Wollaton Road Methodist Church

Primitive Methodism began in Staffordshire, where Hugh Bourne, (pictured above) a Wesleyan Local Preacher, and a few other enthusiasts, became convinced that Methodism had lost some of its original evangelical zeal.

They formed themselves into a group of Methodist revivalists, and later, when a revival broke out in Tunstall, William Clowes was converted.

Encouraged by their success an American evangelist was invited to organise a Camp Meeting at Mow Cop on 31st May, 1807. (Mow Cop is a stark limestone ridge rising over 1000 ft. On the border of Cheshire and Staffordshire, the summit of which is a rock known as "The Old Man of Mow").

To this bleak hill top people came in such numbers that during the afternoon it was estimated that between 2000 and 4000 were present.

Bourne and his friends were greatly encouraged and the number of conversions confirmed their opinion of the effectiveness of Camp Meetings and inspired them to arrange another.

The Wesleyan preachers of the Tunstall Circuit became alarmed and the Conference came to the conclusion that Camp Meeting were “highly improper and likely to be of considerable mischief “. Undeterred, Bourne completed his arrangements for a second camp meeting (at Norton) and as a result, he and his associates suffered loss of official membership!

Shortly afterwards, William Clowes (pictured above)and others associated with Bourne also suffered the loss of their membership. The revivalist group led by Bourne had become known as “Camp Meeting Methodists”. In 1811 they were joined by Clowes and his friends, adopting the title of Primitive Methodists with their own class tickets, the first of which was dated May, 1811. The Primitive Methodists were soon given the nickname of “Ranters” and were familiarly known as such for many years.

The "Prims" Come To Town.

About 1815 evangelistic work was commenced in the Midlands where a great revival began in many towns and villages. Among the places they planned to mission was Nottingham.

The home of Rowland Kirkland at Mercaston (near Derby) was an open house to the early Primitive Methodist preachers and Kirkland’s own daughter, Sarah (pictured above) had become a very effective local preacher. In 1815 Robert Winfield, another expelled Wesleyan preacher, was at Kirkland’s house when the possibility of extending the work to Nottingham was discussed. Winfield invited Sarah, who was then about twenty-one years of age, to undertake this task saying, “If you consent to go, my daughter and I will go with you and stand by you”.

So it was that they set out for Nottingham, arriving on Christmas Eve 1815, which hardly seemed right for the work they had in mind.

A plan for Sarah to preach in the Market Place was abandoned because of rowdy crowds celebrating Christmas Eve, but the next day they made contact with a small group of revivalists led by a Mr Storer, who had a meeting place in Narrow Marsh. Winfield, with his daughter and Sarah, attended a Love-feast held in this room on Christmas Day afternoon - and arranged to preach there that night.

From these first meetings, 23 converts were made. A larger preaching room was required, and the middle room of a disused factory in the Broad Marsh (large enough to hold 1000 people) was prepared.

Sarah promised to open the room, and at the opening meeting the capacious building was crowded. Sixteen persons were converted (of whom no less than 10 subsequently became preachers).

The young society soon grew and acquired roomier quarters in Broad Marsh, which stood not twenty yards from the site of the demolished factory.
The foundation stone of the building was laid on 23rd April, 1823.

Missions were led from Canaan Street to surrounding villages - including BEESTON - where meetings were held in the open air and in villagers’ cottages. The society in Beeston soon began to grow and a permanent meeting place was required. In 1853 the opportunity arose to purchase a Particular Baptist Chapel on Brown Lane (now Wollaton Road) for £170. This provided seating for 120 people.

In the meantime Canaan Street had become the mother church of the “Nottingham First Circuit” and in 1883 was replaced by a larger building. After surviving a Zeppelin raid in 1916 and bomb damage during the Second World War, the society declined and the building was closed for worship on 27th June 1948. Sadly the building had to be demolished after a serious fire in July 1949.