Halvosso is a hamlet in the civil parish of Mabe. This profile of Halvosso Wesleyan Chapel has been compiled by Jo Lewis and Tony Mansell.
From St Laudus (Mabe Church), travel back south, looping south up to Halvasso.
The Methodist Church and large Sunday school (shown) were prominent on the south side of the road by the entrance to the farm site.
Also spelt: Halvuzza, Halvusso, Halvussoe and Halvossa.
A granite quarrying and farming community chapel in the nineteenth century. (David Thomas of Kresen Kernow)
Halvosso ex-Wesleyan chapel at Mabe (Photo: David Thomas Tuesday 4 May 1982)
Circa 1870: Both Trenoweth and Halvosso were Wesleyan built/restored around 1870. (Philip J Lanc, Cornish Methodist Historical Association)
Exact build date unknown.
1872: Chapel restored. (David Thomas of Kresen Kernow)
Built as a Wesleyan chapel. (SWChurches)
Part of Falmouth Wesleyan Circuit. (SWChurches)
1880: Chapel appears on old.maps.co.uk.
1882: Appointment of new trustees, Halvosso Wesleyan Chapel, Mabe. Charity Commission order for appointment of new trustees. (Kresen Kernow MRF/552)
Nov 1884: Class ticket, Halvosso Wesleyan Chapel, Mabe. Issued to Minnie Dunstan. (Kresen Kernow MRF/227)
1891: Promissory note, Halvosso Wesleyan Chapel, Mabe. (Kresen Kernow MRF/553)
1894-1895: Annual report, Sunday School, Halvosso Wesleyan Chapel, Mabe. 17 June 1894, on reverse side are names of children with collecting boxes for Doctor Stephenson’s Orphans Home, and list of collections for the home, 1895. (Kresen Kernow MRF/1054)
1896: Appointment of new trustees, Halvosso Wesleyan Chapel, Mabe. Charity Commission order for appointment of new trustees. (Kresen Kernow MRF/554)
1897-1899: Minutes, Sunday School, Halvosso Wesleyan Chapel, Mabe. (Kresen Kernow MRF/211)
Circa 1900: Visitor’s report, Sunday School, Halvosso Wesleyan Chapel Mabe. Compiled by T Edwards, visitor, October 30, year not stated, c1900. (Kresen Kernow MRF/1055)
1865-1905: Trust minutes, Halvosso Wesleyan Chapel, Mabe. (Kresen Kernow MRF/189)
1905-1908: Minutes, Sunday School, Halvosso Wesleyan Chapel, Mabe. (Kresen Kernow MRF/212)
Sunday school build date unknown.
1912: Mabe (Halvossa) Wesleyan Band of Hope: “… On their return to the chapel, tea was served, and afterwards games were arranged in a field lent by Mr. Treneer. Falmouth Town Band played excellent selections during the proceedings.” (15 August 1912 – West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser)
1879-1914: Pew rents, Mabe, Halvosso Wesleyan Chapel, Falmouth circuit. (Kresen Kernow X667/15)
1915: Photographs, Band of Hope Tea Treat, Halvosso Chapel, Mabe. (Kresen Kernow X540/43)
1911-1915: Minutes, Sunday School, Halvosso Wesleyan Chapel, Mabe. (Kresen Kernow MRF/213)
1915: Copy conveyance, site for Halvosso Wesleyan Chapel, Mabe. Photocopy of original
1915 conveyance for site of chapel. Includes plan. (Kresen Kernow MRF/518) Possibly relates to the Sunday school or when they bought the freehold of the chapel.
1906-1928: Trust minutes, Halvosso Wesleyan Chapel, Mabe. (Kresen Kernow MRF/26)
1932: The Wesleyan, Primitive Methodist and the United Methodist Church amalgamated to become the Methodist Church of Great Britain.
1932: Became Halvosso Methodist Church. (SWChurches)
Part of Falmouth Methodist Circuit. (SWChurches)
1940: Seating for 187: (David Easton, Methodist Minister and historian)
1975: Chapel building closed: (David Easton, Methodist Minister and historian)
1982: Inventory of removeable property, chapel and schoolroom, Halvosso Methodist Church, Mabe. (Kresen Kernow MRF/519)
By 1982 the chapel was closed in part and the congregation were meeting in the adjacent Sunday School. (David Thomas of Kresen Kernow)
26th September 1982: Last service.
1982: Totally closed. (SWChurches / David Easton, Methodist Minister and historian)
1982-1983: Photographs, Halvosso Methodist Chapel, Mabe. CD-ROM of photographs, Halvosso Methodist Chapel buildings, Mabe, taken at and after closure in 1982-1983. Loaned for copying by the donor. (Kresen Kernow AD1791/2)
Chapel demolished. (David Easton, Methodist Minister and historian)
Sunday school converted to dwelling. (David Easton, Methodist Minister and historian)
Planning documents suggest that the chapel was demolished when the Sunday school was converted to residential (1993), with possible previous application about the chapel in the 1930s which was refused.
