A Hucknall History
Religious Influences
Wesleyan Free Church
After Eleazor Boot pioneered Wesleyanism into Huthwaite Huthwaite, his founding of the first chapel with Sunday Schools gained a favourable following for a growing industrialised workforce, as it likewise spread around this Mansfield District Methodist Circuit. A few chapel members however, later claimed cause to form a splinter faith next differentiating their titled Wesleyan Free Church.
Year 1849 historically accepts divisional disagreements occurred because Eleazor struck names of class lists for nonpayments. Dispute motivated John Tagg into leading a small group initially gathering in the house of Micah Sutton on Common Road. Their societies gradual growth recognised a Free Church taking roots next meeting in an abandoned Hopkins Yard framesmiths shop.
Purchasing land off Main Street resulted in the building of a second Hucknall Huthwaite chapel. Opening service on 23rd November 1856 was conducted by William Bott of Wrexham firmly establishing their Wesleyan Free Church. Unfortunately unable to find any photos, these examples of similar dated English nonconformist chapels may jog memories from far later adopted use. These can reveal typical use of one basic utilitarian architectural design, equally unworthy here of even inspiring any recorded description.
United Methodist Free Church
A February 1857 revival event claimed to successfully promote local interest and membership numbers. That year was when this Wesleyan Free Church joined and took future name from a newly formed broader United Free Methodist Church movement.
Original Main Street chapel remained standing until 1950s slum Act cleared site for present housing. Number 62 stands nearest adopted location of the Gem Picture Palace. Premises lastly served as a garage located between entries into Club and Pilsworth Yard, all then replaced by Swanson Avenue.
No preciser dates given the following 1880 press clippings shared by Mrs E Wallace still nicely adds details.
PROPOSED NEW METHODIST CHAPEL - It is proposed by the members of the United Methodist Free Church in this parish to erect a new chapel. A suitable site was purchased some time since in Sherwood street, and plans and specifications of the proposed building will be ready shortly. The total cost will be about £700, and of this sum £100 was left some time ago by a friend of the congregation, and by means of collections, private subscriptions, and other means about £50 in addition has already been raised in the parish. The land, which has cost about £100, is already paid for, or nearly so.
TEA AND ENTERTAINMENT - A public tea and entertainment was held in the United Methodist Free Church, as a welcome to the newly appointed captain of the mission (Miss Richardson) on Monday last, when about 50 sat down to an excellent meat tea, provided under the auspices of Mr. and Mrs. Skelton. The room was crowded in the evening, and the entertainment passed off with great success, and was duly appreciated by those present. Mr. Bostock, in his recitations, and Mrs. Hinton, in the A B C duet, were irresistible, and created no small amusement. The singing of Miss. E Marshall, Miss E Allsop, Mrs. White, and Mrs Wheatley deserves great praise, and the other portion of the programme was equally satisfactory. Mr. Smith was the accompanist. A dialogue called "The wife¹s mistake," in which Mrs. Hinton, Mrs. White, Miss C Sharpe, and Messrs. Thompson and Price took part, was enthusiastically received. A short and stirring address by Miss Richardson, and the usual votes of thanks, brought a very pleasant evening to a close.
PROGRAMME - Song, "Honour and arms," Mr. Robinson; duet, "Pulaski banner," Mrs. Hinton and Miss Marshall; song, "No night there," Miss E Allsop; recitation, Mr. Bostock; duet, "Let the dead rest," Miss Allsop and Mrs. Wheatley; song, "The mocking bird," Miss C Sharpe; dialogue, "The wife's mistake;" duet, "All's well," Mr. Sharpe and Miss White; song, "Is that mother bending o´er me," Mr. Bostock; song, "My mother´s grave," Mrs. Wheatley; duet, "Go when the morning shineth," Mrs. Hinton and Miss E Marshall; recitation, Mr C H Coupe; song, "Let me say my little prayer," Miss E Oxley, duet, "A B C," Mrs. Hinton and Miss Sharpe; dialogue, Masters Skelton and Bonsor; song, Mr. Wheatley; song, "Let me near my mother."
