BILL QUAY WESLEYAN METHODIST CHAPEL


Perhaps the best collection of records pertaining to one society that are held in the Circuit archives, are those relating to Bill Quay Wesleyan Methodist Chapel. The church is represented by a vast array of documentation ranging from photographs to programmes, account books to minute books, chronicles, plans, etc. covering a period from 1856 to the present day. In addition, there are entries within other documentation that refer back to the very beginnings of Methodism in this area at around 1814.

John Coulthard was one of the first trustees of the Wesleyan Methodists in Felling. He was born in 1777 at West Black Dean in Weardale, County Durham. John Wesley preached there and within the Wolsingham Circuit as it became, twelve times. His last sermon in the Dales being at Stanhope on Friday 11th June 1790. John Coulthard attended both the established church and the Wesleyan chapel with his parents though both parents died whilst John was still of an early age. He married at a young age too but his wife died in 1798. It was at this time when he was most in need of consolation that God spoke to him. In 1799, he moved to Sunderland and in that year received his first ticket as a member of the Monkwearmouth Wesleyan society from Mr. Bogie, and became an active worker in the Sunday Schools.

He left Sunderland and fixed his residence at Bill Quay in the glass-works, at which he was a partner for many years with Mr. Cookson. John Coulthard's diary - excerpts of which are included in a memoir to him in the 1840 edition of the Methodist Magazine - reflects his deep religious experience and his acquaintance with Rev. James Everett. When he arrived at Bill Quay, he found the people in "a degraded state" with the men addicted to horse and boat racing, cock fighting and pitched battles with each other, together with excessive drinking. Not only the men, but also women too at the end of their day's work baking and attending to the home, could be found drunk and disorderly. He began a change for the better by caring for the bodily health and eternal welfare of those whom he employed. He had not been long at Bill Quay when he observed the need for a Sunday School and provided, at his own expense, a place, seats, and books for the children from Felling Shore, Heworth and Bill Quay. If any of the children were missing each week, he would personally go in search of them, calling at their homes or bringing them from the hills on a Sunday afternoon. When the chapel was built at Felling Shore, he assisted the friends to raise a school there, aiding them with books. He was instrumental in establishing the society at Felling and also that at Sheriff Hill.

As well as the Bill Quay Sunday School, he also established a library for adults and senior scholars, and encouraged the formation of a Friendly Society for the benefit of his own workmen, to which he annually gave a donation of twenty shillings. Services of the early Methodists were held in cottages, most notably that of Mrs Elizabeth Barnes in 1814. A preacher, a young soldier, found there that the congregation was so vast that he had to preach outside on the incline leading up to the door. There are no records available to state when such meetings began however the earliest mention within local records which I have found appears in the 1808-09 October-March "Lord's Day Plan of Methodist Preachers" for the Newcastle Circuit. It shows that there were Methodists meeting in Bill Quay, with a preacher planned every second Sunday for a 10.00 a.m. service. John Coulthard was aware of these cottage meetings taking place and in 1837 gave the members permission to hold services in the pot loft of the bottle works. By 1829, the Wesleyan Plan for the Gateshead Circuit shows that preachers were planned for 10.30 a.m. and 6.00 p.m. services each Sunday with Sacrament services being held once a quarter.

John Coulthard took an active interest in the society and a Sunday School was soon established. Coulthard set aside a plot of land adjoining the bottle works on which to build a chapel, but before the building was completed, he died. For the ten months prior to his death, he had spent his days in London though his diary records that he kept in regular contact with his friends back home - particularly James Everett. He returned to Gateshead in the spring of 1838 and struggled with ill health until Thursday 20th September1838. A former Church Warden of Heworth Church, his remains were interred in Heworth churchyard. His son and successor, Thomas, carried out his father's wishes and by 1841 the original congregation of 40 or so had increased to 70 members. The chapel was built on a site previously used as a playground and which, because of its close proximity to the Bone Ash Works, had come to be known as "Stinky Green".

The first anniversary of the chapel, held shortly after the death of John Coulthard, was held in the engine room of the Bottle Works, this being the largest room available to hold the vast numbers of people who wished to attend. In 1906, Mrs D Walton - the only surviving member to have been present at the engine room service - was able to recall reciting a piece of poetry and the 5th chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel.

