Mapping Methodism – Higher Condurrow Primitive Methodist Chapel

Condurrow is a small hamlet on the southern outskirts of Camborne. It lies in the heart of mining country, just off the Great Flat Lode and overlooking Condurrow and Grenville mines. This profile of Higher Condurrow Primitive Methodist Chapel has been compiled by Suzanne Trythall.

The 1851 census dates the first chapel as 1828, but the circuit schedules record it as 1826.

Cost of build: £25.00, all of which was in debt until cleared in 1835

1830: membership 12

1831: membership 47

1838: Sunday scholars 51

1830s: William Bawden was Chapel Steward and a ‘shandileer’ was purchased for 7 shillings

2 October 1832 Hugh Bourne, one of the founders of the Primitive Methodism Movement, preached ‘with power’ at the chapel

1833: the chapel was permitted to have a travelling preacher who would preach in the open air every year on the first Sunday in April, in order to collect funds for the chapel

1843: part of a plot of land adjacent to William Bawden’s house, originally leased to him by the Pendarves estate, was leased to nine local men for the purpose of building a new chapel. The premises were mortgaged for £30 to William Coombe, miller of Camborne and later registered for worship in 1860.

1856: Rev John Petty noted that he had preached to miners and others in a densely crowded chapel on Sunday 24 February and attended a tea meeting four days later. He comments

that ‘the speakers and congregation suffered much for lack of ventilation in the chapel which injured the meeting as in respects its life and animation’. He says public collections were small but people exerted themselves in other ways.

1861: a division occurred when two class leaders, Captain H Richards and Richard Nile, disagreed. Nile left taking his class with him and left the society greatly weakened.

Chapel Membership fell to 19 in 1861 and 3 in 1862

Sunday Scholars numbered 70 in 1860 but only 15 in 1862

By 1866 the chapel had been enlarged with a new floor, pews and a pulpit.

Capacity: 150 with 64 paid for pews

Average Sunday attendance: 15

Balance sheet Dec 1866: £5 19s income and £5 19s expenditure, debt on building £12

1876: the Pendarves estate granted a new 99-year lease of the chapel premises at a rent of 6d per year to John Hosking mine agent of Redruth, William Richards hilt maker of Camborne and Rev Richard Bennetts Primitive Minister of Camborne Circuit

1886: Cornubian and Redruth Times reported that ‘a house adjoining the chapel has been torn down. The ground on which it stood has been given to the trustees, and will be enclosed with the chapel’.

Chapel in the early to mid 1880s from the photographic studio of William John Bennet who was a worshipper at the chapel. Photo: courtesy of David Thomas

2 February 1888: foundation stones were laid of a new chapel by Captain W Richards, Mr J Rodda, Mr W Rule, Mrs JM Jewell, Captain William Cock Vivian of Reskadinnick and Mrs P Ann Bennetts. The stone laying at 2.30pm had been preceded by a luncheon at 1s 6d per head. Later there was a public tea at Beacon Wesleyan Sunday School.

Date stone from front of chapel, now in wall of a local garden, which can be seen in situ in the 1940 photograph towards the end of this profile. Photo: courtesy of Mr Edwin Thomas

Stone from the chapel in a local garden wall, carved with the initials of two brothers John Ham (b1878) and Sam Ham (b1880). Sam was a miner who travelled to South Africa where he became the Middleweight Champion for Cornish Wrestling in 1910. Photo: courtesy of Mr Edwin Thomas

1907: became Condurrow United Methodist Church

Detail from 1908 map showing ground plan of chapel with front porch and single-story annexe on right

Interior of the 1888 chapel decorated for Easter around the time of WW1. The roll of honour of men serving in the forces sits below the rostrum. Photo: courtesy of David Thomas

1917: became part of Camborne Methodist Circuit

1924: conveyance drawn up by which the property was given to the chapel by William Cole Pendarves, subject to the covenant that premises could only be used as a place of worship or a minister’s residence

A fete being held in the small courtyard in front of the chapel, probably around 1930. Photo: courtesy of David Thomas

1932: became Higher Condurrow Methodist Church

1944: decline in population led to the closure of the chapel

1948: chapel in poor state of repair but sale was subject to the restrictive Pendarves covenant of 1924. The Trustees asked for a release from the covenant for the sum of £5.

Mrs Warwick Pendarves was prepared to re-convey the property to the Methodist Church Trustees without payment provided whole of proceeds of sale went to the repair and maintenance of other Methodist chapels which were formerly part of the Pendarves Estate. The Trustees would need to pay all legal costs. The property to be conveyed to Mrs Bagge of Beacon by consent of the surviving Trustees.

1949: complaint from neighbour, Mr JH Roberts, to Mrs Pendarves that slates were blowing off chapel roof and damaging his property. It was suggested he made an offer for the property and finally completed the deal for £100. Measurements at time of sale:

Frontage of plot – 90ft Depth – 73ft

Frontage of main chapel building – 25ft Depth – 35ft

Small annexe: 11 x 9ft Side addition: 25ft square

Chapels to benefit from the sale:

Tregajorran £10

Lower Condurrow, Troon St John’s, Bolenowe, Beacon Schoolroom and Edward St Tuckingmill all received £18 each

1950: deeds of chapel were deposited at Camborne Wesley

The chapel was used for some years as a depot for Tommy Hart’s coal company. A hole was knocked in the front wall to allow lorry access. Photo: courtesy of Mr Edwin Thomas