St Buryan lies five miles west of Penzance; and was anciently a town of great importance. This profile of St Buryan Bible Christian Chapel has been compiled by Jo Lewis and Tony Mansell.
A Bible Chistian Chapel is recorded on the 1st and 2nd Edition 1:2500 1880 and 1907 OS Maps. Labelled ‘Chapel’ on the 1907 Map. Now demolished. (Heritage Gateway)
A Bible Christian group was also founded in the village in about 1815. With growing support a proper chapel was built in 1860 on the site of the current Hosken’s Meadow. This was closed in 1932 but left derelict for another 65 years before being demolished. (Wiki)
Founded after 1815 and in 1817/18 had 16 members. (West Penwith Resources)
1851: The meeting room had seats for 170. (West Penwith Resources)
John Hutchens was the manager. (West Penwith Resources)
28 Oct 1859. Indenture between Richard Hodge and William Clark “The Borojie” part of Church town, 7 poles of land to William Clark for a yearly rent of 7/-. This indenture witnesses that William Clark has assigned this land to the trustees for 1000 years, and to trustees who shall be appointed from time to time by the Conference of the Bible Christians. To allow also our local preachers to preach therein, as shall be only appointed according to the rules of the Bible Christians, they may expound God’s Holy Word and perform all arts of Religious worship. The said Trustees shall have full power to appoint a Steward to receive all seat rents and all sums may be received for the benefit of the Chapel, for paying interest. The Trustees had a right to sell the Chapel and build a bigger one when required. Trustees being James Gilbert (Penzance), John Trenery (St. Buryan), William Watters (St. Buryan), William Angwin (St. Buryan), Naboth Osborne (St. Buryan), Richard Sampson Richards (St. Buryan), William Oats (St. Just). (West Penwith Resources)
1860: Build date. (Methodism in West Penwith – A Heritage at Risk)
The Bible Christian Chapel sat north of the Parish Church across what is now Lisbon Terrace and into Hoskens Meadow.
1898: New harmonium. (Cornishman – Thursday 11 August 1898)
1907: The Methodist New Connexion, Bible Christians and United Methodist Free Churches amalgamated to become the United Methodist Church.
1907: Became a United Methodist Chapel. (David Easton, Methodist Minister and historian)
1932: The Wesleyan, Primitive Methodist and the United Methodist Church amalgamated to become the Methodist Church of Great Britain.
1932: Closure date. (David Easton, Methodist Minister and historian / Methodism in West Penwith – A Heritage at Risk)
St Buryan Bible Christian Chapel just prior to demolition
Late 1980s: Demolished and dwelling built on site. (David Easton, Methodist Minister and historian / Methodism in West Penwith – A Heritage at Risk)