Mapping Methodism – St Martin in Meneage Wesleyan Chapel

St Martin-in-Meneage is a village in the Meneage district of the Lizard Peninsula five miles (8 km) south-southeast of Helston. This profile of St Martin in Meneage Wesleyan Chapel has been compiled by Terry Moyle.

 

Richard Polwhele (Vicar of Manaccan 1794-1821) tells a strange story about an event that took place in St. Martin Parish Church one Sunday in 1770. When the vicar entered the church he found a large number of people seated in the chancel. He asked them to move into the nave and this they did except for one local farmer who refused to move and entered into an undignified tussle with the parson. Following that the farmer and a friend went over to Mullion and joined the Methodist Society there. (Polwhele “Anecdotes of Methodism”)

 

The first Wesleyan Chapel

• Built and opened on St. Martin Green in 1815
• 1820 Helston Circuit Plan – 6 p.m. Sunday service at St. Martin
• Sunday School and class meeting formed
• Became Schoolroom in 1837 when second chapel opened
• Sold in 1907
• Now a garage

 

The second Wesleyan Chapel

• Built in 1837 at Barry Maylor
• Land owned by James & William Davies and conveyed to Rev. George Taylor, the superintendent minister, for a ground rent of 5 shillings on three named lives.
• Chapel in use from 1837 until 1903
• Tune books bought for the choir in 1877 – Henry Lugg Lyne’s copy is still preserved
• In 1903 became the Schoolroom
• Now a private residence called “The Old Chapel”.
• June 1885 – a concert was given in the Board Schoolroom by St. Martin Wesleyan choir assisted by Messrs. Winn, Dunstan and Andrews of Helston in aid of Sunday School funds. Miss Martin presided at the harmonium and solos and duets were sung by Messrs. Winn and Dunstan and by Miss Emily Cooke and Mrs. Lyne from the choir. Supper followed in the old chapel.

 

