Mexborough & Swinton Times November 12, 1926
Conisborough Wesleyanism
How Methodists Came
The Singing Horseman
An interesting account of how Methodism first came to Conisborough has to come light during the last few days.
One market day during the latter part of their 18th century, a man who resided in one of the old cottages above the Alma Inn, West Street, went to Doncaster on horseback, and hearing John Wesley preached, was converted. On arriving home, singing “O for a thousand tongues to sing,” he was believed to have gone mad, but prayer meetings were started at Conisborough, Mickelbring and Clifton, and from this small beginning, the church grew, and as recounted last week, some 20 odd years later, in 1810, the old chapel was built at a cost of £750.
The contractors purchased the old building, which was divided between them. Mr Twibey built a workshop almost wholly of the material from his share. The shop still stands, and stairs, floors, windows, panelling, beams, doors, and flags, are incorporated in and about the building. Mr Downing used part of his share for a similar purpose. His workshop is now a motor garage on Doncaster Road. The site of the new chapel was purchased from a Mr Cheetham at a cost of £300. An old barn that stood on the site being demolished to make room for the new building.
On the 8th April, 1876, the foundation stone was laid by Mr Batt, of Worsborough Dale, who placed a £100 note on the stone. A Doncaster paper of 14th April, 1876, in reporting the event, stated that “Wesleyan is has existed in the village from the beginning of this century.” The old site was sold for £150, and the old building for £15, and including this item, the amount raised up to the stone laying was about £2000. About £48 of this amount had been collected by Sunday scholars in pennies. The Reverents. E. Oldfield, Luke Scott, J. S. Simon, J. Clapham and J. Jackson took part in the ceremony. In a cavity in the stone the following documents etc., were enclosed: a vellum roll inscribed with the names of president and secretary of the Wesleyan conference, names of the trustees, current issues of the local daily and weekly papers, new 2s., 1s., 6d. and 1d. Pieces.
On 6th July, 1876, four memorial stones were laid by Mrs J. Mitchell, Worsborough Dale, Mrs G. Kilner, of Thornhill Lees. Mrs, J. Blythe, of Conisborough, and Mr T. Good, of Hull, Rev. H. W. Holland of Headingley, delivering an address. It was hoped to have the chapel ready for opening in the early part of the following year, but this provided impossible, and it was not until November 8, 1877, that the chapel was ready for opening; even then the decoration was not completed.
After some 60 years the need for new accommodation became urgent, and it was necessary to tackle seriously the building of a new chapel. This was a big undertaking for a community, the majority of whose members were none too lavishly endowed with this world’s goods, but it was tackled with earnest optimism and faith.
At one time, it was proposed to build a new chapel on the old site, the architects were consulted on the matter, but this scheme was finally abandoned in favour of the present site and building. Plans were prepared by Messrs. John Moxon and some, of Barnsley, and these were approved, and the committee proceeded to go into all details of the building with a minute thoroughness that leads one to think, in reading the old records, must sometimes have been embarrassment to the architect. As nearly £4000 required for the building, it meant much hard work and self-sacrifice. Substantial assistance came from outside friends of some of the prominent members, but naturally the heavy portion of the responsibilities was at home. Special efforts, private subscriptions, and weekly collections of a penny per house, all help to the desired end and ultimately in 1870 the work of building was commenced, the contractors for the building being Messrs, Downing and Twibey, and it is interesting to find that some of their old books they used with the work men’s names, particularly of the work, and payments made, are still in existence.
The opening ceremony was performed by Dr Pope, who was then the president of the conference. At the afternoon opening meeting £125 10s 10d was raised, and the evening meeting about £40, whilst over £30 was taken at tea. The total raised by the series of special opening services was £459 15s 5d. The chapel was packed in the afternoon to hear Dr Pope preach from the text, Acts, Chapter two, verse three: “and there appeared unto them cloven tongues as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.” The service was a most memorable one, as was the evening meeting. The beautiful mahogany wood work in the chapel was, and still is a matter of favourable comment, particularly the pulpit or rostrum, which was a gift from Messrs Joseph Appleyard and son, the contractors for the woodwork. It is a lasting monument to the excellence of the cabinet work of those days. The debt outstanding at the opening was about £900, and 11 months later the minute book gives the particulars of the building costs and how the money was raised.
A few months after the opening of the chapel, an organ was installed, given by Mr J. Blythe in memory of his wife. This was opened on 14th March, 1878. The £325 floating debt was cleared off in January, 1880, by another splendid gift from Mr Blythe of £275, and a further grant from the chapel fund of £50, so that by that date the only amount outstanding was £300 loan to the chapel committee. The way in which money came in was surprising, and as an indication of the way people gave in those days, it may be remembered that when opening a bazaar, a year or two ago, at Conisborough, Mr Walter Appleyard, of Sheffield said that the first £50 he saved was given to the chapel