Husthwaite Methodist Chapel 1929-2019
Husthwaite is said to have been one of the first places in the area to be visited by the early Methodist preachers and in 1797 was regarded as a Methodist village. An old document says “I rode past the place one day and saw a man sowing, and looked hard at him to see what he was like, for I thought he would be a Husthwaite man and most likely a Methodist”. When the Easingwold Circuit was formed in 1800 there were only 5 or 6 members of the Husthwaite Society. From 1802 the village disappeared from the Circuit records and reappeared in 1814, when there were 8 members.
The first Chapel, (later Wesley House now a holiday home called Colton Loft), was built in 1840 on land bought for £5 from Thomas Nelson and officially opened in 1841. Extracts from the Husthwaite Reminiscence booklets illustrate how busy life was in the 1900-1930s when people found time to make their own entertainment eg singing, acting, dancing, cricket and Husthwaite Feast. In the 1900s shops and trades included a general dealer’s, a blacksmiths and a horsebreaker. The church and chapel were both well-attended. Eg in the Wesleyan Chapel there was an annual distribution of book prizes to the children attending the Husthwaite Sunday School, with tea and entertainment; in 1904 funds were raised for a Childrens Home when 49 members of the Sunday School said prayers, sung hymns and gave recitations.
Once the new chapel had been built on adjacent land bought for £110 in 1928, the old building was well used for meetings of the W.I., the Gardening Club, Harvest suppers, Childrens Fellowship, School dinners, the Village Christmas Service etc. Mary Barker recalled there were now two grocers shops and a small sweet shop, a blacksmiths, a hardware shop, a butchers shop, post office and two public houses. Sunday School at both Church and Chapel took place every Sunday afternoon. Harold Hutchinson had the garage and sold petrol. He ran a bus service to Thirsk Market every Monday and to Easingwold on a Friday.
Later, the Friday Fellowship was formed. Parents were invited to attend DIY and craft charitable evenings, performances of Joseph and Noah and to join with the children at the annual village service in the Wesley Chapel. Some remembered the toddler group run by the mothers at Wesley Hall. By 1970 Jill Galloway recalled there were still two general stores, a post office, a butchers and a primary school. The Institute – now referred to as the Village Hall – soon became busier with the advent of the phenomenon called the disco! Both Church and Chapel were active and there were many happy gatherings at the latter where villagers enjoyed a cup of tea and some of the baking for which Husthwaite cooks are famed.
In 2000 Wesley House (the old chapel) was sold to help finance many alterations to the new chapel. Here, the vestry became a kitchen, a new vestry and indoor toilet were installed, the drive was widened, a garden store and a boiler room with a new heating system was added, the old pulpit was removed, and a new organ replaced the old harmonium. The Chapel has since been used for various special events eg concerts, audio-visual presentations by Allan Green, fund raising events for world disasters, packing shoeboxes and Songs of Praise services. However in August 2019 with great reluctance, due to decreasing attendance, it was decided to close the chapel. The Methodist Church members will continue to meet in each others homes and join St Nicholas parish church for some services. The community events Coffee and Chat (started in 2001) and Soup ‘n Pud (started in 2004) will continue in the village hall. The building will close but the Christian witness will go on.
Chapel furniture
There are two beautiful oak pieces of furniture by the Mouseman of Kilburn. The inscription on the chair is “To the Glory of God and in loving memory of James Wilson of Liverpool, late of Highthorne 1842- 1929. Presented in grateful remembrance by his daughter Margaret Denham”. Margaret Wilson, the daughter of James Wilson, born Husthwaite 1873, married John George Denham in 1893. In 1861 James Wilson was a carpenters apprentice for Slater’s firm in Husthwaite, lodging at the Grocer’s shop. He then moved to Liverpool by the late 1860s but by 1891 he lived at Highthorne in Husthwaite, occupied as a farmer and leather dealer, with his wife Elizabeth and four children (all born in Liverpool).
The inscription on the table is: “To the Glory of God and in loving memory of James Wilson Denham who in the glowing splendour of his youth, gave his life for his country October 12th 1917”. James Wilson Denham was born Husthwaite 1894 and in 1901 was living in Easingwold with parents John George, an elementary schoolmaster, and Margaret (Denham). He was educated at Liverpool College and was a forester by trade. He enlisted with the Westmorland and Cumberland Yeomanry and went to France with the Expeditionary Force in 1917 and transferred to Border Regiment later that year. He was missing, believed killed in action 12 Oct 1917 aged 23 and has no known grave.
The lectern has the following inscription: ‘Presented by Mr and Mrs John W Verity in memory of James William Verity Member and official of this chapel who died on November 17th 1941’. John Wright Verity was the older brother of James William who died and was buried in Coxwold 1941 aged 32. James William was born Newburgh and baptised Coxwold 21 Feb 1909 son of William (farmer at Hunt House, Colley Broach Rd, Newburgh) and Catherine. In 1911 they lived at Hunt House, where William employed 4 farm workers and 2 domestic servants. They had 2 children, James William was the second child, with his brother John Wright Verity baptised at Cold Kirby 1 April 1900 was born at Dial Stone, Boltby in the parish of Felixkirk [Dialstone Farm is at the junction from Sutton Bank to Cold Kirby]. John Wright Verity was also a farmer and in 1939 was living with his wife Flora Helen (Fraser) at Hunt House with two daughters. He died 1978 in the district of York.
Linda Davison, Elizabeth Walton and Angela Ovenston
December 2019