By 1851, there had been a split in the congregation and the chapel was taken over by the Wesleyan Reformers whilst the original congregation reverted to meeting in members' homes, particularly that of Mrs Black. The Sunday School joined that at Felling Shore and took part in the anniversary services there. When the new owner of the Bottle Works - Mr Richards - heard that the Reformers had taken over, he ensured that the chapel was promptly handed back to the original congregation.

A great revival took place in 1866 led by the ministry of Revs. Robert Haworth, Joseph Dawson and Peter MacKenzie. This resulted in an increase of about 150 members. Amongst those brought in, were Robert Wray Smith, later to labour in Canada, and his brother, Charles. The Bottle House Chapel belonged to the works and these declined and then closed in 1866. The Bill Quay congregation needed a new chapel anyway - the Bottle House Chapel could no longer hold the large numbers attending services. A site was selected higher up the village at Swinburne Terrace and the members set themselves the task of building the new chapel. The new chapel and school room was erected at a cost of �1,300 and opened in 1869, the last service at the Bottle House Chapel being held on 8th August and led by Robert Wray Smith. The site of the Bill Quay Bottle Works was later bought by Messrs. Wood, Skinner in 1882 who cleared the whole site including the chapel, so that a shipyard could be built.

To acquire the necessary funds, various schemes were launched with perhaps the most important being a bazaar held in Newcastle Town Hall from 19th to 21st May 1868. This resulted in just over �305 being raised. A subscription list was opened in March 1867 and, along with the proceeds of lectures etc. added a further �370 to the fund. At the foundation stone-laying ceremony on 21st July, attended by Alderman Brown of Gateshead, a total of �72 15s 1d was collected and at a public tea held to mark the opening of the new building, a little over �92 was raised. Building the new chapel, unfortunately, also resulted in the indirect deaths of four local people and injuries to four more.

On Saturday 24th October 1868 a gale, which had affected the whole of the country, caused part of the building to collapse. Local and national newspapers included the details in their columns and the following is an excerpt from one:- "..between the south end of the chapel and Mr Brown's house was a narrow passage leading from the road to the waste ground in the rear. During a strong gale of wind from the north-west, at the time above named, the roof of the chapel came down bringing with it nearly the whole of the south gable and a large portion of the north gable, the whole falling with a terrible crash. The south gable fell bodily upon the adjoining house, a two storey one, crushing in the roof and the floors of the upper rooms, and completely burying the whole of the occupants in the ruins."

The article goes on to tell us that it took the villagers nearly three hours to recover the bodies from the rubble. Those killed were Joseph Brown aged 36, his wife Elizabeth, aged 32; their youngest child, Alice, aged two years and Margaret Westgarth aged 13. Hannah Westgarth was seriously injured and the three remaining children of Joseph & Elizabeth Brown - George, Thomas & Robert - were also injured internally. The reports are rather graphic in detail, therefore I won't repeat their descriptions of the injuries sustained, sufficient to note that all bodies, whether living or dead, were "sadly disfigured" and "presented the most ghastly spectacle".

The new chapel - with seating for 450 people (pictured right) cost �1,300 to build and was eventually opened 15th August 1869. A school, called the Wesleyan Elementary School, was also established around this time. A fee paying school, it was leased to the Heworth School Board in 1875 until Bill Quay School was opened in 1877.

Around this time, the chapel Trustees consisted of one Gateshead man, Silas Kent and eleven locals including: Robert Carter, Thomas Carter, John Morris, David Morris, Thomas Wraith, John Colling, Charles Smith, Robert Reed, Peter Keers, William Carter and John Johnson.

By 1890, the Society were again considering new buildings, particularly for the ever-expanding Sunday School. On 20th January 1890, the Trustees decided to purchase a plot of ground on which to erect a new building. The site was purchased from the Ecclesiastical Commission for 1/6 per square yard and it was decided to build a Lecture Hall first with a Chapel to follow later. New Trustees were formed in December 1890, all from Bill Quay except where stated: David Morris (Pelaw), Robert Carter (11 Deckham Terrace), Peter Keers William Handyside, Pattinson Ridley, Wilson Mackay, Robert Porter, Wm. Valentine Embleton, Robert Carter jun., Thomas Aldridge, Ralph Rennison, William Colling (Pelaw), Mrs Hanson, William Henderson, Matthew Swinburn, Henry Fife Fallow (Gateshead), John Arkle (West St. Gateshead), Robert Robson, Robert Lumsdon, Wardley Colliery and Hugh Slee (Gateshead).

