The first Oswestry Wesleyan Methodist chapel was in Coney Green (off Salop Road), opened in 1812. After the building of a new chapel in 1870, the old building was sold to the “Good Templars”, a temperance organisation. By 1924 it had become a cinema.
The successor Oswestry Wesleyan Methodist chapel was built in 1870. It was a large Gothic building that served until 1967 when it was demolished.
You can read more about the chapel and see a picture on Janice Cox’s Shropshire’s Non-Conformist Chapels website here.
In addition to these English Wesleyan chapels, Oswestry also supported Welsh Wesleyan chapels
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CARMARTHEN JOURNAL, 25 January 1812, page 3.
“The new Methodist Chapel fitting up in Oswestry, is be be opened on Sunday the 26th inst. by the Rev. Owen Davies.”
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OSWESTRY ADVERTISER, 13 April 1870, page 5.
“NEW WESLEYAN CHAPEL OSWESTRY.
In excavating the foundations Mr John Ward, the contractor, found the remains of an old overshot water wheel, which formerly worked the machinery of the snuff mill that stood on this piece of land. There has been great difficulty in obtaining a good foundation for the structure, as one of the side walls happened to come in the centre of the moat that surrounded the town in olden times, but we understand all the difficulties have been surmounted … .”
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OSWESTRY ADVERTISER, 1 June 1870, page 1.
“NEW WESLEYAN CHAPEL, OSWESTRY.
THE CEREMONY OF LAYING MEMORIAL STONES in the above-mentioned Building will take place on Thursday, June 9th, 1870, at half-past One o’clock, when addresses will be delivered by the Rev. W. W. STAMP (Chairman of the Liverpool District), the Rev. CHARLES GARRETT (of Manchester), the Rev. F. W. MACDONALD (of Liverpool), and the Rev. J. T. SANGER (of Welshpool). A PUBLIC TEA MEETING will be held in the PUBLIC HALL, Oswald Road, at half-past Four o’clock. Tickets – One Shilling each. After which a PUBLIC MEETING will be held in the same place. Chair to be taken at Seven o’clock by EDWARD SHAW, Esq., Mayor of Oswestry … A Collection will be made at the close of the Meeting in aid of the Building Fund. All friends of religious progress are earnestly invited to be present.”
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SHREWSBURY CHRONICLE, 10 June 1870, page 8.
“OSWESTRY.
LAYING THE MEMORIAL STONES OF THE NEW WESLEYAN CHAPEL. The ceremony of laying the memorial stones of the New Wesleyan Chapel in Beatrice Street, Oswestry, took place yesterday (Thursday) afternoon … the attendance of visitors and friends from Welshpool, Wrexham, Ellesmere, Liverpool, and Manchester large, together with the friends of the cause in Oswestry … the chief memorial stone was to be laid by Mrs. John Thomas, a Churchwoman, and wife of the ex-Mayor of Oswestry … placing upon the stone £30 … Mr. John Thomas [his] donation of £100 … The building is to be in the early decorated style … situated in Beatrice street, on a plot of land formerly used by Mr. Isaac Holland for a timber yard …The plan provides accommodation on the ground floor for 440 adults, and in the basement is a schoolroom 35ft. 2in. by 49ft 8in. and one large classroom and vestry. The whole of the walls and dressings will be of Cefn stone … The cost of the building, without the spire is to be £1,850, and with the spire about £2,000. Mr. John Ward, of Cambrian Buildings, Oswestry, and Whittington, is the contractor, and Mr. W. H. Spaull, of Oswestry, is the architect. The proceedings were opened by the Rev. John Jones, Wesleyan minister … the stone having been raised to the required height, a bottle was placed in the cavity, in which was placed a parchment document, engrossed in very beautiful style by Mr. J. Thomas, Pool raod, Oswestry; the local newspapeer; the Methodist Recorder; the Circuit Plan; and a few coins of small value of the date 1870. A silver trowel was presented to Mrs. Thomas, by Mr. John Ward, the contractor … the mallet was given by Mr. Spaull … the other four memorial stones were laid … A TEA PARTY. In connection with the above took place at four o’clock, when upwards of one thousand persons sat down … A PUBLIC MEETING took place in the Public Hall, at seven o’clock … .”
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OSWESTRY ADVERTISER, 29 June 1870, page 4.
“NEW WESLEYAN CHAPEL, OSWESTRY.
The following is the Financial Statement read by the Rev. J. Jones, at the Public Meeting held June 9th, after laying the Memorial Stones. LIST OF SUBSCRIPTIONS PROMISED. [there follows a very long list of donors and the amount that they donated] … total subscriptions £802 8s. 0d; Constributions of Ladies who laid stones £140 0s. 0d.; Trays contributed by various £17 0s. 0d.; Purses £27 5s. 0d.; Collected by Sunday Scholars £3 18s. 10d.; Public Collections £19 0s. 0d. [Total] £1000 11s. 10d. These amounts do not include the Tea Meeting proceeds, the accounts of which have not yet been settled.”
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OSWESTRY ADVERTISER, Wednesday 26 October 1870, page 1.
“SALE OF FREEHOLD CHAPEL AND PREMISES, Situte in Salop road, in the Town of Oswestry … to be sold by Auction … on Friday, the 28th day of October 1870 … All that substantial brick-built BUILDING now and for some years past used as a Wesleyan Chapel, together with the commodious Vestries and Appurtenances thereunto belonging, with the Pews, Gas, and other internal Fittings. The Premises, with the LAND adjoining, and Site of the said chapel and vestries, contains in the whole in surface area 400 Square Yards … the sale thereof is occasioned by the erection of a more commodious chapel in Beatrice street … .”
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WREXHAM AND DENBIGHSHIRE ADVERTISER, 25 February 1871, page 4.
“OPENING OF THE NEW WESLEYAN CHAPEL, OSWESTRY. ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28th, 1871. THE REV. DR. JOBSON, OF LONDON, EX-PRESIDENT OF THE CONFERENCE Will conduct the INAUGURAL SERVICE AT ELEVEN O’CLOCK … .”
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