Members of the Local History Group gathered together to hear about and discuss, the rise of Nonconformism in the 18th and 19th Centuries, with particular reference to Methodism in Upper Wharfedale.
After the Reformation, Elizabeth 1st established in 1559, the Protestant Church as the official Church of the country. Attendance was compulsory and if you did not attend you were fined. There were further demands and restrictions on ministers, which lead to many resigning their livings and the rise of Nonconformism.
Several groups were formed – Baptists, Presbyterians, Quakers, Independents – later Congregationalists and Methodists. Methodism sprang from John Wesley’s own beliefs on how the religious life should be led. He and his brother Charles and their followers toured the country. He preached twice in Grassington on 1st May 1780 and 29th April 1782. He spoke by the barn, now a private house, and formerly the Mountaineer outdoor clothing shop, just beyond the car park opposite the Town Hall.
Although the first meetings would be outside, eventually they would be held in private houses or barns, forming into societies and often going on to build chapels.
However, well before the above visits of the Wesleys, folk had been inspired by the itinerant preachers from The Great Haworth Round, the wide spreading preaching circuit of William Grimshaw the curate at Haworth. Early records from Keighley Reference Library show early societies were in Grassington, Skyrethornes, Hebden, Burnsall and Skyreholme. As time went on there were societies in Barden, Conistone, Kettlewell, Buckden, Litton, Thorpe, Starbotton, Yockenthwaite, Dibdale, Linton and Hawkswick. So, a very wide covering of Upper Wharfedale.
Who were the folk who joined the societies, going on in many places to build the chapels?
The names and occupations of the trustees of the early chapels found in early documents, show how varied those trustees were. There were Yeomen, Lead miners, Farmers, Grocers, Gentlemen, Weavers, Cotton Spinners, Shopkeepers, Maltsters, Publicans, Cordwainers (Boot and Shoemakers and Repairers), Spinners, Servants. These occupations give a good idea of what the environment looked like with mills near water, lead mines on the moors, farm animals on the pastures and the usual shops and pubs.
The trustees would raise the money and be responsible for paying the debt. Often chapels were in debt for a long time.
The 19th century was the age of chapel building. Grassington Chapel was built in 1811 replacing an earlier meeting house. Later, the present frontage, gallery and pews were added and later still the schoolroom and cottage. In the next decades chapels appeared up and down the dale – Buckden, Starbotton, Kettlewell, Conistone, Hebden, Burnsall and Barden although not thought of now, as been in Upper Wharfedale. Nearby chapels were at Hetton and Cracoe, These chapels would have been known as Wesleyans.
By 1843 these Wesleyan chapels were not the only Methodist places of worship. Primitive Methodists or Ranters, had begun a revival, wanting to get back to the original form of worship as in John Wesley’s time – simple, enthusiastic, and outdoor preaching style. Nonetheless they built chapels, three in places where there were already Wesleyan buildings – Grassington, Hebden and Kettlewell. Two others were built at Threshfield and Howgill. The Grassington Primitive was built almost opposite the Wesleyan and is still a substantial building on the track from Chapel Street to Garrs End Lane.
An early preaching plan of 1843 lists 15 villages where services took place. Grassington and Kettlewell having 3 Sunday services and 4 other villages having 2
During the talk and afterwards there was discussion of the social advantages of these groups up and down the Dale, it seems likely that after the religious aspect of the meetings, informal chat would ensue. The meetings were divided into classes, each with a leader, to help, guide and advise. Chapels large and small would have a Sunday School which in some areas in early times, would teach the children to read and write. Chapel Anniversaries were celebrated with tea parties and often a concert as well.
Not all societies led to a chapel been built, such were in Skyrethorns – a very early society -Litton, Arncliffe, Thorpe, Yockenthwaite, Skyreholme, Linton, Hawkswick.
It seems clear that in the 19th century and perhaps into the 20th century Methodism would have played an important part in the communities of Upper Wharfedale. But now with the many changes that have taken place in all parts of lives and livings, only one chapel remains Grassington.
Christine Bell
