Ponsanooth Methodist Church

150th Anniversary Celebrations

1843 - 1993

A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE DISTRICT

150 years in the life of a Methodist Church is a milestone. Some milestones are interesting in themselves, but their purpose is to mark where we are on a journey from somewhere to somewhere else. I give thanks for the journey of Ponsanooth Methodist Church thus far, and pray that God will bless you all in the journey onwards.

EXTRACT FROM SOLOMON'S PRAYER AT THE DEDICATION OF THE TEMPLE.

'But can God indeed dwell on earth? Heaven itself, the highest Heaven, cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have built! Yet attend to the prayer and the supplication of thy servant, O Lord my God, listen to the cry and the prayer which thy servant utters this day, that thine eyes may ever be upon this house night and day, this place of which thou didst say, 'my name shall be there; so mayest thou hear thy servant when he prays towards this place. Hear the supplication of thy servant and of thy people when they pray towards this place. Hear thou in Heaven thy dwelling and, when thou hearest, forgive.' (1 Kings V1l1. 27-30.)

1993 is a very special year in the history of Ponsanooth Methodist Church. The building has been here for 150 years and the church even longer. This year then offers us the opportunity to look back for a short time and see how the church came to Ponsanooth. This is only a short sketch of its history but hopefully it will interest those who wish to know something about it. Perhaps at a later date a comprehensive account will be written.

W.E.Walley. 5th May 1993.

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View of village (original picture replaced) INTRODUCTION 'The village of Ponsanooth is situated about midway on the principal road leading from Falmouth to and near the most important mining districts of the county.

A stream of water winds through its beautiful vale, putting into motion many powerful water wheels which work the various machinery connected with a large woollen manufactory, gunpowder mills, etc. in the village giving employment to the greater portion of the inhabitants.

Embossed between lofty and abruptly rising hills, the village has a romantic and picturesque appearance. It lies on the skirts of three parishes and is distant about two miles from any parish church.

The chapel stands on a considerable elevation on the side of a precipitous hill on the south side of the valley and commands a pleasing prospect of the neighbourhood, and also an extensive view of the Gwennap Copper Mines, two miles distant.' So wrote the biographer of John Martin not long after the chapel was built.

John Wesley first came to Cornwall in 1743 and continued his visits until shortly before his death in 1791, and although he visited villages and towns nearby, there is no reference to any visit to Ponsanooth. People from the village would have gone to see and hear him, as he preached at Perranwell, Stithians, Penryn and Redruth. Big revivals took place at Redruth. Many certainly would have gone to Gwennap Pit.

At this time Ponsanooth was at the centre of a number of populous hamlets, Laity Moor, Burnt House, Pelean Cross and Kennal Vale. There were 65 people living at Burnt House and about 70 at Pelean Cross (1841).

Because of the industries in the village, Ponsanooth was a prosperous place employing highly skilled owners and managers who were associated with the Methodist Church. Industrialists all over the county felt at home with the Methodists. The occupations of the Trustees illustrates this point. Ponsanooth (1813) - 5 Yeomen, 2 Clothiers, 2 Gunpowder Manufacturers, 1 Mason, 1 Blacksmith. 3 Lanner (1828) - 12 Miners. Frogpool (1843) - 5 Miners, 2 Yeomen, 1 Mason, l Glazier.

With men such as these the new chapel in Ponsanooth had to be on the grand scale.

Fine granite front of Ponsanooth Methodist Church

4 MILESTONES IN ITS HISTORY PONSANOOTH METHODIST CHURCH

1743 John Wesley's first visit to Cornwall 1785 Methodist Society in Ponsanooth 1788 William Carvosso arrives in the village 1807 First chapel built - no seating 1808 Sunday School started ? 1813 Second chapel opened. Cemetery attached 1843 Third and present chapel opened 1856 Sunday School Treat - 450 buns bought 1867 Sweetland Organ installed 1867 Miss Lovey donor of organ and organist 1878 Board School opened 1881 Band of Hope formed 1882 Rostrum erected - 1885 - Vestries 1888 Heating apparatus installed 1890 Ponsanooth Brass Band in existence 1893 New Sunday School Building opened 1894 Old Cemetery extended 1896 Wesley Guild formed 1896 Morning Sunday School 1905 Mr.Thomas asked to keep fowls out of Cemetery 1914 Great War. 50 Members served - 7 died 1930 Electric light installed 1934 Chapel renovated - front flood lit 1939 Second World War - black out I94l New Cemetery opened 1977 Restoration with new roof 1981 New Organ installed (Pike's Hill) 1993 150th year CELEBRATIONS.

