Mapping Methodism – Stithians Hendra Wesleyan Chapel

Stithians, also known as St Stythians, is a village in the middle of the triangle bounded by Redruth, Helston and Falmouth. Hendra is an area in Stithians. This profile of Hendra Wesleyan Chapel has been compiled by Jo Lewis and Tony Mansell.

 

John Wesley visited Stithians in 1744-50 and brought Methodism to the parish. (Wikipedia)

Turning west at the parish church, Hendra chapel can be found further out of the village on the right (north) of Hendra Road.

Wesleyan chapel and adjoining schoolroom. Datestone 1814. Stuccoed elevations. Dry Delabole slate roof with pedimented gable at entrance front. Plan: Overall L-shaped plan including later schoolroom. Chapel is a rectangular aisle-less plan with gallery on 4 sides. The entrance and stair hall is at the east end and the rostrum is at the west (ritual east) end. Large schoolroom adjoins the west end and this has a heated wing at right angles to its right-hand (north) side. Exterior: 2 storey elevations. Symmetrical 4-window east entrance front with 2 wide elliptically arched doorways towards left and right. Each doorway has its original 3 flush-beaded panelled doors and elliptical fanlight. In front of the doorways is a tetrastyle prostyle Tuscan porch with moulded entablature. The square column-like corners of the front are broken forward; first floor windows (probably circa 1900) have arched lights and coloured glass to the spandrels. There are moulded hoods on consoles over the windows and the pediment and flanking ‘columns’ have moulded cornices. The side walls have their original 16-pane hornless sashes (4 windows to each side on 2 floors). Schoolroom has a 3-window front (left-hand wall) facing the road and its opposite wall is a symmetrical 2 window gable-ended front with central doorway and 2 round- headed windows with coloured glass. Interior: has all its circa 1860s fittings and features. There is a cantilevered gallery carried on paired brackets over Tuscan columns. Box pews, bow-fronted rostrum. Sources: An Inventory of Nonconformist Chapels by Christopher Stell, RCHM. Listing NGR: SW7250137110. (Historic England)

Large Wesleyan chapel plus later schoolroom at rear in a wayside position away from the churchtown (now disused), built near a preaching site used by John Wesley. Stuccoed front end with dressed granite loggia/porch. Pedimented 4-bay front end remodelled and 3-bay colonnaded porch added circa 1900. Refitted in the1860s. Fittings including box pews and full gallery now removed. Stone font, painted to resemble marble with fluted circular bowl on square fluted and tapered stem and moulded base, inscribed ‘J.M. 1843’. Original sashes to side walls. Listed and illustrated in Stell (1). Planning permission in 1983 (decision no 2/24/83/H0021/F) to convert chapel into factory units (2) (Cornwall Council Heritage Gateway)

(Photo: Jo Lewis)

1814: Hendra Wesleyan Chapel built. (Cornwall Council Heritage Gateway / SWChurches)

Built as a Wesleyan Chapel. (SWChurches)

1854: Certificate of registration, Hendra Wesleyan Chapel, Stithians. Certificate of registration as place of religious worship. (Kresen Kernow MRR/1404)

1866: Penmennor United Methodist Free Church was built just a few yards away after a division among the members.

The building is grade 2 listed.

Part of Gwennap Wesleyan Circuit. (SWChurches)

1887: Order appointing trustees, Hendra Wesleyan Chapel, Stithians. (Kresen Kernow MRR/1406)

1887: “WANTED, ORGANIST for Stithians Wesleyan Chapel.” (Royal Cornwall Gazette – Friday 07 October 1887)

19th century: Tickets, Band of Hope, Hendra Wesleyan Chapel, Stithians. (Kresen Kernow MRRS/70)

Circa 1900: Tea ticket, Band of Hope, Hendra Wesleyan Chapel, Stithians. (Kresen Kernow MRR/9015)

1904: Memorandum of appointment, new trustees, Hendra Wesleyan Chapel, Stithians. (Kresen Kernow MRR/1407)

1914: Brochure, Hendra Wesleyan Chapel, Stithians. (Kresen Kernow MRT/145a)

1925: Memorandum of appointment, new trustees, Hendra Wesleyan Chapel, Stithians. (Kresen Kernow MRR/1408)

Oct 1932: Correspondence, repairs to Hendra Methodist Church, Stithians. Letter from Post Office Engineering Department concerning access to their premises to enable repairs to chapel. (Kresen Kernow MRR/1132 & 1133)

1932: The Wesleyan, Primitive Methodist and the United Methodist Church amalgamated to become the Methodist Church of Great Britain.

