Mylor Bridge is a village in Mylor civil parish at the head of Mylor Creek, about five miles north of Falmouth. This profile of Mylor Wesleyan Chapel has been compiled by Jo Lewis and Tony Mansell.
Wesleyan chapel. Probably mid C19 [1792] but remodelled late C19 with Italianate style 3-bay show front. Textured finish on stucco plus late C19 plain stucco detail; rubble walls to right-hand return and to communion? transept. Round-arched openings, architraves, pilasters, moulded cornice broken by central window surmounted by open pediment. Leaded glazing to traceried front windows, margin panes and some coloured glass to paired side windows; wheel window to front side of transept. (Cornwall Council Heritage Gateway)
1792: Build date. (SWChurches / **)
Built as a Wesleyan chapel. (SWChurches)
Part of Falmouth Wesleyan Circuit.
19 Aug 1818: Lease, Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Mylor. Parties: 1) Sir William Lemon of Carclew, to 2) William Pearce and Robert Rundle of Mylor, yeomen. 99-year lease, Robert, son of William and Jane Carvosso of Mylor, William, son of William and Jane Pearce of Mylor, and John, son of Robert and Grace Rundle of Mylor; rent 2 shillings. Plot of ground already marked out being 32 feet by 32 feet, on right hand side of road from Carclew towards Mylor village, part of which plot was formerly wastrel, the rest meadow belonging to Thomas Lawrence, and lately sold by him to William Pearce and Robert Rundle, on which plot a Methodist meeting-house has lately been built; to be held in trust for the use of a ‘certain society commonly called Wesleyan Methodists’. (Kresen Kernow WH/1/650)
12 Jul 1865: Lease, Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Mylor. Parties: 1) Sir Charles Lemon of Carclew, to 2) Nicholas Johns of Mylor, nurseryman, and Richard Hoskin of Penryn, merchant. 99-year lease, Thomas, son of Thomas Tregenza of Mylor; rent 2 shillings. Methodist chapel on piece of land 48 feet by 35 feet on right hand side of road from Carclew to Mylor village; also adjoining plot being 22 feet by 15 feet’. (Kresen Kernow WH/1/651)
10 Jun 1873: Lease, Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Mylor. Parties: 1) Arthur Tremayne of Carclew, to 2) Nicholas Johns of Mylor, nurseryman, and Richard Hoskin of Penryn, gentleman. 99-year lease, William, son of Nicholas Geach of Halwyn; rent 2 shillings. Consideration: £1. (Kresen Kernow WH/1/652)
1881: Gift of a baptismal font. (Royal Cornwall Gazette – Friday 19 August 1881)
1884: “Permission was given to the Mylor society to carry out certain alterations and additions to their chapel and schoolroom, at a total outlay of about £450. Hearty votes of thanks were passed Colonel Tremayne, of Carclew, for the gift of the freehold of Mylor Chapel and additional land on which to erect new premises; and to Mr. Whitford, of St. Columb. the solicitor and steward of the Carclew property, for the free conveyance of Col. Tremayne’s generous gift…” (Lake’s Falmouth Packet and Cornwall Advertiser – Saturday 28 June 1884)
1891: Mylor: “The annual tea treat in connection with the Wesleyan Sunday school took place Thursday week. The teachers and scholars formed a procession, headed by the Falmouth Gospel Temperance Band, and after perambulating the village returned to the schoolroom, where the children were regaled with tea and cake. …” (1 August 1891 – Lake’s Falmouth Packet and Cornwall Advertiser)
1886-1893: Trust minutes, Mylor Wesleyan Chapel. (Kresen Kernow MRF/31)
1895: £50 approved expenditure on the chapel building. (Lake’s Falmouth Packet and Cornwall Advertiser – Saturday 28 September 1895)
1897: Re-opening ceremony following enlargement and renovations. (Lake’s Falmouth Packet and Cornwall Advertiser – Saturday 16 January 1897)
1905: Chapel closed for three weeks while renovations were undertaken. (Lake’s Falmouth Packet and Cornwall Advertiser – Friday 18 August 1905)
1909: “Mylor Wesleyan Chapel was reopened on Thursday by Lady Durning-Lawrence, who said she considered it a great honour to be asked reopen the building after renovation and prayed that God’s richest blessing would rest on that church and all who worshipped there. (Royal Cornwall Gazette – Thursday 28 October 1909)
1893-1926: Trust minutes, Mylor Wesleyan Chapel. (Kresen Kernow MRF/32)
1932: Became Mylor Wesley Methodist Church. (SWChurches)
1932: The Wesleyan, Primitive Methodist and the United Methodist Church amalgamated to become the Methodist Church of Great Britain.
1932: Part of Falmouth Methodist Circuit. (SWChurches)
1912-1934: Trust accounts and history, Mylor Methodist Church. At front of volume, historical notes on Wesleyan chapel and Sunday School buildings, including renovations, additions and alterations to premises, 1792-1925. (Kresen Kernow MRF/624)
1914-1952: Pew rents, Mylor Methodist Church. (Kresen Kernow MRF/468)
1927-1961: Trust minutes, Mylor Methodist Church. (Kresen Kernow MRF/464)
1958-1969: Minutes, Leaders’ meetings, Mylor Methodist Church. (Kresen Kernow MRF/466)
1960-1978: Trust minutes, Mylor Methodist Church. (Kresen Kernow MRF/465)
1992: Souvenir brochure, Mylor Methodist Church. For bi-centennial. (Kresen Kernow AD1473/4/5)
1992: Mylor Chapel celebrated its bi-centenary in 1992 (**) and Sunday morning worship continues to this day. The Chapel Sunday School – known as The Lighthouse – is well attended, thanks to a dedicated team of teachers, and the children conduct five services each year. The children still enjoy the annual Tea Treat and the saffron buns are delicious! (http://fandgmc.org.uk/j3/index.php/churches/mylor/43-mylor-methodist-church)
Other sundry material held by Kresen Kernow: https://kresenkernow.org/SOAP/search/RelatedNameCode.keyword/CRO|UK|533/
Mylor Bridge Wesleyan Chapel (Photo: Jo Lewis 2021)