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PEVERELL PARK METHODIST CHAPEL

Peverell Park Methodist Chapel in Peverell Park Road, Plymouth, lies between Glendower Road and Westbourne Road.

During the summer of 1891 three companies of the Mission Band from Mutley Methodist Chapel held services in the open air on the new Peverell Building Estate. When the autumn came they moved into two rooms of a cottage. As the plans for the Estate developed, the Trustees of the Peverell Chapel purchased the one of the most commanding site for a new place of worship. [1]

In 1896 an iron chapel was erected on the site by Mr C L Duke. [2]

Peverell Park Methodist Chapel, Plymouth.

It was soon decided to erect a limestone building and the foundation stone of this was laid on Wednesday May 4th 1904. It was designed by Mr H J Snell and constructed by Messrs A R Lethbridge & Sons. The cost of purchasing the site, including the erection of the temporary building, was £1,300. The cost of the new venture, which included large schoolrooms at the rear, was expected to be around £4,500. [3]

Donations were readily forthcoming, ranging from Sir John Jackson's £10 and Mr Isaac Foot's £5 down to the £1 each from Mrs Bewes and Mr Edward Watts. A Mrs Thomas had managed to collect together small donations amounting to £1 1s 6d. (That might have comprised 258 donations of one penny.) [3]

The Mayor of Plymouth, Mr Henry Hurrell, who lived in a villa at the Pennycross end of Peverell, then laid the foundation stone, amid ringing cheers. He had just returned from a visit to Palestine and commented that he had witnessed there 'the result of a people forgetting its God. He donated £25 to the cause. [3]

Other stones were then laid by Mr J W Spear, Member of Parliament, Misses Mary Corderoy and Trembath, Mrs J May Grose, Mrs J H Beckly, Rear-Admiral Lemon, Messrs J C Brown, G Shellabear, J Partridge, F H Thomas, and A G Crowle, and Master Noel Corderoy. Miss Maud Cory laid a stone on behalf of the Mutley Busy Bees and Mrs Bennetto laid one on behalf of the Sunday School. Each of those who laid a stone was presented with a handsomely-bound copy of the revised version of the Bible, bearing an inscription commemorating the occasion. [3]

At an evening meeting in the Mutley Wesleyan Chapel, many larger donations were received, the total for the day amounting to £475. [3]

Peverell Park Methodist Chapel was formally opened by Mr J May Grose at 3.30pm on Wednesday May 17th 1905. It was intended that this building should become a Sunday School when a new chapel was erected in due course. In the meantime the old, iron chapel would be used for the Sunday School. [4]

Sources:

[1] "Wesleyan Methodist Church: Conference Handbook and Souvenir: Plymouth 1913", printed by Messrs William Brendon & Son Ltd, Plymouth, 1913, courtesy of the Reverend John Haley of Ridgeway Methodist Church, Plympton, and and Mr Chris Crouch, the Property & Facilities Officer at the Circuit Office, Devonport.

[2] Source not recorded: being re-investigated.

[3] "Wesleyan Extension: Stone-laying at Peverell Park", Western Daily Mercury, Plymouth, May 5th 1904.

[4] "Methodist Extension: New Church Opened at Plymouth", Western Daily Mercury, Plymouth, May 18th 1905.

Photograph - "Wesleyan Methodist Church: Conference Handbook and Souvenir: Plymouth 1913", printed by Messrs William Brendon & Son Ltd, Plymouth, 1913, courtesy of the Reverend John Haley of Ridgeway Methodist Church, Plympton, and and Mr Chris Crouch, the Property & Facilities Officer at the Circuit Office, Devonport.