yearly Conference of the people called Methodists, also to permit said Chapel to be used for a Sunday School. The collections to be made in said Chapel in be applied for defraying expenses connected with Chapel, also seat rents-and also towards the support of the preachers for the time being appointed by he Conference. Provides that when trustees by death or otherwise be reduced to the number of five-the Leaders of said Society in conjunction with Supt. preacher to nominate seven fit and eligible persons for trustees. 'The surviving trustees or a majority of their shall elect four new trustees, to keep up the number of nine trustees, the Supt. Minister to give notice in writhes to surviving trustees of the persons nominated by himself and the Curragh leaders.
Thomas Kaighen; John Corlett Ann Kaighen, Mary Corlett (Trustees),
Witnesses: Danl. Craine, John Clucas.
To Stephen Kneale, John Corlett William. Kaighen, Thomas Callister Thomas Craine, Daniel Caley, John Mylcraine, Patrick Callister Thomas Kaighen, Thomas Corlett Thomas Cagey.
John Corlett of Ramsey; and Wm. Kaighen and William Quayle retire from the Trust being very old men.
Appointed: Robt. Keig of Ballacain; Robt. Kaighen of Whitehouse Jurby: Wm., Callister, of Castle Lake, Ballaugh; Thos. Callister of Blackwood Cottage: James Corlet of Corvalla: Wm. Corlett, of Ellan-rhennie: Will. Boyde of Ballavolley Thos. Quayle, of Close Taggart, and V. C. Joughin, Ironmonger, of Ramsey. ,
Attested July 6th, 1893.
Present Trust. Appointed June 5t, 1952: Alfred Corlett Ellan Rhenny, Ballaugh; William Stephen Kneale, Holly Grove, Ballaugh; Edward Clague Cannell, Blackwood Ballaugh; Edith Jane Cannell Blackwood, Ballaugh; Mrs Esther Catherine Kneale, Lough Dhoo Ballaugh; Thomas Callister, Castle Lake, Ballaugh; Mrs Edith May Callister, Castle. Lake. Ballaugh John Leslie Cashen, Ballacaine Jurby: Thomas Kaighen Kissack Sandygate; Wilfred Daniel Teare Golane, Sandygate; Mrs Lucy Elizabeth Eleanor Curphey, Ballacrye, Jurby.
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Any comments, errors or omissions
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