Foundation stones of the Station Road Lecture Hall were laid on 10th August 1895, the principal stone being laid by EG Barnett Esq. of Byell. Another was laid by Hannah Millican, an aunt of Charles Taylor the Heworth Lane historian, during her first visit back to England since emigrating to Australia in 1878. The building - which had cost �1,500 to construct - was opened on 12th February 1896 by Miss J Alexander of Gateshead who was presented with a silver key by the Superintendent Minister, Rev JG Smith. The opening service was led by the Rev. I E Page.

The Swinburne Terrace chapel continued to be used but in 1906 the congregation gathered to discuss its future. Repairs to the building would cost �148 or they could move into the Lecture Hall, suitably converted, for �50. On 10th March 1907 the Swinburne Terrace Chapel was used for the last time. The building was closed in 1908 then leased to Victor S Jefferson from 1st September 1909 at �20 per year, who converted the upstairs into a cinema with a billiard room where the Sunday School had previously been held. Initially, the cinema was known as the Imperial Picture Hall (September 1909) and by 1913 as the Crown. It closed as a cinema in 1930; became a Civil Defense Store then, following partial demolition, was used as a static water tank in WWII. Following the war, the remains of the building were demolished.

As noted previously, the retained records of the church are, thankfully, substantial and it is interesting to note that a full record was kept of the Sunday School which was so successful there. A list is available of all the Superintendents and Secretaries from 1862 to 1972 as well as attendance figures from 1856 to 1940 with relatively few breaks. At the time of the closing of Swinburne Terrace, when TW Murray was Sunday School Superintendent and JW Scott secretary, there were a total of 321 children on the books and an average attendance of 231 plus 25 teachers, (the school's peak was in 1900 when 397 children were on the books with an average attendance of 236 led by 23 teachers). The Anniversary collection in 1906, amounted to �7 14s 0d again, quite a high figure for that era of time. The anniversary in 1909 warranted a note in the chapel's chronicle that, with the evening service being so well attended "very many people were unable to gain admittance".

Just prior to the sale of the Swinburne Terrace building, in March 1906, a Sale of Work was held with the intention of raising �100 to liquidate the debt on the chapel and to repay a �200 loan from the Falkous Trust. The sale, opened by William Swan, was well-attended and patronised, the successful effort netted �178 13s 9d. Other income was derived from the loan of rooms in the chapel to, amongst others; the Rechabites; Odd Fellows; Indpt. Labour Party; the Sons of Temperance and the Primitive Methodists.

In 1910, it is noted that the chapel served breakfasts to needy children in the area, over the Christmas/New Year holidays. Helped by scholars of the Sunday School, the teachers served 615 hearty breakfasts over the holiday and the funds remaining (6/4) were handed to the Felling Footwear Fund which was established in the previous century to provide footwear for children of poor backgrounds.

The First World War had little direct effect on the church with the usual string of events taking place. The church did contribute significantly to the sending of parcels at Christmas-time with 100 being sent out to those associated with the chapel in the first week of December 1916. This was repeated again in 1917. Also in 1917, the death in action of Matthew Reay was recorded. He had enlisted on his 18th birthday and had been sent to France on his 19th birthday despite having failed the eye test. He was associated with the Sunday School from his earliest days.

1920 began on a brighter note with an interesting gathering for the chapel choir. The choir provided remarkable service, not only during weekly services, but also during concerts, social gatherings and other chapel events. Copies of original programmes which survive, show that their repertoire was extensive and included Messiah; Creation and Elijah in addition to many other cantatas.

On Tuesday 20th January, 1920, Charles Carter of South Shields - a former Choir Master of the chapel, handed over a silver mounted ivory baton to the choir master of that time (un-named). The baton, presented to Mr Carter on 22nd April 1878 (Easter Monday) for his services in leading the choir for nine years, was handed to the Trustees for safe-keeping. Mr Carter had first attended the church when aged 6 years old. He was closely associated with the Sunday School being a teacher then Secretary in 1865 & 1866 and Superintendent 1875-76. In addition, he was President of the Band of Hope for many years.

Just nine days later, Bill Quay welcomed the President of the Conference, Rev. Dr. WTA Barber to the chapel. Dr. Barber addressed two meetings and attended the public tea, all three events being very well attended. Proceeds from the day were apportioned to a new building fund.

