It was Built in 1858.
In 1954 George Street united with Hyde former Wesleyan Methodist church and Hoviley Brow Church to form Hyde Central Methodist Church
Taken from "The Annals of Hyde"
In the year 1830 the (Methodist New) Connexion commenced work in Hyde, a small room in Cross Street being used for religious worship. In 1833, the Church had grown sufficiently to warrant the erection of a small chapel in George Street. The leading spirit in the movement about that time seems to have been a Mr. John Leech. A Sunday school was formed and this appears to have strengthened the church. Progress continuing, the large George Street Chapel was erected in 1858. The old schools were replaced in 1885 by the present spacious building adjoining the chapel.
Hyde Methodist Chapel
Like many other buildings in Hyde it was lost forever when the motorway came through the town, cutting it in half.
The memorial in Hyde cemetery.
I don't think the 3 chapels united in 1954 to form Hyde Central Methodist Church. As far back as that they were thriving independently. I think it more likely that this took place when the new chapel in Crook Street was opened to replace the Wesleyan church in Norfolk Street as, by then, Hoviley Brow and George Street had been lost to the M67. The new name of Hyde Central is unfortunate, I always think, as it can be confused with the train station. As for the stone commemorating the re-interrment of remains from George Street burial ground, what a shame that whoever was responsible for the inscription didn't check the spelling of ConneXion! Just a thought!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Werneth Low.
ReplyDeleteI thought that about the headstone in Hyde cemetery ,too. The person responsible probably though it was a mis-spelling !!
You are right about the chapels uniting- It was probably in 1974 not 1954. I must check the parish records again.
Can anyone remember the Methodist Church being used by the Spiritualist Church in the mid 60s. I'm sure this is the building I went to a few times with my Mum and Auntie before the spiritualist had their own church on Great Norbury St.
ReplyDeleteMy father's family were associated with Hoviley Brow from 1890 until its demise, which I would place closer to 1974 than to 1954. My Grandfather Jack Horsfield was baptised there in 1892 and his brother-in-law, my father's uncle Edgar Dobb, was the superintendent closely involved in the winding up of its affairs.
ReplyDeleteThe methodists at Hoviley Brow were primitives, see E P. Thomson's Making of the English Working Class for the political significance of the distinction, though I can claim no radical politicians among my ancestors. This is the first time I have seen central used in this way. I have long wondered why the methodist hall in parliament square is the central hall, why the two ILEA methodist voluntary schools were the central foundation and why the methodist church in Salisbury was the central methodists. Perhaps central refers to the unification of the methodist churches.
It is important to keep track of the Hyde dissenting tradition. It was the absence of a Hyde parish church that gave the (unitarian) dissenting chapel and James Brooks their significance. He is reputed to have preached to thousands around the time of Peterloo. Brooks baptised my grandfather's grandfather and probably half the town
All my family attended Hoviley Brow Methodist Chapel and I know that the amalgamation between Hoviley, George Street and Norfolk Street took place in 1954. Hoviley was closed. We used Norfolk Street as the Church and George Street for the Sunday School, Guides, Youth Club and Social Functions. I was married in Norfolk Street in 1966 when I left Hyde but at that time George Street was still being used. The previous poster (over 5 years ago) mentioned Edgar Dodd. He and his wife Molly were very dear friends with my family and I have very fond memories of them both
ReplyDelete