Protestant Nonconformity in Hemington

Hemington is in the north-west of the county, 13 miles north-east of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, and is near East Midlands Airport (which is partly within the parish boundary).

New Connection Methodists

The Meeting House Return of 1829 reported a small group of worshippers, whom the parish constable referred to as ‘New Methodists’.[1] A congregation of ‘Methodists New Connexion’ responded to the 1851 religious census, and these are probably the same group. They advised that their chapel had been built in 1796,[2] although an alternative date of 1797 (in White’s Directory)[3] ties in with the accepted date of the secession of this group from the Wesleyan Methodists.[4] In 1851 the chapel was described as having been built exclusively for worship, and as a school, and had free seating for 100 people and other seating for 50. On Sunday 30 March 1851 there were two services held, and the congregation on that date was 100 for the afternoon service and 150 for the evening service. The averages of congregational size for each service were also 100 and 150 respectively. The Sunday school on the same day had an afternoon class for 50 scholars and the average attendance for the Sunday school class was also 50 scholars.[5] It would seem that no attempt had been made to actually count people for this return. A testy comment by the steward of the chapel is appended to the return:

Gentlemen you have given us a great deal of trouble and we do hope that you have it in contemplation to do something to assist paying off our Chappel [sic] debt.

The chapel used by the New Connection Methodists was repaired and decorated sometime around 1877 at a cost of over £60.[6]

 

[1] ROLLR, QS 95/2/2/73

[2] TNA HO 129/444/1/10

[3] White, Hist. Gaz. & Dir. Leics. (Sheffield, 1846) p. 348

[4] EB s.v. Alexander Kilham (Chisholm), and ODNB s.v. Alexander Kilham (Beckerlegge)

[5] TNA HO 129/444/1/10

[6] White, Hist. Gaz. & Dir. Leics. (Sheffield, 1877) p. 231

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