Methodism

Methodism

John Wesley died in 1791, 12 years before Camelford became head of a Circuit.

Preaching stations were set up in farms & cottages in places that John Wesley had visited, but there were very few chapels. At Penvorder, the original home of the De Lank Society services were held in the old house as early as 1784.

There are other mentions of St Breward in the early records. Treffry preached a funeral sermon for a Henry Whitting, "a Simonward chimney-sweep,an eccentric character, but which is i hope gone to heaven". The Society, under its old alias Simonward, appears in the accounts in 1815 when Richard Ford was the Steward.In 1821 the entry on the Steward's Account was "Simonward...10 members" replaced by "Trelank....10 members".

This was no doubt the same Society, so De Lank was the original Methodist Society in St Breward Parish in succession to Penvorder.

A tiny chapel with a pretty doorway was built at Treswallock in 1840 and was used for about 10 years, now exists as a farm building.

During a widespread revival in 1846 a new Society appeared at Trelank (De Lank) to replace the defaulting one, but lasted only 5 years. This was a free Methodist Society. The Reformers built a Chapel at De Lank in 1837, enlarged in 1847, which later became the Sunday School. When the new granite Chapel was built across the road in 1885, Benjamin Hawken of Penpont, the leader of the Society,had every stone carted at his own expense.

In 1903 De Lank Chapel was registered for solemnising marriages, In 1911 the Chapel was assured for £200 at 2 shillings a year. Electric light was installed in 1925, powered by an engine at De Lank Farm. In 1973 it was reluctantly closed and no further meetings were held there.

Bible Christian

Only a few Chapels could be seen as a result of John Wesley's comings and goings.

In 1815 William O'Bryan, son of a Luxulyan farmer,felt compelled to go out against his parents wishes and his own Church & preach a warmer and more evangelical gospel.

So he set out on his horse he started especially in the circuit which St Breward lay. He met a young lad named James Harris who was to play a large part in forming the Bible Christian Society at Limbhead,St Breward. For a while he followed Wesley but he was not happy.

James Harris is claimed to have introduced Bible Christians to St Breward. He opened his home at Rose to them and helped to build the first chapel i 1848. The first Chapel (now a bandroom) served for 23 years until it was replaced by the "Providence Chapel" (now Providence House) on the road leading from Row to Mount Pleasant. The first Chapel belonged to the Michaelstow Circuit. A gathering of all the members used to congregate at Michaelstow Beacon for a rally. It later became part of the Camelford and Delabole Bible Christian Circuit.

Providence chapel was opened by the veteran James Thorne on New Year's Day 1871. A gallery was added in 1884 but seems to have been in advance of the resources of the Society, for by the end of the century a debt of £150 had accumulated. Zechariah Spare offered to give £50 towards the debt if the remaining £100 could be raised by public subscription. TC Jacob wrote rather ironically in the magazine he edited -"Those people who objected to giving to the hospital in China because it was so far away, can give to St Breward because it is so nearby". By the end of the year the debt was cleared.

The Sunday School at this time was one of the finest in the Circuit, being built of cut granite stone. It stood back from the road with a low granite wall in front of it, topped by ornate railings, and iron gates leading to double entrance doors. It was opened in 1903 and was the centre of activity until its destruction by enemy forces in 1942.