Mapping Methodism – Bryher Non-Conformist Chapel, Isles of Scilly
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Map: This profile of Bryher Non-Conformist Chapel has been compiled by Jo Lewis and Tony Mansell.
Circa 1830-1843: There are records of a short-lived Baptist chapel on Bryher.
The Baptist Itinerant Aid Society established Scilly as their first missionary station with chapels on all the inhabited islands including Bryher.
Augustus Smith, ‘Lord Proprietor’ of the Isles of Scilly, fell out with the Baptists and in 1843 ‘caused notice to be served at all the chapels’, so they were closed.
1843: The Baptist Home Ministry withdrew from the island, though prayer meetings continued without a minister for some time before the building was abandoned.
Services were then held by a Methodist Lay preacher in a cottage on the island (Picture in UK Churches link https://www.churches-uk-ireland.org/images/scilly/bryher_bap_cott.jpg)
1877: A nonconformist chapel was built on Bryher (some references 1874). It was probably Baptist but was also used by the Bible Christians and Methodists.
1913: Formally constituted into a Baptist church (Possibly because the Methodists had gone elsewhere or died out).
1967: Closed.
1972: Converted into to a private house.
Further reading:
Photo: Topo122, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
https://kresenkernow.org/SOAP/search/RelatedNameCode.keyword/CRO%7CUK%7C1428/