Woore Wesleyan Methodist chapel

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• STAFFORDSHIRE SENTINEL AND COMMERCIAL & GENERAL ADVERTISER, Saturday 12 February 1876, page 4.
  “BUILDERS willing to TENDER for the ERECTION of a NEW WESLEYAN CHAPEL and PREMISES at Woore may see the plan and specification at Mr. J. Smith’s, Mount Pleasant, Woore. Sealed tenders to be sent to the above address, on or before the 29th February, 1876 … .”
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  STAFFORDSHIRE SENTINEL, Tuesday 11 April 1876, page 4.
  “NEW WESLEYAN CHAPEL AT WOORE.
  A ceremony which excited considerable local interest took place yesterday afternoon at Woore, viz., the laying of memorial stones of a new Wesleyan Chapel. For some time there have been Wesleyan services conducted in the place, but the chapel has been felt to be a desideratum … A very suitable and quite central site for a new chapel (the land being worth £50) was given by Mr. John Smith, who may be fairly credited with the honour of having initiated the movement, and launched it in such a way as to auger complete success … a very neat chapel will be erected, which will be quite an ornament to the villages. The chapel will be of Gothic design, and built out of bricks, with stone dressings freely introduced. The roof will be open and of stained wood. The chapel will have a slightly raised floor and be fitted with stalls of pitchpine seats, and a neat rostrum. The place will seat about two hundred people. At the rear of the chapel will be a school vestry, which will accommodate 50 children. The builder is Mr. Ellame, of Silverdale, and his contract is £600. The entire cost of the place is estimated at £780, towards which about £300 was raised. The farmers of the locality agreed to gratuitotusly perform the carting work … Rev. J. Hooten, superintendent of the circuit, gave out the hymn … the Rev. J. Cooke (Nantwich), read the 84th psalm, and then the Rev. J. Hooten offered prayer. The Rev. J. S. Jones, of Newcastle, chairman of the district, then delivered an address … The stone-laying ceremony was then gone through, the following being the ladies and gentlemen who took part with their donations [there follows a list of names with their donations] … for each stone-layer there was s silver trowel. Mr. J. SMITH announced that in a cavity of one of the middle stones was deposited a bottle containing a copy of the Staffordshire Sentinel, Advertiser, circuit plan, and a statement relative to the Wesleyan cause at Woore to the —-? that the church numbered twelve members, with five on trial; there were forty scholars in the Sunday school and eight teachers. After the stones had been laid some neatly-dressed children deposited purses of money thereon, cheers were given for the stone-layers, a verse of the National Anthem was sung, and the ceremony then brought to a close by the Rev. J. S. Jones pronouncing the benediction. A public tea meeting followed, at which there was a large attendance.”
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  STAFFORDSHIRE SENTINEL AND COMMERCIAL AND GENERAL ADVERTISER, Saturday 23 September 1876, page 5.
  “Wesleyan Chapel. On Monday afternoon there were festivities in connection with the opening of the new Wesleyan Chapel at Woore. It had been designed that a tea meeting should be held in a tent which had been erected in a field belonging to Mr. A. Lewis, but that course was wisely abandoned. The ingenuity of the friends was put to the test to meet the requirements, at short notice; the good feeling of the villagers was put to the test to provice acommodation; and lastly, the virtue of exercising patience and forbearance under difficulties was put to the test in the case of the visitors, who mustered in surprisingly large numbers, considering the very unpropitious weather. We believe that in the case of every test indicated, the result was satisfactory. Accommodation was provided at the Wesleyan room, and in the large rooms at the Swan Hotel, the Falcon, and other places, hence all visitors got tea in tolerable comfort. All the trays were given, and there was an amplitude of viands of a varied character. After tea, a public meeting was held in the new chapel, which was crowded to excess, over 300 people being present. Mr. Alderman Leech, Mayor of Newcastle, was the chairman; and in an introductory address he congratulated the friends upon the consummation of their work, in the erection of so beautiful a chapel. Looking over the religious world it gave satisfaction to recognise that although there were many denominations they were only sections of the one great Christian army, having the same foe to fight, and were serving under the same banner. Although a Churchman himself, he had great respect for the Wesleyans, who exerted a great religious power in the land. He expressed a hope that the establishment of Wesleyanism at Woore would never be the cause of dissension or mere denominationalism, but would be promotive of real Christianity. Mr. J. R. Cooke, of Hanley, an announced speaker, telegraphed that he was unable to attend, and his name must be pust down for a subscription instead of a speech. After an address by Mr. C. H. Smith, The Rev. Mark Shaw, of Nantwich, gave a discursive speech, having many points of interest. Mr. John Smith next gave some particulars concerning the active and earnest efforts in regard to the new chapel. The meeting closed with passing the usual complimentary votes. The opening services of the new chapel took place on Sunday, when sermons were preached by the Rev. J. Hooten. The collections realised £24 11s. 7d. The chapel, a description of which we have already given is situated in the centre of the village. It has been built by Mr. Ellams of Silverdale, and is a neat and convenient structure. On Tuesday the Sunday school children had a treat. After a good tea, various games were enjoyed in a field; and a short meeting was subsequently held in the Wesleyan meeting house. The juvenlies and a number of friends were much interested by addresses from Mr. J. Smith (the chairman), Miss Povey (of Hoylston, Derbyshire), Messrs. J. Sherwin, W. Tompkin (Silverdale), and others. At intervals there was singing. Charming weather afforded a marked contrast to the aqueous troubles of the previous day.”
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  By Janice Cox (22/12/2020)