Mapping Methodism – Tregerest Bible Christian Chapel, Sancreed/Newbridge

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Tregerest. I had trouble locating Tregerest on modern maps as it often comes up as Middle Tregerest or Tregrras Receven and Higher Bodinar Common. It is on the road from Newbridge to St Just.  John Horner describes it as … “And there is Tregerest, alone on its bleak hillside”. The hamlet was originally called Tregarrast according to newspaper reports, which, according to Craig Weatherhill means ‘the dwelling in the waste open ground’. The 1841 census returns also spell it this way. By the 1893 Kelly’s Directory it was spelt the way we do today. I can find no definitive date the chapel was originally opened. This profile of Tregerest Bible Christian Chapel was compiled by Researched by Val Thomas of St Ives Old Cornwall Society with references made to ‘What Mean These Stones’ by John Horner.

 

1909: The funeral of Granny Boswell, the gypsy Queen (Image: Museum of Cornish life – Helston Museum)

Former Tregerest Chapel (Image: The Centre, Newlyn. Trinity Methodist Church Methodism in West Penwith – A Heritage at Risk.)

1846 The Tregerest Bible Christian chapel was opened by this date.

It had 41 Sunday school children; This number may, or may not, include teachers.

According to an account copied by John Horner in his book ‘What Mean these Stones’ relating to 1846 – ‘Sunday school followed the usual pattern… there would be a short address followed by teaching lessons. For these we would be split into small groups (boys and girls separate at all times). The girls and young boys were instructed by the older girls and women. The boys were taught by men. The Bible topic of the day would be swiftly dealt with, and there would be a longer period recounting the previous days local sports or events, which in winter was mainly fox or rabbit hunting’. It is followed by this account of a Sunday School anniversary: ‘Arguably the most important day of the year for everyone was the Sunday School anniversary. At tea a suitable corner of a nearby field was made available and forms were taken out for the band (usually Pendeen silver band) and adults to sit on. In the early afternoon everyone (about 50 in all), still dressed in going-to-town clothes would line p behind the band and, led by the Sunday School and Band of Hope banners would march down to Newbridge and back up the hill – almost two miles. Then the games began, most popular being the egg and spoon, three-legged, sack and straight races. But even more popular were the ‘tea treat’ six-inch diameter saffron buns washed down with bottles of Eddy’s pop … following which there would be a concert’.

1862 The date slate behind the porch gives the date 1862.

1896 To purchase land for a cemetery The Cornishman: Thursday 14th January – Members and Friends of the Bible-Christian society at Tregerest, in the St Just circuit, have, during the last nine months, been putting forth vigorous and commendable efforts to raise funds to meet the cost of £150 for the restoration of the chapel, a new harmonium, and enclosure of a piece of land for a cemetery….. The total raised by subscriptions, opening services, bazaar and concerts, about £90.

A date stone above the porch door gives the date 1896.

The Cornishman: Thursday September 3rd – Tregerest Chapel, St Just – ‘the amount realised in connection with the reopening services of Tregerest Bible Christian Chapel, which has recently undergone a renovation, was £60.’

1900 The First Wedding. The Cornishman: Thursday November 8th – ‘A very pretty wedding was witnessed in the Bible-Christian chapel, Tragerest, in the parish of Sancreed, on Wednesday … This being the first wedding ever witnessed in the chapel…’

1925 The Cornishman and Cornish Telegraph Nov 11th‘The final meeting of a series of successful missionary services was held at Tregerest. Mr Semmens presided’. It is now a United Methodist Church in the St Just circuit.

1932: Became Tregerest Methodist Chapel, Sancreed.

1938 The Cornishman and Cornish Telegraph: Thursday November 17th: ‘The cost of lighting and renovation Tregerest Methodist church has now been entirely wiped out and with a small balance in hand it is hoped the renovation of the Sunday-school will be begun.’

Gill Watkins painting of Tregerest Chapel

2012 The Chapel closed and is now a private dwelling. The membership at closure was 5 persons.

On May 14th Rev. Steven Wild wrote about the closure on https://www.bbc.com

According to Newlyn Chapel the remaining congregation of Tregerest chapel joined Drift chapel.

*The Hattam family are local to this area and there is a great deal of information online about their family history and connection to the chapel. Mark Hattam’s work can be viewed at www.hattam.co.uk/gallery

Cornwall interactive mapping 2021

Granny Boswell

Granny Boswell was Ann Boswell who was born in 1813. She was 5ft 1” tall and had a wicked tongue and a liking for drink. Ephraim Boswell was her husband and they lived a travelling lifestyle. In 1861 she gave birth to the first of her 6 children in Bodmin. She became a noted fortune teller and familiar figure in the villages of Devon and Cornwall. She frequented Helston during the latter years of her life and died in Helston Workhouse on 16th August 1909 at the age of 96. Her coffin was taken in a horse-drawn hearse to the gypsy enclosure at Newmill, outside Penzance, where her body remained in a tent until the day of her funeral. Romanies from near and far came to pay their respects and camped on the roadside. She is buried in the small churchyard at Tregerest.

Granny Boswell (Image: Helston Museum of Cornish Life)

Granny Boswell’s funeral 1909. (Image: Helston Museum of Cornish Life)

*Elizabeth Dale, who has a blog called ‘cornishbirdblog.com’. She has done a very good resume of Granny Boswell and her life with images of Tregerest chapel.

(Image: Sheila Russell commons.wikimedia.org)

 

Kresen Kernow:

Correspondence, Insurance, Tregerest Methodist Church, St Just in Penwith. 1998-1999 MRWP/97

Resources:

‘What Mean these Stones’ – John Horner published 2015

National maps of Scotland

Helston Museum images

Mark Hattam family history. http://www.hattam.co.uk gallery

Find a Church

Elizabeth Dale – https://cornishbirdblog.com

The Centre, Newlyn. Julian Drew. – thecentrenewlyn.org

Cornwall interactive mapping

 

 

 

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