As shown above, the Sunday School was a growing concern and the Station Road premises were not entirely suitable for the work involved. It was decided that new premises or an extension to the building was required and so began a new series of fund-raising endeavours. The work undertaken, involved the building of a new schoolroom; alterations to the church; a new rostrum and alterations to the organ and pews; new fencing, gates & posts as well as replacement windows and general repairs at a total cost of �2701 18s 4d. That the chapel were able to pay the bill so promptly following completion in 1936, shows the hard work undertaken by the members and friends in what were quite difficult times. At the time of the stone-laying ceremony on 22nd June 1935, a total of �2458 17s 8d had been raised. An order of service from that day, shows that 13 stones were laid following hymns, prayers and readings by Rev. James Fielding and a presentation by the architect, Edwin Batchelor. The opening ceremony was performed by Mrs Wm Handyside of Hexham on 2nd November 1935 with Rev. Samuel Palmer (Chairman of the District) preaching the sermon.

Bill Quay was again selected for a visit by the President of the Conference, on 6th December 1945. The President, Rev. AW Harrison MC DD BA BSc, addressed a congregation of about 100 in the afternoon and 200 in the evening, when chairs had to be placed down the aisles to entertain as many people as possible.

The jubilee of the Station Road buildings was commemorated in March 1946 with a series of special services and events. The weekend began with an "At Home" at which many old friends of the church gathered. Fred Gunton gave a talk on the Local Preachers who had been connected to the Bill Quay church fifty years ago including: Peter Keers, Robert Reed, Thomas Aldridge, William Henderson, William Embleton, Robert Robson, ? Rawlinson, Wilk Ridley, Frederick Gunton (a preacher for over 60 years), Watson Rennison, Robert Parker & William Handyside.

New Trustees were appointed in 1903, 1923, 1934 and again in 1958. The 1958 Trust consisted of: Joseph Alexander Rennison, Richard Sharp, John Hector Sharp, Raymond Martin, Joseph Wm. Sharp Matthew E Allan, John Robert Murray, Donald Robson, Kenneth Swinburne, Arthur Curry, Robert Rennison, James Jobling, Harvey Pearson, Henry Burn, William Smiles, John Rennison Sharp, James Daley Joseph Brian Davidson and William Nicholson.

The 75th anniversary of the stone-laying ceremony was celebrated in 1970 with a three-course dinner held in the schoolroom at which 174 people sat down to the meal.

On 24th March 1972, a joint Society Meeting was held between Station Road and Wellfield Terrace churches at which it was unanimously agreed to unite the two churches, operate from one set of premises and therefore increase the Methodist witness in Bill Quay. On the morning of Sunday 4th June, a service was held at the Wellfield Terrace chapel to mark the termination of each society and in the evening, the new Bill Quay Methodist Church, housed in the Station Road chapel, was inaugurated. The congregation, who numbered about 140 persons, were joined with friends from Pelaw chapel, itself to close just eight years later. Some alterations were carried out to the chapel - most notably the installation of the organ from Wellfield Terrace and the moving of the pulpit from its former central position to the south side of the church.

There are many well-known names associated with the society. William Handyside, a local preacher and Trustee at Bill Quay, was the first to enter from that church into the ministry. He married a Miss Henderson also from the Bill Quay society on 30th July 1908 at High West Street chapel, Gateshead. In 1904 Robert Wray Smith became a Wesleyan Minister serving in Canada.

Robert Reed, a Trustee of the church for many years, died 8th February 1908, aged 82 years. He had been a local preacher for 41 years. Peter Keers, a preacher on the Gateshead Circuit for 62 years, and long associated with Bill Quay, died on 23rd October 1908 aged 80 years. He was a native of Felling where his father was also a preacher. His death was sudden following an accident with a tram car as he left a service at High West Street chapel. Another sudden, and somewhat unusual death, was that of Robert Davidson who died on 11th November 1913. A farmer, Mr Davidson was in the field following his horse-drawn plough when he was distracted to another part of the field where another horse had fallen. In his eagerness to get to the fallen animal, he collapsed and died. Until just a few years prior to his death, he was a Sunday School Teacher and served as a Trustee for ten years. Moving on considerably, Fred Gunton died in 1963 aged 89 years. He was then the oldest member of the church and had been a local preacher for sixty years. For many years he was Trust Secretary and a Class Leader. He was also actively involved in Circuit matters most notably as circuit secretary to the LPMA.



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