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Christ Church, Methodist New Connexion, Barrow in Furness
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Christ Church,
Abbey Rd,
Barrow in Furness
Lancashire
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The New Connexion Methodists date their existence as a distinct individual body from 1797, when a secession from the Wesleyans took place, under the leadership of the Rev. Alex. Kilham. The first meeting-house of the sect in Barrow was a room in Hindpool, where some 35 members were wont to assemble. Their numbers steadily increased, and in 1873 the Conference appointed the Rev. R. S. Chambers as their minister. On a plot of ground in Abbey Road, given by the Duke of Devonshire, they have erected a church and schools at a cost of over £4,000. The Gothic style has been adopted. Above the principal entrance is a large window filled with tracery and tinted glass. On one side of the west end is a small spire, and on the other a turret rising some 70 feet from the ground. The interior is beautifully fitted up, and presents a remarkably light and elegant appearance. The building is of red sandstone, with York stone dressings. The architect was W. Hill, F.R.S. and B.A., of Leeds, under whose superintendence the work was carried out. The entire accommodation is about 900. Adjoining is a school for 400 children, but it is not used for secular instruction. The minister now in charge is the Rev. E. J. Hope.
from Mannex's directory of Furness & Cartmel, 1882
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The congregation was established in 1872, initially meeting in the Hindpool Hotel and being largely supported by workers moving from Dudley and South Staffordshire [according to the Jubilee Booklet, 1935]. A new building opened 9 Sept 1875. The church was almost totally destroyed in an air raid on 16 April 1941.
The congregation then moved temporarily into a schoolroom, but it subsequently used its remaining assets to purchase a fresh site on a new housing estate and to relocate as the new Beacon Hill (Christ Church) Methodist Church, at the end of Holyoake Avenue (near Rating Lane) which opened in October 1956.
The Methodist New Connexion was formed in 1797 when it seceeded from the Wesleyan Methodists. In 1907 the Methodist New Connexion merged with the United Methodist Free Church and the Bible Christians to form the United Methodist Church.
In 1932 the United Methodists joined with the Wesleyan Methodists and the Primitive Methodists to form the Methodist Church of Great Britain.
Whilst every effort has been made to record exact details of record office and library holdings you are recommended to check with them before visiting to ensure that they do hold the records and years you wish to examine. Similarly check with transcript publishers to ensure they cover the records and years you require before making a purchase. The Cumbria Record Office, Barrow hold:
- Baptisms 1875-1940
- Marriages 1905-1941
This site provides historical information about churches, other places of worship and cemeteries. It has no connection with the churches themselves.
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