Page:History and characteristics of Bishop Auckland.djvu/175

 148 HISTORY OP BISHOP AUCKLAND, hood of the said town of Bishop Auckland, to use and enjoy the said meeting house, with the appurtenances, to assemble and meet together in to hear God's holy Word read and expounded, and for social prayer and other acts of religious worship; and also from time to time, and at aU times hereafter, to permit and suffer such person and persons as shall be appointed and sent by the general yearly conference of the people called Methodists (as described and established in and by a deed poll of Jolm Wesley, late of Ihe City Road, London, clerk, deceased, under his hand and seal, bearing date the twenty- eighth day of Februaiy, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-four, and enrolled in [his] Majesty's High Court of Chancery) to officiate therein as ministers or expounders of the Word of God, and in case no such person or persons shall be appointed by the said general yearly conference as aforesaid, upon trust to permit and suffer such person and persons to officiate therein in the said capacity or office as shall from time to time be nominated and appointed by the said trustees or the survivors of them, or the trustees for the time being of the said premises, or the major part thereof. Provided always that such person and persons so to be respectively appointed as aforesaid preach no doctrine contraiy to the New Testament, and to what is contained in the notes and annotations thereon and in the several volumes of sermons written and published by the said John Wesley. This chapel becoming too small for the increasing requirements of the Society, a new edifice was projected and built in the year 1842. The following account of the laying of the foundation stone, and also the services held in connection with the opening of the chapel on its completion^ we cuU from Richardson's " Local Historian's Table Book :" — 1842 (June 14). — ^Tuesday, the foundation stone of a. new Wesleyan chapel was laid in Back Bondgate, in Bishop Auckland, by the Rev. Francis Neale, the superintendeht of the circuit, and the Rev. John Stirzaker, assisted by the trustees, and the Hev. Mr. Day, of Darlington, and the Rev. Mr. Lewis, of Richmond. A considerable number of persons assembled to witness the interesting ceremony. 1842 (Nov. 1). — Tuesday, the new and commodious Wesleyan chapel, at Bishop Auckland, was opened; when sermons were preached, in the morning and evening by the Rev. R. Newton, of Manchester, and in the afternoon by the Rev. R. Webb, of Darlington. On Sunday, the 6th, sermons were also preached, in the morning and evening by the Rev. T. Capp, of Sunderland, and in the afternoon by Mr. R. Watson, of the same place. On Tuesday, the 8th, sermons were again preached, in the morning and evening by the Rev. Dr. Beaumont, of Liverpool, and in the afternoon by the Rev. R. Day, of Darlington. Collections in behalf of the chapel were made after all the services, amounting to £72. Again, in the year 1865, the Wesleyan body having increased somewhat largely, and finding their chapel inconvenient and too small for their requirements, determined to rebuild and enlarge it. With this view, arrangements were made to lay the comer stone on Whit-Monday, Jime 5th. About half-past two o'clock the school children and teachers assembled in the school-room, in Eussell Street, and, headed by their flag, proceeded by Tenters and Newgate Streets to the site of the new building. As soon as all were arranged in order, the Rev. H. Hayniun gave out a hymn, which the congregation having sung, the Eev. Thomas Barr read a portion of Scripture, and the Eev. B. N. Haworth offered up a suitable prayer, the Rev. & Hayman afterwards delivering an appropriate address. The Rev. W. S. Caldecott then read a paper, on which was inscribed the following: — "Bishop Auckland Wesleyan Methodist ChapeL — ^The comer stone of this chapel was laid on Whit-Monday, June 5th, 1865, by M. M. YouU, Esq., of Newcaatle-on-Tyne, in the county of Northumberland; F. R.N. Haswell, Esq., architect; M. Braithwaite, senr., C. Watson, Matthew Braithwaite, junr., Andrew Thompson, Isaiah Cleminson, James Nevison, Robert Tumer, Henry Marshall, Thomas Pallister, John Watson, R. Mascall, Nicholas Tate, John Dixon, Robert Wilson, T. Greener, W. Lishman, Jacob Goundry, Nicholas Raine, Ed. Willis, William Olliver, trusteea Andrew Thompson and Isaiah Cleminson, treasurers. Matthew Braithwaite, jun., and Henry Mar- shall, secretaries. Isaiah Cleminson and Nicholas Raine, circuit stewards. The ministers in the circuit were the Revs. Henry Hayman, superintendent, B. N. Haworth, Thomas Barr, and William Shaw Caldecott, home missionary minister. The Rev. Dr. Osborn, president of the conference, in place of the Rev. W. L. Thornton, who died during the presidential year. The first Wesleyan chapel erected in Bishop Auckland was built on this site in the year 1804, and enlarged in the year 1842." The paper, together with a copy of the "Recorder" and the last issues of the local newspapers — the "Auckland Times" and "Auckland Herald;" a photograph of all the Wesleyan Digitized by Google