Huthwaite Methodist Church

Methodist faiths grew as popular choice among large manual labour work forces inside industrialised Midland regions.   Origins within Huthwaite begin with an Eleazor Boot following his own conversion towards Wesleyanism in 1807.   He locally introduced faith but while the Wesleyan Church continued in Huthwaite, an outcast group split in 1849 following a dispute with Boot in regard to their nonpayment of dues.

The dissenting group of followers led by John Tagg first met in a house of Micah Sutton on Common Road.   Their society grew and a Free Church took root meeting at an abandoned framesmiths shop in Hopkins Yard.

This group first purchased land in Main Street and on 23rd November 1856 their newly erected chapel was completed.   Opening services were conducted by William Bott of Wrexham for followers recognising a Free Wesleyan Church.

Their successful revival event was reportedly organised the following February 1857 helping to gain increasing popularity and membership.   Plans for a larger chapel were formed, but their first building served the faith through to 1884.   Oldest memories today can only recall this building serving from its next function as the Gem House, Huthwaites first resident theater.   Among its later roles was as a bus service garage before this business site was cleared to accommodate present housing.

A plot of land located in Sherwood Street had already been purchased 1880 for £100 by this religious society.   Under the architects Messrs. Ridge and Sharpe proposed construction on this new Methodist site was planned giving a seating capacity for upwards of 300.   On the afternoon of 24th June 1884, a reported devotional laying of foundation stones commenced construction in Sherwood Street for the United Methodist Free Church.   An excellent attendance was rewarded with a public tea in the old chapel.   Cost of building with two vestries totalled £750, contractor being Mr Shaw of Sutton Forest-Side.

Further foundations were laid to incorporate Sunday school classes inside the chapel building.   That reported list of fund donators gives some notable member names while including the Duke of Portland and New Hucknall Colliery Company.
Work recommenced 1891 giving additional School facilities while adding a choir gallery with space for an organ at a combined cost of £400.   An instrument was eventually installed 1903 for an extra £180.

The Wesleyan Free Church joined membership within a United Methodist Free Church that formed 1857 and by 1907 smaller Methodist factions were also united.   In 1932 the original Wesleyan Church also combined faiths, together with Primitive Methodists to an existing United Methodists, all collectively forming a recognised Methodist Church.

The chapel proved a popular venue for hosting local marriages, as our family album proves.   Being raised just a little way down the street I recall many families would turn out witnessing regular celebrations of bride and groom exiting this chapel under a customary shower of coloured paper confetti.

Family shots were orderly arranged, usually framed fronting the original large wooden doors to its old front entrance as recorded by this photograph.   Afterwards the couple would be traditionally chauffeured away by horse drawn carriage, or more often a convoy of ribbon bonneted limousines as their modern equivalent.   With a vast choice of licensed houses the couple would arrive first to meet guests for evening party celebrations.

Our album displays marriage between my aunt Kay Elliott and Neil Fowler in 1966.   Stood left is the brides mother Dora, while I her grandson play the young role here of page boy.   The surrounding inscribed dedication stones are unfortunately not fully visible here, but were mostly dated Dec 1904.

Todays chapel frontage displays more of a modern appearance than shown originally built.   Like many other local buildings around the years 1980, structural damage became apparent due to ground subsidence and required major reconstruction of the front facing entrance.   Miles of deep underground tunneling were the cause as earth slowly settled above works stretching from New Hucknall Colliery.

Extensive internal restoration was also found needed, causing disruption to some services and ceremonies.   Major reconstruction did help incorporate modernised chapel facilities and one immediate external sign was incorporating vehicle access entrances, enabling for the first time off street parking within its original walls.   Most rework was successfully completed in time for marking the buildings centenary, when it was officially reopened as Huthwaite Methodist Church on 9th June 1984.   Service was conducted by Sister Gwen Bell and a Reverend Christopher Edwards preached sermon.

After long having two separated Methodist congregations in Huthwaite, decisions became eventually reached merging both services into one building.   There was some debate regarding choice of which popular chapel should continue conducting services.   The fact such recent and extensive rework had already been done here suggests to me why the alternative Sutton Road chapel lost voters favour.   My thanks extend too Mrs Enid Jones, who supplied the year 1991 dating when congregations merged.

Produced 26 Oct 2002 - Revised 18 Mar 2004