1932: Became Hendra Methodist Church. (SWChurches)

1934: Part of Redruth Methodist Circuit. (SWChurches)

1940: “GIFT TO STITHIANS CHAPEL. With funds provided under a bequest of the late Mr. A. C. Collins, of Johannesburg, a new electric organ blower has been installed Stithians Wesley Church…” (Cornishman – Thursday 27 June 1940)

1940: Seating for 437. (David Easton, Methodist Minister and historian)

1934-1941: Pew rent receipts, Hendra Methodist Church, Stithians. 1934-1938, 1938-1941 and 1939-1945. (Kresen Kernow MRRS/64)

1893-1946: Trust minutes, Hendra Methodist Church, Stithians. Includes some special committee minutes at end of volume. (Kresen Kernow MRR/1128)

1948: Memorandum of appointment, new trustees, Hendra Methodist Church, Stithians. (Kresen Kernow MRR/1409)

1948: Declaration, adoption of model deed, Hendra Methodist Church, Stithians. (Kresen Kernow MRR/1411)

31 Jan 1959: Letter, choir pews alterations for better organ tuning access, Hendra Methodist Church, Stithians. From L G Sarah, builder, contractor and undertaker, Tresevern Hill, Stithians to Mr Lenten; proposes taking off the ends of the bass and tenor seats, now fixed to the organ panels away and lowering the floors to the level of the bottom pew to gain easier access to the organ mechanism ‘which is always giving trouble through being attacked by mice and woodworm, and which when they come to tune the organ cannot be seen as it is under the floors mentioned and all they have been able to do is insert their hands and hope for the best’; will meet with a chapel deputation to discuss the matter further. (Kresen Kernow MRR/9019)

30 May 1959: Tender, painting toilet doors, Hendra Methodist Church, Stithians. From L G Sarah, builder, contractor and undertaker, Tresevern Hill, Stithians to Mr Lenten. (Kresen Kernow MRR/9020)

19 Jun-13 Oct 1968: Consents to serve, Trustees, Hendra Methodist Church, Stithians. From William Mervyn Pascoe, Hubert Andrew, Louie Veall Ford, Patricia Mollie Pascoe, William John Pascoe, Caroline Veall, Gwendolyne Alberta Nicholas and Alfred Hollis. (Kresen Kernow MRR/9022)

1969: Memorandum of appointment, new trustees, Hendra Methodist Church, Stithians. (Kresen Kernow MRR/1410)

5 Mar 1969: Form of resolution, new Trustees, Hendra Methodist Church, Stithians. (Kresen Kernow MRR/9023)

21 May 1970: Many photographs held by Kresen Kernow.

31 March 1976: Chapel closed for worship. (SWChurches / David Easton, Methodist Minister and historian)

21 Oct 1976: Letter of thanks, closure of Sunday School, Hendra Methodist Church, Stithians. Letter of thanks from Mrs NJ Lloyd, treasurer of Ponsanooth Methodist Sunday School to Mrs Nicholas, for donation of money and resources following closure of Hendra Methodist Sunday School, Stithians. (Kresen Kernow MRR/1139)

Circa 1980?: Letter, communion furniture, Hendra Methodist Church, Stithians. From Pastor Graham Kitts, Carleen Apostolic Church, Breage to Mr Pascoe enclosing cheque for £4.20 for photograph of the communion furniture at Hendra Methodist Church in 1970; invites church members to come to Carleen to inspect it. (Kresen Kernow MRR/9025)

Chapel offered for sale with light industrial Planning Permission use by Lumby. (West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser – Thursday 24 July 1986)

7 August 1986: Chapel and Sunday school sold. (SWChurches)

The burial ground remained open for burials and is accessible by public footpath. (SWChurches)

Organ donated to and installed in Stithians Parish Church. (SWChurches)

Chapel and Sunday school converted to housing.

It is grade 2 listed.

1991: Methodism in Stithians, history of Hendra and Penmennor Methodist Societies, Stithians. Printed booklet on the history of the history of the Hendra and Penmennor Societies, published for the 125th Anniversary of Penmennor Chapel in 1991 by Joyce Green and Tony Langford. (Kresen Kernow MRR/1998)

1947-1996: Minutes, Trust and Sub Committees, Hendra Methodist Church, Stithians. From 1977 minutes of the Property Sub Committee and from 1986 minutes of the Cemetery Sub Committee; also contains [pasted in] burial ground rules, 11 March 1958 [page 87]; invitation, 150th Anniversary celebrations, 1964 [page 121]; souvenir programme, 150th anniversary, 1964 [page 122]; caretaker’s rules and duties, 1966 [page 130]; cemetery rules, 20 March 1968 [page 145]; observations on Circuit Redevelopment Commission, Hendra and Penmennor chapels, 23 July 1972 [page 166]; copy licence to Redruth Methodist Circuit of portions of the premises, 1979 [page 194]; cemetery rules, 20 June 1983 [page 218]; cemetery rules, 26 July 1996 [page 234]; letter, oversight and running of cemetery, 14 November 1996 [page 236] Chapel closed for worship on 31 March 1976. (Kresen Kernow MRR/9014)

1986-2005: Papers, sale of church and management of graveyard, Hendra Methodist Church, Stithians. Circuit property file for Hendra Methodist Church, Stithians. Includes correspondence, invoices, copies of planning applications, schedules of deeds etc. Concerns: sale of the church and schoolroom in 1986; subsequent planning applications by the new owners; management of the graveyard the ownership of which was retained by the church and location of the deeds for the church. (Kresen Kernow MRR/2095)

Converted to flats.

Kresen Kernow holds many other documents and files relating to this chapel.