Former Halvosso Wesleyan Sunday school – the Chapel, now demolished, sat in front of the Hall (as marked on 1970 maps) where the cars are parked here. (Photo: Jo Lewis 2021)
Halvasso details of chapel and photos received from Philip J Lanc January 2025
- Balcony which ran around three sides with the clock facing the preacher. Towards the bottom of the balcony was a ledge. At harvest time this ledged was decorated with apples and oranges and so on. Below the preacher there was a rail where people knelt to receive communion. That area was used for other produce – grapes, two jars of honey, and so on. The whole was auctioned the following Thursday in the Sunday School room following a concert – brass band or choir or Salvation Army with their ribbonned tambourines There were pews along each wall at an angle and central pews and I foget if the central pews had door. There were foot stools. .
- Looking towards the pulpit and choir seats. To the left is the organ, worked by a hand pumped bellows. Mr Stanley Richards who moved from Halvasso to a bungalow in Mabe . Note the gas lights which I saw only in use once. Note the panelling on the wall behind the pulpit, used to hide the rubble stone wall.
- The front of the chapel which face away from the road. Weslyean CVhapel 1872, built at a time when many other chapels were built. .There was no dressed stone so it I assume it was a poor chapel when built. It was rendered. It was originally heated by a boiler below the sunday school . At the side of the chapel facing the Sunday school was a channel deep enough for a child to hide in. The Lanc brothers once locked the Sunday School main door forcing Albert Opie to access the Sunday School by the stairs. Once he went up the stairs we locked the bottom door trapping Albert on the stairs
- The congregation on the day it closed. From the left Lilly Hall who lived at Rame Cross, xxxx Mrs Wilton lived at Halvasso, her daughter Angela, my father Jozef Lanc. Not in the photo is Richard Lanc who….took the photo.An the near corner you can see a horse mounting block . The white wall on the far left was by the Sunday School .Much higher up.
- Sunday school lower entrance. Not the memorial stones. Inside was a small room maybe the vestry/changing room. To the right was a stairs going up to the raised platform.
- The Sunday School room and chapel with the VW of Jozef Lanc. To the right was stables perhaps where the preachers gig was put? At the far end of the chapel you can see a door which was the door into the boiler room to heat the chapel. It was quit a bif Sunday Scvhool room relative to the chapel.
- The Sunday school. It had a porch with twin doors inside of which tere were a further two doors going into the Sunday School room. Beyond these door was a single door leading into .a small room. From this small room you could turn right up the stairs turn the corner to the left and come out onto the stage. Open the door on the left and you went into the Sunday School room. Note the ventilation “pot” on the chapel itself – not unique. Behind the camera man and to the right were the outside toilets. The “gebts urinal had a wall to pee against.
- Sunday School. Note bottom right a small outbuilding used as a store. It contained gas bottles to light the chapel. Father Christmas was once seen there.
- Chapel doors. Inside was a small reception room. Turn left or right to access the floor of the chapel or to the stairs on either side. The serpentine baptism bowl was kept there
- View from the field
- View of the Sunday School when converted. A new building and parking area where the chapel once stood.
- View of the Sunday School room from the field. Nice hedge. You can see the doors mentioned at photo 7
- View of gable end
- View of converted Sunday School room
- View of converted Sunday school
- Internal Sunday school room looking towards the stage. The retracting sliding doors of the stage can be seen. The stairs came up on the left. By that stair entry was a store cupboard. When the small congregation moved from services in the chapel they were held on the platform with the doors closed. The preacher stood on the right. Behind the photographer to the right a small room had been made to form a kitchen. Looking out from the stage above the floor was a sounding board to improve the acoustics. The Sunday School anniversary would be held there with the a school on the stage. For those that couldn’t sing they would read out a “piece”. A piece would be a short poem or passage cut from a magazine. The audience would sit on “forms” whose back could swivel and for which I don’t know the purpose. Clearly a reason to be bale to face in two different directions. I understand when the chapel closed they went to Edgcumb chapel When there ws a function such as a choir food would be served ( behind the photographer ) It was a long wait for a youngster to wait for his turn! White table cloths. At Sunday School ( 3pm ? or 2.30? ) there would be 2 -4 classes in different areas. The piano was to the left ( roadside ) of the stage. Once a year a fund raising bazaar would be held there and one year it raised just over £100. My gandfather’s ( John hearn ) second wife, Clara Hearn ( his first, my granny died just after child birth ) John won the guess the weight of the cake competition. There was a lucky dip with sawdust hiding the goodies. When somebody dies a black cloth would be place over the pulpit for three weeks
- 17 baptism font made of serpentine. I have seen similar ones with a lid. This photo was taken at the recently closed Edgcumb chapel. I think it came from Halvasso, others that it always was at Edgcumb so if so same design. In 2024 it was given to Penryn museum.
- A photo of a “form” taken at Edgcumb. Note the seating carpet.
