Mapping Methodism – Trewellard (Hillside) Teetotal / New Connexion / Bible Christian / United Methodist Chapel
Categories Mapping Methodism0 Comments
Map: This profile of Trewellard (Hillside) Teetotal / New Connexion / Bible Christian / United Methodist Chapel has been compiled by Jo Lewis and Tony Mansell.
1746: Charles and John Wesley visited the village.
1815: There was a Methodist society in the village.
Both SWChurches and the Revd David Easton show the build date as 1833 but we believe the correct date to be 1841.
Built as a Methodist Teetotal Chapel. (Revd David Easton).
West Penwith resources note that a Wesleyan Teetotal chapel was founded in 1841 with seats for 160. This suggests that there was a split in the village after the formation of the Wesleyan Chapel.
The Teetotal Wesleyan Methodists existed chiefly in West Cornwall, becoming a large and active teetotal society from 1837/1838 even though they were not supported by the Wesleyan Methodists, which led to a secession by 1841. This time line supports the history of this chapel build date.
It had a Sunday school.
Located to the north of the Village, in its own park off Hillside Gardens.
1851: Henry Trezise was steward of this chapel.
By 1860 the Wesleyan Teetotal had broken up with members joining either the UMFC or the Methodist New Connexion (which by the 1851 census had been limited to one society in St Ives).
Became a New Connexion Chapel. (Revd David Easton)
1867: The return notes only one further chapel to the Wesleyan in Trewellard, which is registered as a Methodist New Connexion in the Penzance circuit.
Became Bible Christian Chapel. (Revd David Easton) Sometime between 1867 and 1873 according to maps and newspaper reports. (There is no Bible Christian Chapel registered on the 1867 return and 1875 maps show this as a Bible Christian Chapel. Kresen Kernow documents note this was Bible Christian before 1907.
1873: Trewellard Bible Christian Chapel mentioned. (The Cornish Telegraph – Wednesday 02 April 1873)
1877: Galleries and seating installed. (The Cornish Telegraph – Tuesday 05 June 1877)
1881: Trewellard Bible Christian Chapel mentioned. (Cornishman – Thursday 10 March 1881)
1897: Trewellard Bible Christian Chapel mentioned. (Cornishman – Thursday 28 January 1897)
1905: Trewellard Bible Christian Chapel mentioned. (Cornishman – Thursday 07 September 1905)
1907: The Methodist New Connexion, Bible Christians and United Methodist Free Churches amalgamated to become the United Methodist Church.
1907: Became a United Methodist Chapel. (Revd David Easton)
1932: The Wesleyan, Primitive Methodist and the United Methodist Church amalgamated to become the Methodist Church of Great Britain.
1932: Became Trewellard Hillside Methodist Church.
1933: Closed and the congregation joined Trewellard Methodist Chapel (Former Wesleyan).
1983: Closed. (SWChurches) (Undoubtedly an error)
Circa 1969: Became a meadery.
(Sarah Davis)
2019: The meadery was put on the market, described as a being under the same family ownership for 50 years which suggests it was a meadery by the 1970s. The Meadery was bought and still appears, in 2024, to be active as Trewellard Meadery.
Further reading:
Heritage Gateway: A Bible Christian chapel, built in the 1860’s is recorded on the 1st and 2nd Editions of the 1:2500 1880 and 1907 OS Maps. Now converted to commercial premises and altered. It has a coursed granite front with granite dressings, otherwise granite rubble. Two-window front end with round-arched windows. The ground floor is obscured by a late C20 extension. (Heritage Gateway puts its build date as 1860 so could this have been built over or as an extension to the older chapel given that there are no other chapel buildings found.)
https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MCO32932&resourceID=1020
https://dmbi.online/index.php?do=app.entry&id=2701
https://west-penwith.org.uk/wpenchap.htm
https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/property/cornwalls-most-popular-meadery-restaurant-3002762