St. John's Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, 1824
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In 1851 religious census had seats for 122
and an average attendance at the evening service of 80
The 1862 register gives a building cost
of £60.
The first chapel was at the western edge of the
village, the current chapel shown in the photo is later building
on a different site opposite the church near the pinfold.
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Grid Reference SC281818
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The first chapel was obtained in an unusual manner - the newly
arrived Primitive Methodists, often referred to
as the Ranters, had been given, in May 1824, a small plot of ground for a
nominal £1 by farmer Patrick Creer on which by 1827 (and probably earlier)
they had built a chapel though it would appear by borrowing £45 from
the St John's Friendly Society (deed still to be located) - however by 1827
they would appear to be unable to pay the interest and the Society gained
an execution for the £45 together with interest from 4th July 1827 which
resulted in a coroner's sale by public auction in April 1831 at which John
Shimmin paid £31 for the plot and building. He and his wife then passed
the plot and building in December 1831 to a group of trustees setting the
chapel to be a Wesleyan Methodist chapel.
SSS Oct 1832 8
[Methodist]dated 8 May 1824;Patrick Creer(farmer,Kk German) sells for £1
a piece of ground 9 yds x 16 yds at St Johns adj high road on north Peel-Douglas
and on other sides land of Patrick Creer to Henry Shweman(precher[preacher]),
John Creer(farmer), William Killey(dier[dyer]), Hugh Quirk(farmer), Robert
Kane (fisherman), Thomas Crellin(farmer), Thos Cowley(farmer), Robert Oates(miller),
James Kelly(shoemaker), Robert Gelling(farmer), John Crellin (wver?) and William
Crellin(mason) all of sd parish to build a chapel; witt John Cottier, Thomas
Butcher (Patk Creer x, John Creer signs); setting quest place 0.5d rent
SSS Oct 1832 5
[Methodist] dated 3 Mar 1830 [?should be 1831 as passed through court 22
Aug 1831];recites execution dated 2 Nov 1829 agt Thomas Cowley, Robt Gelling
+ William Crellin in favour of St John's Friendly Society for £45 +
interest from 4 Jul 1827 + 10s 10d costs; John Cannell(coroner) thus sold
by public auction on 15 Apr 1830 the Primitive Methodist Chapel for which
John Shimmin paid £31(Brit) being the highest bidder;witt Hugh Cannell,
Caesar Killey; release note dated 17 Aug 1831 from Edwd Gawne of any right
by virtue of a mortgage on sd chapel.
SSS Oct 1832 4
[Methodist]dated 9 Dec 1831;John Shimmin(St Johns) + wife Elenor with consent
of Catharine Creer(widow + relict of John Creer(St Johns) sell for £31(brit)
to James Gell(Kenna), John Stevenson Moore(Lharghy Dhoo), John Kelly(Ballacurry)
John Kneale(Kew), Philip Killey(Ballalig), John Moore(dyer), Robert Clark(Ballawwillin),
John Morrison(Peel) and Thomas Cowley senr(Ballaleece) that building at St
Johns known as the Ranters' Chapel as purchased from the then coroner [SSS
Oct 1832 5] and to be used as a Wesleyan Methodist chapel [long statement
of settlement + role of trustees] witt Thos Quay, James Cool
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Any comments, errors or omissions
gratefully received The
Editor
©
F.Coakley , 2024
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