North Nottinghamshire Advertiser 1884
Devotional Laying of Foundation Stones (24th June)
FOUNDATION STONE LAYING - On Tuesday last foundation stones of a new chapel for the United Methodist Free Church (Mansfield circuit) at Hucknall were laid in the presence of a large company of members and friends. The chapel is situated in Sherwood Street, and is being erected by Mr Shaw, of Sutton Forest Side, the total cost being estimated at £700. When finished, it is calculated to seat from 280 to 300 persons.
The ceremony commenced at three o'clock, the Rev. Josiah Bennett conducting the proceedings. - After the singing of a hymn, the Rev. R. Davison. stationed minister at Mansfield Woodhouse, read the 84th Psalm, and Mr. Bennett then engaged in prayer. Foundation stones were afterwards laid by Miss M S Betts, Messrs J Tagg, Evt Coleman, and C H Coupe, and Masters, J P Marshall, J Hardy, Wm. Pickaver, and W H Elston. The proceeds from these stones reached £24, and a number of bricks afters laid, and a collection, brought the sum up to £40 for the afternoon.
Mr. Henry Marshall conducted the singing. Afterwards tea was provided in the old chapel, and so large was the company present that the tables were three times filled. - In the evening a public meeting was held in the chapel, overwhich the Rev. Josiah Bennett presided, and addresses were also given by the Rev. R Davison and Mr. R Alcock, of Mansfield. The collection amounted to £3, so that the total for the day, exclusive of the proceeds of the tea, reached about £43.
Rare view capturing familiar fuller original frontage belies how those front entrance doors long provided background for numerous wedding photos. Before those comes more North Nottinghamshire Advertiser clippings detailing subsequent years enlargements.
FOUNDATION STONES - On Monday the foundation stones of new Sunday schools in connection with the Methodist Free Church, Hucknall Huthwaite, were laid by Mrs. T C Birkhead, Mr. W C Betts, Mr. J Boot, Mr. Tagg, and (on behalf of the scholars) Mr. Marshall and Mr. Pickaver. The first named gave £5 each, and the last £8 on behalf of the scholars. In addition to this, £10 was subscribed by the Duke of Portland, £30 by the New Hucknall Colliery Company, £5 each by Mr. J E Ellis, M.P. Mr. T C Birkhead, Mr S Watson, and Mr. F Allsop (organist). Previous to the ceremony, a short service was held in the chapel, conducted by the Rev. J Holgate (superintendent minister). Short addresses were delivered by the Revs. W H Meir, J Badminton, and J Lewis. Afterwards, tea was provided in the chapel, and subsequently a largely attended meeting was held. The proceeds of the day, exclusive of the tea and meeting, amounted to over £120.
1891 FREE METHODIST CHURCH
The Free Methodist Sunday School, after having been closed for several months for enlargement and improvements, costing several hundred pounds, was re-opened on Sunday. The preacher was Mr J Bettison, of Alfreton, whose sermons were very suitable to the occasion. Both afternoon and evening special singing was given by the choir, under the conductorship of Mr. J B Cooper. Mr. Norman Evans presided at the organ. The re-opening services were continued on Wednesday, when a public tea was followed by a meeting, over which Mr. J Tomlinson, of South Normanton, architect of the work, presided. The Rev. J W Nield and other gentlemen addressed the meeting. Solos were given by Miss Gree, of Blackwell, and Mr. C A Cooper gave a cornet solo. The choir contributed selections.
Laying 1890 Sunday School foundations would realise rear extension across plot width forming this T shaped chapel. Clippings relate the Pickaver family interests among named subscribers. Others can very notably recognise reliable generosity behind most major village causes being given by the Duke of Portland, the New Hucknall Colliery Company and its manager Simeon Watson.
