Mapping Methodism – Gear Wesleyan Chapel

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Gear Wesleyan Chapel, between Gulval & Newmill, is near Crankan which is a hamlet off the road between Newmill and Gulval. By 1906 there was Crankan and Lower Crankan, both of which are on Gear Common. Crankan is also spelt as Cranken. Gear is another hamlet on this road with Higher Gear being nearby at the fork in the road. This profile of Gear Wesleyan Chapel has been compiled by Val Thomas of St Ives Old Cornwall Society.

 

Gear Wesleyan Chapel is very much a building on its own.

Image: The Centre Newlyn

Image: The Centre Newlyn

Kelly’s Cornwall 1893 – west-penwith.org.uk

1814 Gear Chapel was built in 1814 with seating for 140. It was in Gulval parish. The owners or Chapel Brook have the original documentation for the chapel which is signed and sealed with this date. However, they were told by the previous owners that, prior to the chapel being built, the meetings were held in the field below the current chapel. This ties in with a paragraph from John Horner’s book ‘What mean these stones’; The story of the building of the chapel at Carfury is associated with the person a layman much loved and respected in the first half of the Nineteeth Century –John Bennetts. At the age of 15, with his parents, he attended the Wesleyan Chapel at Gear, which is still to be seen on the road from Gulval to Carfury. From his early years, John was aware of the need for his salvation and the forgiveeness of sins. On the 20th April 1811, at the age of 21 and in the Gear Chapel during a sermon preached by a Mr John Berryman, he received ‘the witness of the Spirit’ that his sins were forgiven and he cried aloud in the chapel “Praise God. The Spirit answers to the blood and tells me I am born of God!” In 1812 he started a prayer meeting at Carfury.’

1820 Around this time it was becoming increasingly difficult to make a living in Cornwall. Wages were falling and the cost of food was rising. Many people emigrated to north and South America, South Africa and Australia where they could use their knowledge of mining.

1834 Richard Dale was born at Gear to William Dale, a farmer and his wife Phillis (nee Bennetts). He was their 7th child. He went on to become a Methodist minister who was involved in the Temperance movement.

1851 T. H. Pengelly was the steward.

1873 There are 182 seats and is in the Penzance circuit.

1879 The Cornish Telegraph, Wednesday, October 15th: ‘Gear Wesleyan Chapel. – For some time past the singing at this place of worship has been led by one of the old fashioned choirs – or rather bands, – comprised of clarionet, euphonium, cornet &c. The friends, however, felt that the days of such attempts at orchestral music are past, and that the time when the full orchestra bands shall descend from churches to small chapels to be far distant. They therefore, decided to purchase a small harmonium. This they did, and on Sunday last it was used for the first time……… Although small the instrument (by Bauer of London,) is of exceedingly sweet and mellow tone ……… On Monday, the Rev. T. Richards preached in the afternoon, and a large number sat down to tea. If possible, the chapel was more crowded for the meeting in the evening than it was for the Sunday. Mr Fleming from Penzance, took the chair, and earnest, practical speeches were delivered by the Rev. T. Richards, Messers R. Sholl and R. Dale, the latter an old scholar of Gear, who is on a visit from Australia.. The Carfury choir assisted at each service … There are now, it is said, only two chapels in the Wesleyan circuit without this useful instrument.’

The Cornishman: Thursday October 16th. ‘Gear Chapel has a harmonium which they first used on Sunday. On Monday a numerously-attended tea-meeting was presided over by Mr J. T. Fleming of Penzance. The Sunday services, tea meeting, subscriptions, etc raised £10, and the instrument is paid for.’

1911 The chapel was advertising for a caretaker.

1914 Gear Wesleyan chapel, Gulval raised £1.55 for War relief funds according to The Cornishman 29th October.

1917 At the Wesleyan quarterly meeting a report was considered of the circuit trust and a committee appointed to look into the matter of the renovation of Gear Chapel – The Cornishman and Cornish Telegraph, Thursday June 21.

1920 The Cornishman and Cornish Telegraph, Wednesday October 20:  Mr Richard Dale walked two and a half miles from his home in Penzance to preach at Gear Wesleyan Chapel three days before his diamond wedding anniversary. His mother had been a member there 108 years before. That is 1812! (Richard Dale was the son of William Dale, a farmer who lived at Gear. He was born in 1834 and involved himself in the religious life of the village, becoming a local preacher in 1850. He was an underground miner at Ding Dong mine but, age 20, left Gear to go to Australia to the gold fields of Victoria. He stayed there for two years before moving to South Australia to become a bush missionary, riding his horse for months at a time to outlying places. He returned to Penzance in 1881 with his wife Jane who he had met while in Australia. On returning to Cornwall he joined the Temperance movement. He attended the first Ecumenical Conference of 1881 and served on the Connexional Committee for completing the business of the Bible Christian branch of the United Methodist Church on entering the larger body.

1932 Became Gear Methodist Church in the Madron circuit. However, the date for building is given as 1879! This information was on the site for Methodism in West Cornwall, The Centre, Newlyn Trinity Methodist Church.

I can find no record of when Gear Chapel closed for services.

1983 The Chapel was renovated for use as a home.

This chapel is now a residential property called Chapel Brook, Newmill, Penzance.

 

Images: Val Thomas 2021, with thanks to the owners of the property

Richard Dale 1835 – 1920 The image below is of Richard Dale and his wife Jane Ann (Torr). He was a prominent member of the Temperance movement in Penzance and St Ives after he returned from living in Australia. He and his wife were involved in many charities and Committees linked to welfare and religion. His Mother was Phillis (Phylis) Bennetts, daughter of John Bennetts who founded Carfury Chapel.

Image: Annette Dale, who inherited many photos through her Great Aunts.

 

Kresen Kernow:

Accounts, Gear Wesleyan Chapel, Madron. 1879 – 1899 MRPZ/112

 

Resources:

The Centre, Newlyn. Trinity Methodist Church. Methodism in West Penwith – A Heritage at Risk.

National Maps of Scotland

Find my past newspaper articles.

Ruth and Dave, Chapel Brook.

Annette Dale.

 

 

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