The third Wesleyan Chapel

• Opened in June 1903 on land leased from the Carclew Estate
• Gothic in style
• Typical Methodist interior – central pulpit, choir stalls and organ behind but with a semi-circular arrangement of pews sloping down from the back
• Designed by John Eva of Helston
• Cost – £1,600 of which £1,000 had been raised by the time of its opening – grant of £920 from Wesleyan 20^th Century Fund.
• Colonel Tremayne of Carclew gave the site
• June 1903 – on Friday afternoon next the new Wesleyan chapel at St. Martin is to be opened and the event marks an epoch in the denomination which will be a red – letter day in the locality. A handsome edifice has been raised many times superior to the average village chapel. In connection with the opening there will be a public luncheon and tea.
• June 1903 – the two doors of the new Wesleyan chapel at St. Martin were opened by Mrs. Hebbard and Mrs. Trerise. The total cost has been estimated at £1,600. The architect was Mr. John Eva of Helston and the contractor Mr. W.T. Cooke of Mawgan. The chapel is built in the Gothic style and can seat 370 people. The walls have granite dressings, the woodwork is pitch – pine and the rostrum is pitch – pine and mahogany. The stained glass windows were made by Mr. W. H. Perks of Birmingham. The chapel is lighted by acetylene gas, the first for the district. At the opening services the chapel was overflowing. The luncheon was in a tent and was the gift of Colonel Tremayne. Inscribed silver keys were presented to Mrs. Hebbard and Mrs. Trerise by Messrs. H. Lyne and J.H. Morkam. Excluding the proceeds of the opening day the building fund stood at £922; £120 was raised by gifts that has been collected through systematic giving. £54 profit was raised by the luncheon and tea.
• 1903 Trust Account book – pews would be let with priority; first to those with large families, then to those who had held sittings in the old chapel for the longest time. Where more than one person chose the same seat, lots were to be drawn.
• 1904 – New Methodist Hymn Book introduced with music copies for choir members who could read music
• June 1904 – the first anniversary of St. Martin Wesleyan chapel was held on Friday. The new gate was formally opened by Mrs. J. W. Davies at 4pm after which the Chairman of the District, Rev. William Slack, preached. Tea in the old chapel followed the service and there was an evening service. The proceeds were over £30.
• July 1911 – the sudden death of Mr. Edwin Rule of St. Keverne – he was a trustee of both St. Keverne and St. Martin Wesleyan chapels.
• October 1911 – harvest festival services were conducted by Mr. W. f. Phillips of Coverack and the Wednesday afternoon service was led by Mr. G. Hay-Morgan M.P. Following the service there was a tea and an evening meeting.
• January 1912 – the united choirs of St. Keverne Wesleyan Circuit gave a concert at St. Martin Wesleyan chapel. Solos were rendered by Misses Williams (St. Anthony) and Harding and Ebbett (St. Keverne) and Messrs. Tripp (St. Martin) and F. Rule (St. Keverne). Mr. Stuart Rule (St. Keverne) was the organist.
• April 1912 – a missionary meeting was held on Friday evening and missionary services on Sunday. The preachers on Friday were Revs. A.W. Turner and T. Hitchon and on Sunday Mr. T. Whale and Mr. C. Dale.
• February 1914 – a mission has been held at St. Martin Wesleyan chapel led by Mr. Charles Pascoe of St. Just in Roseland. 40 new members have been added.
• 1914 – Miss E Cooke appointed organist and continued in that office until c.1970
• March 1917 – St. Martin and St. Keverne Wesleyan chapels have passed a resolution to aid the country in its hour of need by conserving all produce and by supporting the war funds.
• 1918 – Mr and Mrs laity, the caretakers, were given a bonus of £1.00
• January 1920 – St. Martin Wesleyan Band of Hope raised £6-6s for the Lord Lieutenant’s Fund for the Levant Mine Disaster
• 1920 – a lock was placed on the chapel stable door
• 1922 – a tablet was placed in the chapel in memory of those from St. Martin who fell in the Great War – Reginald F. Bonney, Edwin Jory, William J. Martin, Leonard C Thomas and Frederick C. Tripconey. The plaque was financed by Sir Courtenay Vyvyan of Trelowarren.
• June 1923 – St. Martin Wesleyan Band of Hope had its annual outing to Penzance. 100 members attended but Mr. J. C. Cooke was unable to attend; this was the first outing that he missed in 60 years.
• 1924 – new pipe organ bought for £306
• January 1926 – a bazaar was held in St. Martin Council School on New Year’s Day in aid of a new organ for the Wesleyan chapel. The bazaar was opened by Mrs. Leverton-Spry of St. Keverne and Rev. Tinsley Peet preached at the evening service. £158 has already been raised and another £150 is needed.
• June 1928 -members of Mawgan, St. Martin and Cury British Legions attended St. martin Wesleyan chapel on Sunday evening together with 1^st Martin troop Boy Scouts. They assembled on the Green and marched to the chapel headed by St. Martin Band with members from St. Keverne Band assisting. The preacher was Mr. R.O. Eade of Rame Cross and Mrs. H. Morkam was the organist.
• April 1929 – the death has occurred of Miss Fanny Curnow aged 61 following a fall. He was a member of St. Martin Wesleyan choir and Nursing Association
• September 1929 – the death has occurred of Mr. James Lambrick of Treveador, St. Martin aged 78. He was a long – standing member of St. Martin Wesleyan chapel.
• May 1931 – Camborne Glee Singers gave two concerts in St. Martin Wesleyan chapel on Sunday. Mr. Peter Thomas of Mullion presided.
• 1931 – the chapel cleaner broke his leg while on duty and received £18. 12s from the insurance company
• June 1931 – St. Keverne Circuit Rally was held at St. Martin. The afternoon service was led by Rev. E. Bennett of Redruth and was followed by tea. The evening service was conducted by the Revs. Bennett and F. Chenalls Williams. Singing was led by the combined choirs. The soloists were Miss Miriam Martin and Mr. J. C. Eustice of St. Keverne and Mr. J. Thomas (St. Martin). Misses Martin and Thomas sang duets and the organist was Mrs. H. Morkam.
• March 1932 – the death has occurred of Mr. Frederick Knowles aged 67. He held various offices in St. Keverne Wesleyan Circuit, was Chairman of St. Martin Parish a new school hall was built to replace Council and the Registrar for births, marriages and deaths. The funeral service at St. martin Wesleyan chapel was conducted by Rev. F. Chenalls Williams.
• The Lyne family of Tregevis were active members of society for many years – Hannibal Lugg Lyne (1819-87) was a trustee, chapel steward and choir member and his son Henry (1847-1933) held the same offices. The latter was a storehouse of anecdotes and when asked by Lady Vyvyan what had become of the old smugglers, received the reply “they became local preachers”.
• 1976 – a new school hall was built to replace the old 1937 building and was opened by Mr. W.T. Hawken Rowse, Chairman of Cornwall County Council.
• 1979 chapel badly damaged by a storm during the Christmas period and re-opened in June 1980
• In the late 1960s/early 1970s there was a group of young people with Methodist and Anglican backgrounds and they were actively involved with the chapel and Sunday School. There were 10, 5 Methodists and 5 Anglicans, who wanted to become members so a joint confirmation service took place in the parish church. The Bishop of Truro and the Chairman of the Cornwall Methodist District (Rev. Hubert Luke) took the service. This was the first joint confirmation service in Cornwall. This was also the same church from which the farmer walked out to join the Methodists in 1770.

