Coverack is a coastal village and fishing port in Cornwall, UK. It lies in the parish of St Keverne, on the east side of the Lizard peninsula about nine miles south of Falmouth. This profile of Coverack Wesleyan Chapel has been compiled by Terry Moyle.
The First Coverack Wesleyan Chapel
Society at Coverack in 1774 (John Williams, steward, & 28 members) but ceased to exist by 1777.
Society re-started by about 1810 – services in fishing lofts and barns, especially Trevothen barn.
Led to building of first Wesleyan Chapel on lane leading to Chynalls Point from Sunny Corner
Land cost £60 Bought from Jacob Lory
1814: Sunny Corner Cottage (now Old Chapel Cottage) was bought from Anthony Tripconey, a carpenter from St. Keverne, on 16 December 1814 to be the first Wesleyan Chapel in Coverack. There were 9 joint purchasers paying a total of £60 including John Bolitho and John Roberts of Treleaver and Peter Rule of Trewillis. Also there were two further Rules in the nine – James Rule of Coverack and Simon Rule of Borgwitha. The nine bought the cottage and changed its use to a chapel. The Deeds state the nine named purchasers “their survivors and successors …will.. from times for ever…. Permit and suffer such persons as shall be appointed at the yearly Conference of the people called Methodists….no other to have and enjoy the said premises for the purpose and expounding of God’s Holy Word therein and other religious exercises. Provided always that the said persons preach no other doctrines than is maintained in Rev. Wesley’s notes on the New Testament and the first four volumes of sermons by him published”. (Family History book about the Bolitho family sent to me several years ago by John Bolitho of Hatfield. The quote below is taken from Cyril Hart’s book.)
Lease (1812-1814) vested in trustees – Colonel William Sandys of Lanarth, Samuel Cock & James Rule (both Coverack), Simon Rule (Borgwitha), Simon Roskilly (Kilter), Thomas James, Peter Rule (Trewillis), John Roberts & John Bolitho (both Treliever)
Built 1814
Peppercorn rent of 5 shillings to Anthony Tripconey, carpenter.
Description from John Thomas Frederick Halligey (later joined Ministry & served in West Africa) “dear old clay wall, thatch roof sanctuary with its two rows of backless benches, three side pews on the right and two on the left, the gallery at the opposite end from the pulpit and the place in the leader’s pew for the man with the clarinet who was supposed to lead the singing”.
Interesting note – Rev. Halligey while the minister in Nigeria, used the plans of Helston Wesleyan Chapel to build the chapel in Lagos.
The small building between the chapel and the coastguard cottages was used for stabling the preacher’s horse.
Thomas Champion (Uncle Tommy) was a longstanding member of the chapel – he visited the sick and bereaved in the village. Another leading member was Thomas Roskilly.
John T. F. Halligey converted to Wesleyanism by Tommy Champion’s evangelising
Preaching plans 1828 & 1833 afternoon service (evening service at St. Keverne)
Closed circa 1860 because too small to hold the growing congregation – sold for £30.
Now a dwelling (Old Chapel Cottage)
The old chapel is next to the big house with the flagpole in the garden going towards the coastguard cottages.
The coastguard is standing just up from the chapel
The Second Coverack Wesleyan Chapel
Booklet written by Leila Chettle 1990 (member at Coverack and later St. Keverne)
On site of an old quarry
On the corner of lane leading to the site of the original chapel – Sunny Corner.
Built 1860 – 1861.
Builder William Rule Roberts
34ft in length, 31ft in width and 20ft in height. Walls of good stone and limewashed with a slate roof.
Completed by 23 February 1861 and registered for worship.
Capacity 200
Opened February 1861
The two longstanding members from the first chapel lived long enough to attend services in the new building – Thomas Roskilly died in 1864 and Tommy Champion in 1874.
1861 – a room under the vestry was used for storing Coverack Life Saving Apparatus
70 members in 1876 Wesleyan Census
1893 three week – long Mission – 30% increase in membership
1897-1898 lay-out altered – chapel extended at the rear and a floor inserted at gallery level to accommodate growing congregation and to form a Sunday school on the ground floor. Builder – Cook & Sons from Rosevear, Mawgan in Meneage.
Interior c. 1900
Cornishman 26 February1903 – “Some months ago a daughter of Mr. William Roskilly died at Coverack and the family and friends were determined to have a Nonconformist funeral and arranged that Rev. Wesley Davis (Wesleyan Minister at St. Keverne) should conduct the service. The gravedigger refused to dig the grave in the ground surrounding Coverack Church. The difficulty was surmounted by a workman employed by Mr. Roskilly digging the grave. The conduct of the gravedigger was severely censured by the Coverack Wesleyan Trustees and a resolution was sent to the Vicar and Churchwardens. The gravedigger should consent to dig graves for Nonconformists when requested to do so and, if he refused, he should be dismissed from office”.
1914 St. Keverne Circuit Plan – two Sunday services and Tuesday weeknight service. Two class meetings on Sunday morning before service (Mr. John Mundy and Miss Annie John, class leaders) and two class meetings on Tuesday (Mr. John Corin and Mr. George Mundy, class leaders)
May 1915 – the chapel organist, Stafford Hart, enlisted in the forces.
1921 the Trustees bought the freehold of the chapel for £8-7s-0d.
1934 – new organ from Chandler’s, Redruth, at a cost of £14. Francis Roskilly paid £1 for playing.
1939 – evening service changed to an afternoon service owing to the blackout requirements.
17th August 1942 – chapel hit by bomb blast – four people killed in the village including a 4-year-old evacuee from Enfield and 19 people injured.
Following the bomb blast the roof of the chapel had to be covered with a tarpaulin until repairs could be completed. In 1947 a bill was sent to Coverack Trustees for the loan of the tarpaulin (£5.12s.0d) from Kerrier RDC. The trustees paid although the tarpaulin had long since disappeared but got the money back from the War Damage Committee.
1951 – American organ sold for £1 and replaced by a pipe organ costing £350.
1954 – fund raising began to renovate and maintain the building (completed 1957)
Long connection with Coverack Lifeboat (crew members associated with chapel) – boards from Lifeboat Station put in the chapel in 1972 after Lifeboat Station closed
1970s photo
1970s sketch
Annual Carolare from harbour organised by the late John Brock, organist at the chapel for many years. On four occasions (1969, 1971, 1978 and 1983) BBC Songs of Praise came from Coverack harbour (Carolare Sunday)
Memories of Rev William John Mundy – Minister in Saginaw, Michigan recalled his early life at Coverack chapel (written in 1970) “On Sundays we attended 11.00 am service at Coverack, at 2.00 pm we went to Ponsongath Sunday School and at 6.00pm we were back at Coverack. My father, John Mundy, blacksmith, was the Sunday School Superintendent at Ponsongath and Class Leader and Choirmaster at Coverack. And what a choir we had especially when the Treloar family from Treliever was there with Will Corin to sing tenor and father and Joe Martin to sing bass and the Treloar girls to give leadership to the singing”.
1974 new electronic organ purchased for £993.
Harvest Festival 1979 with the boards from Lifeboat Station
Closed 1997
Members joined St. Peter’s Coverack and St. Keverne Methodist
Dwelling