5 THE FIRST CHAPELS

In 1783 there was a great religious revival in Redruth and within two years a Methodist Society had been established in Ponsanooth. This seems to have been a very weak group because at Christmas 1785 there were thirteen members with no leader and no meeting place.

In 1788 William Carvosso, born at Mousehole in 1750, came to the village to take over a farm which was 'a mere desert' and on which people said he would starve. He found Ponsanooth to be 'like a dry and barren wilderness'. The Methodist Society he found there to be weak and destitute. He decided to improve matters and he said 'I took charge of the little class and went on for some years without seeing much good being done', a familiar tale especially today!

Then two pious men came into the village and with their help a prayer meeting was commenced. The numbers increased and the meeting place became too small and the tenure uncertain so William Carvosso saw as his duty, 'to get a little chapel started before I die'.

Eventually after great difficulty a site was found and by dint of hard work, begging and giving, the first chapel of rough workmanship and without seating was opened in 1807.

The next six years saw great progress and so many attended the meetings that this chapel could not hold the congregations. It was decided therefore 'to pull down' this building and erect a much larger one in its place on the same site, and to attach a burial ground to it. The nearest burial ground was at least two miles away at Stithians, Perranwell or St.Gluvias. Also at this time those not baptised in the established church had difficulty with burials in its cemeteries.

On 13th April 1813 a report in the Cornish Guardian reads 'a new Methodist Chapel was opened on Sunday night at Ponsanooth, near Penryn, with a sermon by that distinguished metaphysical writer Mr. Samuel Drew of St.Austell'.

6 THE PRESENT BUILDING

The present building is the third on the site and on the 16th March 1843 the foundation stone was laid with due ceremony, witnessed by William Jewell who mentions it in his diary. He was a local preacher, class leader and held various offices. The foundation stone was not inscribed and cannot now be seen.

The architect was John Trevena, the local carpenter and builder and parts of his original plans are still in existence. The village business men were out to impress people far and near and the outcome was the present magnificent structure.

The dimensions are 60ft by 49ft and the height is 27ft.6ins, built as a rectangular hall with a curved extension for the orchestra and choir. The seats were without backs or ends, but these were added later. There was no heating and candles were the only form of lighting. The iron pillars supporting the gallery were cast at the iron foundry at Perranwharf. The ceiling rosette is of interest and a rose window, behind the rostrum is most interesting.

A special feature of the building is the gallery which is in the form of a regular ellipse and by all accounts quite rare, the seats are arranged to follow the curve of the ellipse.

The official opening took place on the 16th November 1843 although it was possible to hold a service in the unfinished building in October. The fine ashlar granite front is massive, the stone having come from the quarries in the locality. The cost of the building was £1300. Frogpool, built in the same year cost £500 and Devoran £750. It seated well over 600 people at the time of opening. There was large debt involved and the money was raised by issuing bonds. Even in 1860 the debt was £1050 and this when farm workers' wages were two shillings (10p) per day.

In 1867 the back wall of the orchestra was demolished and an extension was built to accommodate the new organ and this extension cost nearly £200.

In 1882 the old box pulpit was removed and a rostrum erected using the old curved pulpit staircase as the means of access, hence only one staircase when usually in most chapels there are two.

7 The traditional leader's box pew had to be removed and a communion rail was provided. The specification stated that the rail had to be constructed of birch wood as birch wood has a fine grain and gives a very smooth surface. Three years later the front side pews were removed and the two vestries of glass and wood were erected. By removing the front pews the seating of the chapel was reduced to its present size of 550 seats.

In 1909 a large renovation scheme was drawn up which included the re- arrangement of the seating (backs and elbows had been fitted to the forms in 1885). A new heating system to be installed (the previous one having been there since 1888). The organ pipes to be painted and the entrance lobby widened by moving the partition wall further into the body of the chapel. This, would have been a costly undertaking and as there was still a debt of £500 owing on the chapel it was decided they could only afford to decorate the building and install a new heating apparatus. The chapel was closed for five months while the work proceeded and in 1910 there was a grand opening when the Mayor of was chairman of the evening meeting.

