Batley Wesleyan Methodist Church

The following source list was originally available only on paper in one of the West Yorkshire Archive Service offices. It may have been compiled many years ago and could be out of date. It was designed to act as a signpost to records of interest on a particular historical subject, but may relate only to one West Yorkshire district, or be an incomplete list of sources available. Please feel free to add or update with any additional information.

A group who had heard John Nelson preach began meeting at John Hartley's cottage in Beck Lane, Carlinghow (now Centenary Way)c1780. Later they used a barn at Havercroft before moving to a cottage which was converted into a chapel in Wards Hill, Havercroft in the late 1700s known as Stump Chapel.

Around 1807 a Sunday School was established but so many scholars attended that Stump Chapel proved too small so various other places were used as well, including Batley Girls Free School and the fulling mill at Batley Old Mill.

In 1821 a brick chapel was built in Wellington Street and a larger chapel was built next door in 1824. From 1826 the Sunday School used the brick chapel until it moved to a room in John Nussey's millyard in 1840.

In 1854 a Sunday School was built in Wards Hill, Havercroft and a new chapel was built in Hick Lane 1860-1861 and opened in 1861.

In 1875 a Sunday School was built next door to the chapel in Hick Lane.

The chapel closed in 1956 with most of the congregation joining Zion Methodist Church.

Both chapel and Sunday School buildings were sold to a maker of loudspeaker systems for use as industrial premises.

NB The Sunday School building in Wards Hill used 1854-1875 later became the premises of Batley Working Men's Club.