Methodist Chapel, Lacey Green

METHODIST CHAPEL at LACEY GREEN    extracts from research by Dennis Claydon

LAND PURCHASED

Mat 25^th 1855.   Conveyance.   John Janes of Loosley Row, labourer, Sold to the trustees of a new Methodist chapel                SCHEDULE

Two pieces of land in Lacey Green for £5.

BUILD COST

The chapel was 33 feet by 23 feet, and built for £182-3s-1¾d (£182-16p).   It had a ‘Tortoise’ stove for warmth and was lit by candlelight.

OPENED

The first service was September 23^rd 1855.

OIL LAMPS

In 1869 oil lamps enhanced the candlelight

MORE LAND

August 7^th 1870    Conveyance.  Mrs. Elizabeth Janes, widow of the late John Janes, late of Loosley Row, now of Highwood Bottom, sold to the trustees of the Methodist chapel at Lacey Green

SCHEDULE

A small piece of ground adjoining the chapel, 6 feet wide and 60 feet long for £2.

COPPER HOUSE & CLOSET

On this land was erected a new copper house with a copper for convenience at the tea meetings and a closet in which to store chapel property, at the cost of £21.   It was built by Alfred Ward of Lower Road, Loosley Row.

MORE LAND FOR SCHOOLROOM

November 19^th 1880   Conveyance.   Miss Caroline Janes, daughter of John and Elizabeth Janes of Highwood Bottom sold to Moses Tomkins, as trustee of the chapel, land on which to build a schoolroom.  This was opened in 1886.

GIFT FROM WISCONSIN

August 7^th 1889   Conveyance of gift.   William Mawby Tomkins, born Loosley Row, now of Wisconsin, USA, gave to Alfred Ward and Others (chapel trustees), land adjacent to the chapel, to be an investment for the chapel to let out.

STRANGE OCCURRENCE FOR TENANT

In 1894 to Mrs A Ward for 23/-shillings p.a.    Whilst in the 1920s, let to Mr Edwin Rixon and Sons, chair bodgers, for 15/- p.a.(75p), there was a strange occurrence.   They had erected a workshop on the site.   On arriving one morning they found a subsidence had occurred during the night and their chopping block had disappeared into a shaft some eight to ten feet in diameter and several feet deep.   At the bottom of the shaft a tunnel extended in a westerly direction for a considerable distance.   It was concluded that at some time in the past, chalk had been extracted for agricultural purposes, as was the custom.   The shaft was refilled.   This is now in the garden of the next door property, ‘Dry Hillocks’.

NEW PORCH

On New Year‘s Day 1911    After many setbacks a newly renovated Porch to the chapel was opened at a cost of £25.

ELECTRICITY

In 1930 electricity was connected and replaced the oil lamp lighting.

CEMETERY

In 1934 Permission was granted for their land behind the chapel to be used as a cemetery.   The first internment was in 1937.

CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

In 1955 the schoolroom was enlarged, the kitchen refurbished and other improvements made to celebrate the centenary of the chapel.

MAINS WATER

The chapel had an underground water tank to collect roof water and in 1955 mains water was installed.

WAR MEMORIAL

Following WW1 it was decided to make new entrance gates which would display a memorial to the fallen from the chapel members.    More names were added after WW2.

CLOSURE

In 2001 the chapel was closed, due to reduction of the High Wycombe circuit.

CHAPEL SOLD

The chapel was sold and permission obtained to build a house.

CEMETERY SOLD

In 2006 the cemetery was acquired by the parish council, renaming it ‘The Garden of Rest’.   No longer a gateway the four brick piers of the original memorial were replicated in Portland stone with the pier caps reused and are now situated within the garden of rest with a seat incorporated to replace the gates.   New plaques record the fallen.

DEDICATION

June 8^TH 2014.   The new memorial was dedicated in the garden of rest.

Amenity Name	Methodist Chapel
Current Status (Active/Inactive)	Inactive
Founded Date	1855
Closure Date	2001