A Chronology of Methodism in Coventry
1779-1967

ëWarwick Info       ëTREPESS Info
This file outlines the development of Methodism in Coventry from 1779 to 1967

The following information was obtained from the LDS Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.
but regretfully the source of the material has been mislaid.
(Please let me know if you are able to find the reference)

Kindly supplied by Carole Eales



DateDescription of events
1779July 21st / 22nd. John Wesley visited Coventry.
Also believed to have visited Foleshill during this year.
1782John Wesley again visited Coventry. July 15th.
1786John Wesley again visited Coventry. July 11th.
A group of Wesleyan Methodists were now meeting in an auction room in The Women’s Market
At some time unknown after 1779 Coventry was included in the Wesleyan Northamptonshire Circuit.
1791The records of the Northamptonshire Circuit show that by this year, 14 members were meeting at Hall Green in Foleshill. This group could possibly be linked to John Wesley’s visit to Foleshill in 1779.
Later this year Coventry was moved from the Northamptonshire Circuit to the Birmingham Circuit.
1792Coventry moved from the Birmingham Circuit to the Leicester Circuit
1793Wesleyan Methodists moved from Women’s Market to the Baptist Meeting House in Jordan Well, when the Baptists moved to their new Chapel in Cow Lane.
1798About this time the Wesleyans moved from Jordan Well to a large room in New Court on the north side of Gosford Street.
1800It is believed that about this time Coventry moved from the Leicester Circuit to the Hinckley Circuit.
1808Wesleyans built a Chapel at the bottom of Gosford Street (possibly near the corner of the present day Vecqueray Street).
1809The group that had held meetings at Hall Green, now held regular services in a Weaver’s Shop near a street called Lime Terrace. This society was served by a Minister from Hinckley.
1810Due to Mr Eagleton’s Calvanistic beliefs, and the movement of some of the congregation towards Independent Methodism, the Chapel was closed down and re-opened later in the year, clearly defined as a Wesleyan Methodist Chapel. Mr Eagleton and his Calvanistic adherents moved to Vicar Lane Congregational Chapel while the Independents (Revivalists) moved back to the room in New Court.
1811Coventry moved from the Hinckley Circuit to form the Coventry Circuit, to include Leamington; Kenilworth; together with several small villages in the immediate locality.
1813James Blackett, a Wesleyan Minister, registered a house in Spon Street for public worship.
Also, a Wesleyan Minister, it is not clear whether this was the James Blackett, registered a house in Brownshill Green, Coundon, for public worship.
A group of Wesleyan Methodists, who had gathered at Bell Green, opened a Chapel in Old Church Road.
1819John Garner, a follower of Hugh Bourne – a founder of Primitive Methodism – preached at Sowe, but was chased out by “a howling mob”.
Later during the year, a group of Primitive Methodists began to meet in a small, obscure room in Muston’s Court, on the South side of Gosford Street.
This was possibly started by John Garner.
1822Primitive Methodists at Muston’s Court, and Independent (Revivalists) Methodists, amalgamated and continued meeting at New Court.
1823Primitive Methodists began to meet at Paradise, Stoney Stanton Road, Foleshill.
1825The group holding meetings in the Weaver’s Shop near Lime Terrace, now built a Chapel in Lockhurst Lane, Foleshill.
1828Primitive Methodist Chapel opened at the corner of Cross Road and Stoney Stanton Road. Known either as Bethesda or Paradise Chapel.
1832Group broke away from the Wesleyan Chapel in Lockhurst Lane and formed an Independent meeting in Carpenters’ Lane (later to be Station Street West).
1834Gosford Street Wesleyan Chapel declared to be untenable and was demolished.
1835Primitive Methodist group meeting in Muston’s Court purchased a site in Grove Street, Harnall.
In February this year, the Gosford Wesleyans, whose Chapel at Gosford Street had closed the previous year, purchased a site in Warwick Lane, known as “part of the Grey Friars Church Yard”.
1836Grove Street Primitive Methodist Chapel built.
April 3rd. Warwick Lane Wesleyan Chapel opened.
At this time Leamington; Warwick; Kenilworth; and several other small villages were separated from Coventry Circuit, leaving this as Coventry with Foleshill; Wyken; Bedworth; Barnacle; Corley; Meriden; Balsall; together with several smaller hamlets.
1837Group of Independents meeting in Carpenters’ Lane – now called Station Street West – erected a brick built Chapel.
1839A Wesleyan Methodist Chapel opened at Brick Kiln Lane (New Road?).Possibly an out-thrust from Lockhurst Lane Chapel.
1840A Wesleyan Methodist Chapel built on West side of Alderman’s Green Road. Possibly an off-shoot of Lockhurst Lane Chapel or Bell Green Chapel.
At this time, evening preaching services were being held at Radford. Thought to have used a house in Radford Road, which West Orchard Congregationalists had established as a Sunday School in 1825.
Services ceased in 1864 without any permanent Chapel being established.
1844Preaching services being held in a Chapel at Spon End. These could have followed on from the house used in Spon Street in 1813 and could have been opened some years before the Circuit Schedule.Book for 1844 shows a Sunday School at Spon End of 179 pupils – 75 boys and 104 girls. Services appear to cease after 1847.
1847Primitive Methodist Chapel opened in Holbrooks Lane, Foleshill. This closed around 1936.
1848Wesleyan Methodist Chapel at Bell Green, originally built 1813, was re-built.
1849Brook Primitive Methodist Chapel was built on the East side of Alderman’s Green Road.
1850A small Chapel was in use at this time on The Heath, Keresley, but there is no evidence that it survived for very long.
1855A Wesleyan Mission was formed at Thomas Street Infant’s School, with the permission of Cash’s. There is no evidence of the Mission after 1900.
1856Bethesda (Paradise) Primitive Methodist Chapel, previously built in 1828, was re-built in this year.
1858A group of Wesleyan Reformers built a Chapel in Alderman’s Green Road.
1860The Primitive Methodists established a Preaching House at Barras Green.
1866Primitive Methodist Chapel built at Barras Heath. Cannot trace the date when this was closed.
1870Mission opened in Earlsdon by Warwick Lane Wesleyan Methodists, using a converted, derelict, ribbon factory in Cromwell Street, later to be called Berkeley Road South.
1875Lockhurst Lane Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, originally built 1825, was re-built this year.
1880Station Street West Independent Chapel, originally built 1837, was re-built, and called Station Street West Free Methodist Chapel.
During the period from 1880 to 1886 the Wesleyan Methodists attempted to establish a congregation in the rural area of Willenhall, but it met with no response.
1884Earlsdon Wesleyan Methodists built a Chapel in Berkeley Road South.
1886Primitive Methodist Chapel built at Milton Street, Upper Stoke.
1891A joint outreach by Warwick Lane Chapel and Brick Kiln Lane (Broad Street) Chapel established a Wesleyan Methodist School Chapel at Stoney Stanton Road, Harnall.
1895Grove Street Primitive Methodists built a new Chapel at Ford Street.
1898New Chapel built by Stoney Stanton Road Wesleyan Methodists at corner of Eagle Street and Stoney Stanton Road.
Ebenezer Free Methodist Chapel built at Alderman’s Green Road to replace Wesley Reform Chapel built in 1858.
1900Brick Kiln Lane Wesleyan Methodist Chapel now known as Broad Street Wesleyan Methodist Chapel.
1917Wesleyan Home Missions Committee opened a temporary building in Holbrooks Lane, for the sue of munitions workers. This had closed by 1925.
1920Heath Road Primitive Methodist Chapel opened in an ex-army hut as an out-reach by Ford Street Chapel.
1923Earlsdon Methodists opened a new Wesleyan Methodist Chapel in Albany Road, on the corner of Earlsdon Avenue.
Independent group of Methodists, under G.H. Brown, a former Wesleyan Reform Minister, opened in Durbar Avenue, using two wooden huts dating from the first world war.
1828Brook Primitive Methodists built a replacement Chapel in Alderman’s Green Road, about 150 yards south of the old Chapel, which was then used as a workshop.
1829Primitive Methodist Chapel built at Wheelwright Lane, Holbrooks, as an out-reach by the Paradise Chapel, in recognition of the needs of the mining community, spring up around Holbrooks.
1932METHODIST CHURCH UNION – Wesleyans, Primitives and Independents joined forces to create THE METHODIST CHURCH.
The only exceptions to this union were three Chapels who took the title of Free Methodists: Station Street West; Durbar Avenue; and Alderman’s Green
1932Methodist Central Hall, Warwick Lane, opened to replace Warwick Lane Chapel.
1934Woodside Methodist Chapel opened, as an out-reach from Ford Street Chapel, in temporary premises.
1935House meetings commenced in Lime Tree Avenue by the Earlsdon Methodist Chapel.
1936Lime Tree Park Methodist Chapel built at the corner of Elm Tree Avenue and Willow Grove.At this time there were now three circuits in Coventry.

