Whitchurch is the oldest continuously inhabited town in Shropshire and the most northerly market town in the county, situated 20 miles south of Chester and around 20 miles north of Shrewsbury the county town, with the Welsh border 2 miles to the west.

[[Entry:2955] John Wesley's] first visit was when he rested in Whitchurch during a snow storm on 4 April 1751. He visited and preached in the town on six further occasions between 1760 and 1781.

Wesleyans.

The first Class-Leader was Joseph Brown who with his wife Ann invited visiting Methodist preachers to preach in their home. The second Class-Leader was Samuel Roberts. Another Whitchurch resident John Parsons (1730-) had his curiosity about the Methodists aroused when he read about them in the Gentleman’s Magazine. On a visit to London he heard John Wesley preach on Blackheath and decided that he wanted to hear more Methodist preachers proclaim the scriptures. On his return to Whitchurch he built a large preaching room in the back yard of cottages he owned in Clay-pit Street and invited the Methodists to hold their meeting there. The Whitchurch Society was put onto the Chester Circuit plan but in 1803 the Conference assigned Whitchurch to the Wrexham Circuit which had been formed out of the Welshpool Circuit. The Whitchurch Society felt the growing need to have their own chapel. A chapel was built in 1809 in St Mary’s Street and opened on 8 July 1810 by [[Entry:656]Rev Dr Thomas Coke] (1747-1814) and [[Entry:2878] Rev Samuel Warren] (1781-1862). In 1815 Whitchurch became a Circuit. On 25 October 1877 [[Entry:1771] Sir Francis Lycett] (1803-1880) and others laid the foundation stones on a plot in St John Street for a larger and gothic cruciform chapel, opened in April 1879.

Primitive Methodist.

Both the Burland and Frees Circuits missioned Whitchurch but had little response so they stopped sending preachers. Thomas Bateman (1799-1897) and other officials from the Burland Circuit arranged to hold a Camp Meeting at Whitchurch on 1 September 1822 near the canal wharf but the constable ordered the meeting to stop. Thomas Bateman and the people then processed to another site on the other side of the town and continued the meeting. Even though the town was frequently missioned over the following years no Society was formed until 1838, when Mr J. Goulburn went to live in the town and opened his home for the Primitive Methodists to hold their meetings. When it overflowed with listeners the Baptist Chapel leaders offered them the use of their premises. By 1840 the trustees had procured a piece of land for a chapel. The chapel was opened on 27 December 1840. This building was replaced in 1866: the foundation Stone was laid by [[Entry:4324] Samuel Heath] (1816-1882) of Crewe on 13 June and the opening services were on 16 and 23 December.

Entry written by: DHR
Category: Place
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