This important market town (and one-time Rotten Borough) in East Cornwall saw societies established by the Wesleyans, the Bible Christians, the Primitive Methodists and the Wesleyan Methodist Association, and all but the Primitive Methodists built their own chapels.

The present society meets in the former Wesleyan Chapel at West End. The former Bible Christian Chapel of 1902 on Launceston Road closed in 1966 and was bought by the Mustard Seed Church, a Pentecostal fellowship. The former BC chapel of 1850, between Church Street and Back Lane, is now flats. The Primitive Methodists occupied (at two attempts) a former Independent chapel of 1805 in Chapel Street. It is now demolished.

The UMFC in the town was the result of the Cornish Wesleyan Methodist Association agitation originating in Camelford. After an initial spell in the Primitive Methodist chapel in Chapel Street they moved to a new chapel on Tavistock Road. In 1953 they united with the Launceston Road congregation. The chapel is now a furniture shop.

Significant Methodist families in the town have included the Liberal, Labour and Conservative Foots, the Liberal one, Isaac being Vice-President of the Methodist Conference in 1937, and the Dingles of Plymouth departmental store renown.

Entry written by: CCS
Category: Place
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