St. Martin Chapel c. 1905

First St. Martin – now a garage

First St. Martin

St Martin 1970s – the 1903 building

Sketch – St. Martin 1970s

Organists at St. Martin Chapel – Miss E. Cooke, Mrs. H. Morkam, Miss J Thomas, Mrs P. Lambrick , Mrs. Doris Boaden and Miss Dorothy Williams (the latter was the organist at Rosuick until it closed and the members joined St. Martin)

 

175^th Anniversary Services June 1990

• Friday 15 June – Flower Festival, Exhibition of Memorabilia, service taken by Rev. Eric Baker (minister) and anniversary cake cut by Miss J. Thomas
• Saturday 16 June – Flower Festival, Exhibition and refreshments
• Sunday 17 June – Anniversary Services conducted by Rev. Ian Haille, Chairman of the District. Soloists Miss H Boaden and Mr. Michael Bosustow.
• Monday 18 June – The musical “The Spirit” presented by Helston and Porthleven Young People

 

Memories of St. Martin Chapel

• 1930 – during the singing of a hymn which included the words “Before the world with smoke is dim, we meet to offer prayer”, the tortoise stove used to heat the chapel belched out thick smoke
• Late 1950s – tortoise stoves replaced by new heating system
• Norman Williams brought much of the stone from Trezise Quarry for the building of the 1903 chapel and the surrounding Cornish hedges
• Sunday School superintends included Mr. Henry Morkam and Mr. Cyril Laity (who taught the boys) while Mrs. E. Tripconey, Miss J. Thomas and Miss M. Tripconey took the girls’ classes.
• Annual garden fete held at the home of Mrs. Doris Boaden
• Chapel Anniversary – first Sunday in May
• The old Sunday School (second chapel) was a very draughty and difficult to warm building
• The old chapel (second chapel) was used as an overflow classroom for evacuees during 2WW and the HQ for the local Home Guard; it was also used at various times as a drill hall for the local Army cadets
• The chapel had a good choir – the women sat in the front seats and the men filled the pews behind
• Memories were sent to the 175^th Anniversary booklet by previous ministers

1. Peter Grose (1955-1960)
2. Tom Shaw (1968-1973)
3. Tom Vidamour (1973-1980)
4. James Hardwick (1980-1983)

 

• St Martin Methodist Chapel closed in 2008 and some of the members joined Manaccan to form Meneage Methodist Church (which is closing on 28^th August 2021.)