Completion of 1891 enlargements and facility improvements did add raised choir gallery, leaving space for a future organ coming to a combined cost about £400. Purchase and 1903 installation of an instrument cost an extra £180.
Internal plaque honours memory of 21 named Huthwaite Methodists lost in the Great War. It may be debated whether the additional atrocity of WWII might account for nationally losing faith in a God.
Fully combining most individualistic 1932 Methodist denominations is when all existing Huthwaite chapels merged as one Methodist Church. Earlier Wesleyan chapel and a more recent Primitive Methodist chapel were identified thereafter by simple address, likewise redefining this Free Methodist Church into the future known Sherwood Street Methodist Church.
Sherwood Street Methodist Church
Press archives name various visiting circuit preachers giving refreshing sermon changes, while consistently identifying Mr N Evans being 1930s resident organist. 
Church activities include hosting public entertainment and annual teas arranged for mothers and babies who attend a Maternity Child Welfare Centre. These were just a few common ways of sharing communities interests provided with a roomier chapel, and socially inviting acceptance maintaining Christian lifestyles.
Listing well over a hundred Sunday School children annually receiving prize of a book for attendance clearly justified 1880 need for a large extension adding class rooms. Numbers gradually reduced throughout later years after Mr Grist from Sutton voiced those church concerns on the subject "Christianity and Chaos". John Baines presented 1950s names for smaller group of class mates more typically representing sizes kept into the 1970s.
Since parents homed us four doors down from this Sherwood Street chapel, we'd regularly witness numerous newly weds emerge to happily start married life cheered away by family. 
Sherwood Street Methodist Church proved a very popular local choice for ceremonial marriages. The grouped photos featuring bride and groom must have captured main double doors framing family albums innumerable times.
My 1966 pageboy role to aunt Kay gives occasion to read front porch foundation stones dating 1904. They mostly named church classes and groups as presumable funders of that years porch extension.
Familiarity inside this neighbouring chapel was shared attending some seasonal services, then later attending Sunday School when a Christian based secondary education encouraged charitable participation such as harvest festival donations.
Widespread social changes generally accounted for dwindling numbers of regular Sunday worshippers, although their use of cars firstly frustrated resident parking on Sherwood Street until this modernised chapel reopened with its gated yards.
Plans for major renovation work may have begun prior 1980. Dating best relates numerous mining subsidence claims resulting from underground Huthwaite coal pit tunnelling. The New Hucknall Colliery Company honoured house repair costs usually just covering cracked wall and ceiling plaster. Understanding this older building required far more extensive structural repairs, appeared to timely justify additional church expense fully modernising and equipping all chapel facilities.
Temporarily disrupting all ceremonies and regular services was inevitable before successfully completing major work to timely mark this chapels centenary year.
Huthwaite Methodist Church
Official 9th June 1984 reopening of a future titled Huthwaite Methodist Church was given a service conducted by Sister Gwen Bell and Reverend Christopher Edwards preaching sermon. Most obvious change is an entirely replaced frontage of impressive modern design. Moving main entrance into a right rear extension had additionally managed to accommodate kitchen and other amenities.
The other remaining Huthwaite Methodist Church congregation managed to celebrate centenary of their own Sutton Road chapel just before 1991 marked final closure. This Sherwood Street chapel obviously invited worshippers to combine dwindling numbers. If choice had to be made between which chapel closed, preference must have recognised adequate enough size greatly benefiting from recently completed extensive modernisation. Keeping this last chapel then firmly addressed The Huthwaite Methodist Church.
Shown 2017 still long serving as one localised electoral polling station inside former Sutton West Ward, it seems then retired after redefining the present Huthwaite and Brierley Ward district.
Spacious rooms still accommodate various regular clubs groups and classes. Good to know that encouraged return to the village of Huthwaite Prize Band practices, especially when one family leader firstly showed young soloist vocal musical talents here. Chas Aaron Cooper next entertained audiences playing cornet.
Portal addressing offers known community group contacts
26 Oct 02 by Gary Elliott Updated 10 Jan 22