St Mary's Methodist Church, Isles of Scilly facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary’s Methodist Church, Hugh Town, Isles of Scilly |
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St Mary’s Methodist Church, Hugh Town, Isles of Scilly
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| 49°54′53.9″N 6°18′44″W / 49.914972°N 6.31222°W | |
| Location | Hugh Town, Isles of Scilly |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Methodist |
| Previous denomination | Bible Christian |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II listed |
| Architect(s) | A.J. Trenear |
| Groundbreaking | 1899 |
| Administration | |
| Circuit | Isles of Scilly Methodist Circuit |
St Mary's Methodist Church is a historic church located in Hugh Town, on the Isles of Scilly. It is a Methodist church, which means it belongs to a Christian group started by John Wesley. This church is special because it is a Grade II listed building. This means it's an important historical building that should be protected.
Contents
History of the Church
Early Days and First Chapel
The story of Methodism on the Isles of Scilly began with a group called the Bible Christians. They arrived on the islands and started sharing their beliefs. They even preached from a local place called the Bishop and Wolf Inn!
The very first chapel for this group was built around 1836. It was located on Church Street in Hugh Town. Today, that old building is used as the Masonic Hall.
Building the Current Church
The church building you see today was constructed between 1899 and 1900. It cost about £1,300, which was a lot of money back then! (That's like £180,000 in today's money!) The church was designed by an architect named A. J. Trenear.
The first stone for the new church, called the foundation stone, was laid on Thursday, April 20, 1899. Important people were there, including Rev. W. B. Lark, who was the President of the Bible Christian Conference.
The Governor of the Islands at the time, T. A. Dorrien-Smith, helped out too. He agreed to take over the old chapel building. In return, a new Sunday school building was planned to be built right next to the new church.
Who Built It?
Many people helped build the church. Alfred Trenear, the architect, was also in charge of the carpentry, painting, and glazing. His contract was for £746. Another company, Messrs John Ellis and Son, handled the masonry (stone work) and plastering for £444. Local farmers even helped by moving stone from the quarry for free!
The new church was designed to hold many people. It could seat 350 people in total. There was space for 198 people on the ground floor and 152 people in the balcony, also known as the gallery.
Special Stones Laid
During the building process, several special foundation stones were laid by different people:
- George Woodcock from St Mary's laid the main foundation stone.
- Jabez Gibson from St Martin's laid a stone for visitors.
- Miss Ada Jenkins from St Mary's laid a stone for the Christian Endeavour group.
- Norman and George Roberts laid the stone for the Sunday school.
Joining Together
In the 1930s, St Mary's Methodist Church joined with another church, the Wesleyan Methodist Church. After this merger, some parts of the Wesleyan Chapel, like the rostrum (a raised platform for speakers) and the communion rail, were moved and installed in the Church Street chapel.
Church Organ
The church has a beautiful pipe organ. It was made by a company called Hele and Company from Plymouth and was installed in 1910.
See also