In 1930 electric light was installed and at last there was adequate illumination for the services, Oil lamps had replaced candles in 1857 but there were so many lamps that they were expensive and difficult to maintain.

In 1934 another large renovation took place when the chapel was re-decorated and the whole of the granite front scrubbed from top to bottom with ordinary scrubbing brushes. The workmen boasted how many brushes they had worn down to the wood. The organ pipes were decorated with gold leaf and the newly cleaned front was illuminated with electric floodlights.

1977 saw the need for a new roof and this was a very daunting proposition. Over the years the slates had been cement washed but the- rain was coming through and the plaster ceiling was being spoiled. An old friend of the chapel offered a very generous donation and the huge roof was stripped and the slates replaced by tiles. The floors were carpeted and the whole place cleaned and decorated with the colours of the gallery and rostrum matching those of the ceiling rosette.

8 For some time the organ was giving cause for concern and needed to be replaced. It had been installed in a very cramped position and there was great difficulty in maintaining it. Fortunately the organ of Pike's Hill Chapel, Falmouth, became available as the chapel had closed and the trustees wanted the instrument (built by Brewer of Truro) preserved. It was dismantled and brought to Ponsanooth by voluntary labour and was installed, after cleaning and slight modification, at a cost of £3000. The case is not as attractive as that of the old one but the sound is even better.

This year, the 150th, another renovation has taken place, most of it with voluntary labour and those visiting the building will see how beautiful it now looks.

9 Ponsanooth Methodist Church Choir and Organ with J.C. Paddy organist about 1937

THE CHOIR AND ORGAN

'METHODISM WAS BORN IN SONG' it has always been said and singing has been one of its strengths. Buildings were designed to accommodate orchestra and choirs and there was never a shortage of applicants for a place. Membership of the choir was indeed a great honour, and most members remained in the choir for the whole of their lives. Choirmasters took their work seriously and discipline was quite rigid.

Ponsanooth has always had a choir, the Martins were members in 183O, and the singers have been able to sing the four parts thus enabling them to sing anthems and a wide repertoire. A choir is a great asset to the services and is much appreciated by .the organist who is often remote from the congregation, usually sitting at the back of the chapel.

The choir have always had choir outings. In the early days waggonettes took members to all parts of the county and when motor transport arrived visits were made to all parts of Devon, with refreshments of all kinds provided. Methodist choirs, unlike the Anglicans, have consisted of adults.

10 Ponsanooth must be one of the few rural chapels that has an effective choir and the enthusiastic singing gives great encouragement to the conductor of the service and the congregation. One member of our choir, Mrs Fittock has attended and sang regularly for about seventy years and for many years sang with her husband and mother. Three other members, Mrs Lobb, Mrs Carder and Mrs Tresidder have spent a lifetime beside the organ.

Of course the great pride of any chapel used to the organ, with its gleaming or painted pipes and polished woodwork. In 1867 a very fine organ was installed, built by Sweetland of Bath and given by Miss Lovey of Vale View at a cost of f300. The front pipes were covered with gold leaf and the case was elaborate. A copy of this organ was made and installed in Hendra Chapel, Stithians and happily when the chapel closed the organ was moved into the Parish Church where it still is.

The present organ is in excellent state and should give trouble free service for the next 150 years. The trumpet stop of the old organ was installed in the organ of St. Mary's Methodist Church, Truro, where it is much appreciated.

The organists of the chapel have held office for quite long periods. The first organist, Miss Lovey, played for ten years and while she held this post the organ was enlarged with four new stops in 1879.

After Miss Lovey came Mr.T.Odgers of Cosawes Barton as organist and he held this post for a stormy nineteen years. Charles Paddy followed him but died at the age of 23 years in 1905. He was followed by his brother John Charles Paddy who was only 14 years old at the time and although small in stature he was a giant in many ways and held the appointment until 1969 when he was nearly 80 years of age. He lived at and in his early days travelled on the tram to Redruth and walked from there to Ponsanooth on Sundays and for choir practice during the week. Miss Nellie Gould was his assistant for many years and usually played the organ on Sunday mornings.

The present organist, Mr.W.E.Walley, was appointed in 1969 and Mr. Christopher Trewern, became deputy organist soon after.

11 Interior of Ponsanooth Chapel, circa 1882, showing the original pulpit. These pulpits were almost everywhere replaced at a later date by large rostrums containing space for several speakers.

