© Barton Brigg Methodist Circuit
2009 

Methodism in Brigg in the 19th & 21st Centuries

There were originally three methodist churches, Wesleyan, Primitive (known as Bourne) and United Free. The latter was in Bigby Street and the two other's in Bridge Street What the congregations were like numerically in the 19P Century we have not been able to ascertain.
However in the early 2e Century there lure uplifting times when the Brigg & Scoffer Circuit Choir (Conductors Mr.W. E. Cram of North Kelsey and later Mrs.. C. Aiford Osbourne of Howsham) rendered performances of Messiah, Creation, Elijah etc in Wesley Chapel (seating capacity 800) accompanied on the Organ by the very talented Miss Nellie Caunt (organist for many years at Bourne Chapel),
About the year 1950 students from Cliff College were invited to come and conduct a mission in the area to revitalise and increase- the number of Christians. As soon as they learnt there were three separate congregations in the town they said the mission was not feasible and it did not take place:
The three church buildings were of course formidable Victorian structures with all three at this time having only small congregations. Consequently they fell - into disrepair. Some examples of this. Next to the United Free building in Bigby Street was Jacksons Bakery. Miss Florence Jackson (who incidentally was the Organist at Wesley for many years) wore a tin helmet in windy weather when going alongside the chapel to their Bakery for fear of falling states off the roof. As regards Wesley, Dunhams Bakers, who had their shop next to the Chapel were constantly complaining about falling copings on to their property from high above on the church roof. There was frequently scaffolding erected. With regard to Bourne, after the three congregations had eventually joined up, as we relate later, and the property was sold, the roof completely collapsed and the building had to be demolished.

To refer again to the proposed Cliff College Mission, it sparked off proposals that the three congregations ought to begin talks with regard to coming together. This was probably 1953. The talks were fraught with difficulties. However joint services between the United Free and Wesleyans did take place at Wesley Chapel but the Bourne congregation refused to join in, took themselves off the preaching plan, and for a time arranged their own services. During this time the heating boiler at Wesley broke down and the services had - to be transferred to Bigby Street After two or three more years of haggling and differences of opinion the three congregations agreed that they would come together if we could have a new building. Fortunately at this time the local authority, Brigg Urban District Council, had a scheme afoot to re-develop the gardens behind Wrawby Street and we were provided with a site (at the cost of a quarter of the market value) in this development.
Building of the new premises (a dual purpose hall with ancillary rooms) commenced in 1962 and they were officially opened on 7th December 1963 ((free of debt.) although proceeds from the sale of the three former chapels was very low. The balance of the moneys was raised by our annual Spring Fairand gift Days_

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