            1 Earlsdon; Central Hall; Stoney Stanton Road; Harnall; Lockhurst Lane; Broad Street; Bell Green;
              Alderman’s Green Road (ex Wesleyan); and Lime Tree Park.The circuit supported seven ministers

            2 Ford Street; Heath Road; and Woodside Avenue, Green Lane.The circuit supported two ministers.

            3 Paradise; Alderman’s Green Road (ex Primitive); and Wheelwright Lane.Supported one minister.

1938Services commenced at Coundon, using Southbank Road School.Woodside Avenue, Green Lane Chapel opened in a permanent building.
1939Services commenced at Canley at Prior Deram Walk, as an out-reach by Earlsdon Methodist Chapel. Used wooden huts belonging to Coventry Corporation.
1939 to 1945War years when many Methodist Chapels received bomb damage.
Some of these were replaced by premises in suburbs.
1945Radford Methodist Chapel started at Beake Avenue in temporary wooden building.
1946Coundon Methodists opened wooden hut for services in Dallington Road.
1946Coventry circuits revised to create:

Coventry Mission Circuit based on Central Hall with Stoney Stanton Road; Lime Tree Park; and Canley.

Coventry Circuit based on Earlsdon with Lockhurst Lane; Broad Street; Bell Green; Alderman’s Green; Ford Street; Heath Road; Woodside Avenue; Paradise; Wheelwright Lane; Radford; Meriden; Balsall Common.
1947Some members of Ford Street, who had been meeting at the Lyndon Hotel, now opened a wooden hut in MacDonald Road, Wyken.
1948Radford Methodist Chapel, Beake Avenue, opened a pre-fabricated concrete building.
1950Broad Street congregation (the Chapel was destroyed by bombing) amalgamated with Paradise Chapel to form Edgewick Methodist Chapel.

Heath Road, Stoke, Methodists built a pre-fabricated concrete Chapel to replace the wooden huts.
1952Coundon Methodists built a new brick Chapel to replace temporary wooden building, erected in 1946.
1956Brick built Chapel opened at MacDonald Road to replace temporary wooden building.
1958New brick Chapel opened at Lockhurst Lane.
1959New brick Chapel opened at Wheelwright Lane.
1960New brick Chapel built at Radford, corner of Beake Avenue and Rupert Road, to replace pre-fabricated building.
1964New brick Chapel opened at Heath Road, Stoke.
1967New Chapel opened at Meriden.



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