Bethesda Methodist Chapel, Elland

Bethesda Methodist Chapel – Aka Top o' th' Street Chapel, Top o' th' Lane Chapel – stands on Victoria Road, Elland.

When Rev W. Styan was Superintendent Minister, with the aid of a few circuit friends in Halifax, a body of Trustees was formed and a site for a new Chapel was obtained in Town Field Lane.

The land was purchased from John Pitchforth on 3rd July, 1824, for £135.

There were 26 members of the Trust, some of whom, being unable to write, had to sign the Deed with their mark. The trustees were

• John Horner, Artist of Halifax
• Telemachus Gledhill, Grocer of Northowram
• George Beaumont, Draper of Halifax
• Nathaniel Tillotson, Weaver of Northowram
• Daniel Bairstow, Draper of Northowram
• Jeremiah Swift, Shoemaker of Northowram
• John Styring, Grocer of Halifax
• William Gath, Shopkeeper of Halifax
• Joshua Gregson, Woolcomber of Halifax
• John Pearson, Wire drawer of Northowram
• John Hoadley, Wood turner of Halifax
• Owen Fielding, Cardmaker of Norland
• George Roberts, Woollen Spinner of Elland
• Joseph Farrar, Cardmaker of Elland
• Joseph Dearden, Bookkeeper of Elland
• Benjamin Ainley, Clothier of Elland
• Jeremiah Stott, Stone Mason of Elland
• Joseph Halliday, Cardmaker of Elland
• Cornelius Peel, Shoemaker of Elland
• John Pilling, Woollen Spinner of Elland
• Benjamin Kay, Clothier of Elland
• George Pilling, Woollen Spinner of Elland
• Lawrence Wood, Woollen Spinner of Elland
• Thomas Slater, Woollen Spinner of Elland
• James Crossland, Coalminer of Elland
• Jeremiah Kendall, Cardmaker of Elland

The Chapel was built in 1824. It accommodated

It was enlarged in 1863.

It was demolished in 1879 and the area was cleared.

A new chapel – now known as Bethesda Chapel – was built on the same site by William Hill in 1879-1880.

The No 110 Band of the League of the Helping Hand is recorded here [June 1911].

The building was extensively refurbished in 1997

The Sunday School was built in 1866 next door to the Chapel.

A carving of Robert Raikes, the father of the Sunday School system, which came from the demolished school has been re-sited in the boundary wall of the Chapel.

Ministers at the Chapel have included Rev T. Addyman [1863] Rev B. Child [1865] Rev J. Gibson [1866] Rev J. Robinson [1867] Rev J. James [1868] Rev D. Heath [1869] Rev B. B. Turnock [1872] Rev A. Leach [1874] Rev C. Bamford [1877] Rev George Grundy [1880] Rev J. Young [1882] Rev George Wheatley [1886] Rev Martin J. Birks [1890] Rev D. Jackson [1893] Rev Thomas Cooper [1898] Rev William T. Haddy [1905] Rev W. Gakes Meir [1906] Rev Maurice Hodsman [1908] Rev W. T. Nicholson [1913] Rev C. Whiteley [1920] Rev E. Cook [1923] Rev G. A. Ives [1928] Rev John Mayne [1932] Rev Lionel Brayton [1937] Rev J. M. Yellowley [1944] Rev George Emerson [1947] Rev A. R. Dyer [1950] Rev J. Stanley Milner [1956] Rev George Thompson [1962] Rev R. C. Bedford [1967] Rev C. B. A. Robertshaw [1971] Rev Alan M. Hindmarch [1974] Rev Christine Dybdahl Rev Jimmy Trotter Rev Anne Greet Rev Robert Gee Rev Paul Clapham [2009] Rev Stephen Barnett Rev Colin Sherwood

See Bethesda Methodist Chapel, Elland: War Memorial, Bethesda Methodist Chapel, Elland: Graveyard, Love Feasts, Sowood Wesleyan Methodist Church Memorial and Mrs Hetty Sykes

This & associated entries use material contributed by Maureen V. Farmery, Andrew Teal & John Williams

Page Ref: QQ_28

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