The organ installed in 1981 after being removed from Pikes Hill Chapel, Falmouth.

12 THE ANNIVERSARIES

Without doubt the Anniversaries were the highlights of the year with excitement building months before. The chapel choir learned new music and the Sunday School children learned new songs and recitations usually incorporated in a special musical service, these were occasions for the purchase of new clothes with people arriving early at the chapel to get a prominent seat. In the early days young people married locally and these were opportunities for family reunions.

SAMUAL DREW

A local preacher and writer who preached at the opening of the second chapel in 1813

13 SUNDAY SCHOOL

Sunday School was introduced by Robert Raikes in 1780 and the purpose was 'to ensure proper observance of the Sabbath and afford religious instruction'. Dr.Cooke, Missionary, introduced them into Cornwall and and St.Enoder claimed to be the first to have schools in 1823. John Wesley, in an article in the Arminian Magazine, exhorted his societies to initiate Robert Raike's example. John Wesley was very concerned about young peoples' education and circuits in Cornwall contributed to his school, Kingswood at Bath.

There was a Sunday school at Ponsanooth as early as 1824, if not earlier, for William Jewell states in his diary that he became a teacher in that year. Sunday Schools became popular and by 1830 there were 200 scholars in the Ponsanooth Sunday School, 'divided into seven classes on the male side and a similar number on the female side'. Also 30 teachers and 2 superintendents. The school was held in the chapel as yet there was no Sunday School building

It was realised that the schools had a great future and it was decided in 1892 that a school should be built. Furthermore the only other public building in which bazaars and sales of work could be held was the board school (opened in 1878). The original intention was to put the building beside the chapel in the gardens of No's 4,5 and 6, Chapel Hill but this land was not made available. A request was then made to Col. Tremayne of Carclew and he offered, free of charge, the present site for the school. Although this piece of land was quite adequate its distance from the chapel has caused many problems over the years

The foundation stones were laid in 1892 and the building opened in 1893 when Col.Tremayne placed the inscribed headstone at the top of the front of the building. There was great rejoicing and the board school was closed for the day. One of the trowels used in the ceremony still exists and has been presented to the. museum of Cornish Methodism by Mrs Amy Richards and her son Peter.

For many years attendance fluctuated between 180 and 250 including adult scholars. The school was well organised and offered many privileges to its members. The great attraction was the annual tea treat, usually held in the village or within walking distance of it. With flags flying and a brass band the school marched around the village with a visit to Vale View and Kennall followed by a saffron bun and tea in the park field. Entertainment was provided and there was always a swing boat. Music was provided by the band while sweets of all kinds and fruit were available from the stalls. 14 Games followed the tea and it was a happy family affair. In 1883, the tea was taken at the chapel when scholars and visitors (or strangers as they were called) consumed 500 - 13oz buns, 80lbs of loaf cake and 900 tea buns. The cost was covered by a collection around the village for the event. Visitors were charged for what they ate.

The Library was another important aspect of the Sunday School and was the only place where many had the opportunity to see a book. The choice of book was very limited, only history, geography, theology and biography were included although the range was increased as time went on. Many scholars taught themselves to read with these books and the local preachers educated themselves by reading all that was there. Public libraries were not introduced until the end of the nineteenth century and it was not until John Passmore Edwards gave so many fine libraries (Falmouth 1896 – Redruth 1895) that books could be freely borrowed and enjoyed. The library at Ponsanooth was used every Sunday afternoon. Mr.L.Tresidder was Librarian for many years and can remember it closing.

The burial club was joined by almost everyone and for a small joining fee and the payment of 5d. on the death of a member payment of £5 would be paid to the nearest relative of anyone who died. At the time everybody dreaded a pauper's funeral. A death in the family, especially if it was the breadwinner could be devastating Around 1890 there were on average ten burials in the Methodist Cemetery (the Anglican Cemetery opened in 1893) each year except in 1891 when there were eighteen deaths. This, of course, was the year of the great blizzard.

Associated with the Sunday School and Chapel were other active groups. There was the Band of Hope (1881) associated with the Temperance Movement, The Mutual lmprovement Class, The Mission Band from which many progressed to become local preachers, The Benefit Society and the Wesley Guild a very popular section. Its motto was - One Heart, One Way. Morning school was started in 1896 but in spite of the annual outings was never as popular as the afternoon school although a fair number of children attended both. Sunday School was like a school in that there was little choice, parents made it compulsory.

