Reigate is a market town in Surrey: a medieval settlement which expanded greatly with the arrival of railways in the nineteenth century and is now part of the London commuter belt.
John Wesley visited Reigate several times, but found it unfruitful ground, comparing its residents unfavourably with those of Dorking as 'dull indeed as stones'. Wesley preached on at least four other occasions at Reigate Place, the home of Richard Ireland (1700-1780), and a former Augustinian Priory.
Wesleyan Methodists
The first Wesleyan chapel was not opened until 1858 in Nutley Lane. A day school was added in 1872 and the present High Street church, designed by Frederick Boreham, opened in 1884, a Sunday School having been started in 1878. Membership of the Society at the time was no more than 30-40, but by the 1920s this had increased to about 140. After suffering bomb damage in World War II the interior of the church was refurbished, with a central aisle and the organ, installed in 1899, was rebuilt. A new 'Joseph Rank Hall' was built at the rear of the church in the 1950s with support from the Rank Trust. Membership reached 329 in 1962, with a flourishing Sunday School in the afternoon.
Discussions with the Congregationalists next door in the 1960s about a possible united church in a new building came to nothing and the Congregationalists moved to the present Reigate Park URC site.
Primitive Methodists
A PM chapel was opened in Lesbourne Road on 5 October 1871. Services ceased in 1947 and the building was sold in 1948.
John Wesley's Journal:
December 1770: 'About a hundred attended at Reigate in the evening, and between twenty and thirty in the morning. Dull indeed as stones; but cannot God "out of these stones raise up children unto Abraham"?'
December 1771: 'I went on to Reigate Place… I preached in the evening to a small company on "It is appointed unto men once to die." All seemed moved for the present. They saw that life is a dream; but how soon will they sleep again?'
November 1774: 'I … had a larger congregation than ever before.'
November 1775: 'I preached … the next evening at Reigate Place, I think to the largest congregation that I have seen there. But I still fear we are ploughing upon the sand; we see no fruit of our labours.'
Entry written by: DHR
Category: Place
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