Since the war fewer and fewer young people have attended Sunday School and in spite of modern aids and meeting at different times children are missing. There are obviously many reasons but no-one seems to have found the answer.

15 Most of the older generation attending services today are former Sunday School pupils and the question is whether the young people of today will find their way into churches and chapels later in life.

There still is a Sunday School at Ponsanooth thanks to the enthusiasm and commitment of Mrs Trewern and Mrs Stuart and although the numbers attending are small at the moment there is hope that there will be growth in the future.

Prayer leaders plan of 1843

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Built 20 years after the Chapel The Brunel Viaduct stood facing the chapel until replaced in 1930

Photo of Ponsanooth Methodist Church showing the new roof of 1977

17 A TALENTED SON OF THE VILLAGE AND CHAPEL

Every now and again a community produces someone of outstanding ability but with the passage of time that person is almost forgotten. In 1868 such a man was born in Ponsanooth. He was Fred Hamilton Davey, son of Stephen Henry Davey, also a remarkable man who held every office of layman in the Methodist Church.

Fred Davey attended the board school and came first in Standard V at the age of eleven years. Because of the large family and low income he had to leave school and work in the gunpowder works at Kennall.

He was keenly interested in botany and began to read widely. He then meticulously made a study of the flora in the Kennall Valley making careful recordings of his research. In 1909 he published 'The Flora of Cornwall' which was a masterpiece of its kind. He produced microscopic slides, made a list of the birds nesting in the Kennall Valley in 1893, made a fine collection of pressed flowers and kept artificial formicaries.

Unfortunately he was not of robust health and at the age of seventeen suffered from rheumatic fever from which he never fully recovered. He submitted highly technical papers to the Royal Polytechnic Society and was awarded a bronze medal and four silver medals. The Royal Institute of Cornwall awarded him the Henwood Gold Medal which was a very rare distinction, only one being awarded every three years. He became a member of The Linnean Society in 1903 and was its youngest member.

At Sunday School as a young boy he recited from memory at least forty verses from the Bible to the taskmaster each Sunday and on one occasion recited 119 verses. He held various offices in the Chapel and became a local preacher although at his examination was reprimanded for not having read John Wesley's fifty three sermons. ln 1912 he suffered a stroke and died at the age of 47 years. He was buried in the cemetery in the grave of his parents.

He is now remembered in the village as the headmaster of the new village school, Mr. Houghton, has named the library 'The Fred Hamilton Davey Library,' Fred would have been very pleased with that.

18 Fred Hamilton Davey F.L.S. 1868-1915

l9 PEOPLE

Fine though a chapel building may be it would not exist but for the people who meet and worship in it. The village has always been fortunate in having very fine men (probably women too although there is no mention of them) who, because of their business experience were good leaders with great faith and organising ability. Alfred Lanyon (died 1835) was a director or owner of the gunpowder works, John Martin (Senior) was the manager and his son a clerk in the office. Edward Lovey who in 1807 leased a piece of land from the Basset Estates and set up the woollen factory at Vale View of which Mr.C.W.Boot became manager. The Hearle family of Tory Farm and Tregoose were associated with the church from very early days (Mrs Richards nee Hearle regularly attends the Chapel). Col.Tremayne although an Anglican, was always very sympathetic and generous to Ponsanooth. The Wearne famity who emigrated to Australia (a relative, Mrs Wearne-Frost, still living in Australia, listed all the headstones in the cemetery a few years ago) and, of course, John Trevena the designer of the Chapel a very devout and forceful character.

Others who are still remembered by many in the village are:- Andrew Hopper, A.S.James, W.O.Dunstan, Arthur Pascoe, Edward Tresidder, Richard Andrew, Cecil Fittock, The Martin family and many, many more. Today we have able and talented people in the church but they will have to wait a little longer before their names are mentioned in print.

THE 150th YEAR SEES PONSANOOTH CHURCH LOVINGLY CARED FOR AND BEAUTIFULLY KEPT. THE GROUNDS OUTSIDE EQUALLY CARED FOR AND KEPT. THOSE LYING THERE LAID DOWN THE FOUNDATIONS FOR US. THEY ARE IN THE PAST, WE ARE IN THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE. WHAT SHALL WE LEAVE BEHIND AND WHAT SHALL WE LEAVE FOR THE FUTURE?

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