RootsChat.Com
England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Bedfordshire Lookup Requests => Bedfordshire => England => Bedfordshire Completed Look ups => Topic started by: linmey on Friday 30 September 05 22:37 BST (UK)
-
My great grandparents and their parents were members of the Moravian church and attended the Pertenhall Moravian chapel. When I visited a few weeks ago I was disappointed to find the chapel is now a house and the grave stones are flattened with horses grazing over them.
Does anyone know anything about this chapel and when it closed? Also I would like to know if there were many other Moravian chapels in the surrounding area.
Many thanks for your help. Linda.
-
This should help. Its a link to a British Moravian Newsletter. It happens to mention a minister that served in Pertenhall in the 1950's so still going then.
Also gives a telephone contact for the editor so I'm sure you can get some more history from the horses mouth so to speak.
http://www.moravian.org.uk/pdf/messenger_05_04.pdf
Nettle.
-
Thanks for that nettle. I will follow that up.
I have read about the founding of the chapel and was fully expecting it to be there, but I guess a lot of former chapels have gone the same way. I know there was one in Swineshead that is now a house but I don't know if that was also a Moravian chapel at one time.
Many thanks,
Linda.
-
Bedfordshire Historical Record Society has published a couple of books: The Bedford Moravian Church in the 18th century, which makes no mention of Pertenhall, perhaps unsurprising as according to their other book Bedfordshire Chapels and Meeting Houses Pertenhall Moravian chapel wasn't licensed until 1823 and the church was built in 1827. It was a Moravian community with houses forming a courtyard around the chapel. Don't know when it closed though.
Regards
David
-
Hi David
Thanks very much for that. I am surprised that it was built as late as that because I understood it to have been founded by a vicar of Pertenhall Parish church which I was sure was sometime in the previous century but I will have to double check on that. Perhaps at that time they had a temporary building.
Its interesting what you say about a Moravian community because that may explain why there is still a little group of houses very close to what was the chapel and they give the impression that they were part of the same complex.
My family were obviously very keen church members because in the 1881 census my great great aunt aged 15 was living in Somerset and working as a servant to former minister of the Pertenhall chapel. I am guessing they took her with them when they left the village. Quite a distance from home for a young girl.
Thanks once again David. Linda.
-
Linda
I had a look on the Beds Archives search site http://blars.adlibsoft.com/form.html
for Pertenhall Moravian Church - and these came up.
Z50 Prints made by the Photographic Unitz50/88 Two small children in front of Moravian Chapel....
Z50 Prints made by the Photographic UnitZ50/88/1 Disused Moravian Church: interior views.... 1967
Z50 Prints made by the Photographic UnitZ50/88/7-8 Disused Moravian Church: exterior views.... 1967
Z912/20 Moravian Church Photographs (1)Black and white photograph of Moravian Church Players in a stage se... 1930 - 1992
The gravestones should have been recorded [hopefully!] so please check out publications at Bedfordshire Historical Records Society.
cathy
-
Hi.
Not been on here for a while but picked up on your link to Pertenhall and noted the link to the Reynolds.
What is your relationship- my Grandad was a Reynolds.
Ali
-
Just picked up this thread. My grandfather, Harry Pyne, Bought The Manse and the Chapel (both derelict) in 1962. Being a retired architect, he renovated the Manse and tended the grave Yard. He retained the Chapel. As a child I enjoyed many and hour playing the organ in there, which worked by bellows! He moved back to Bedford in 1977, when he gave up driving. He sold to a couple to continuned the renovations and tuned the chapel into a garage to house Vintage Cars, I believe.
-
Thank you for your post. I would have loved to have seen the chapel as so many of my family had worshiped there. I knew it had all been re developed and I did try to get in to see it from the outside a few years back but it looked very privately owned so I didn't go any further.
I am not sure if the chapel is still standing or if it is, what it is used for now.
Best wishes,
Linda
-
Hi! We went back about six years ago, as we were passing whilst out on a drive. We drove up the drive and the owners we very pleased to hear that our Grandfather was the previous owner. They were very kind and let us look all around the house and the graveyard. A great trip down Memory Lane for us. My mother seems to thing that Grandpa did, in fact, take down part of the church towards the end of his time there...but we can't remember what happened to the school room that was on the side. When we revisited, there was a large garage built where the chapel had been...all very tastefully done...but a garage none-the-less!
-
Ah, so the chapel is no more. That's a shame. I didn't realise there was a school there as well. I am glad you managed to get to look round when you visited. I have seen what was the Moravian chapel in Kimbolton. Another building that has been turned into a dwelling.
The Moravian church has a fascinating history in Pertenhall. If I ever get to retire it would make a great retirement project to follow it all up.
B.Wishes, Linda
-
Hi,
My Gt Grandparents were Moravian chapel people too from Pertenhall, and I notice you have their surname in your link (Reynolds).
My Gt Grandparents were Daniel and Emma (nee Mills), with my Grandad being James.
I have lot of information if you need it both my Mum and my brother in law have been to the chapel, and the owners very kindly let them uncover and take pictures of the gravestones.
One of my Grandads sisters lived in the cottages in the square, I remember visiting her when I was little
It would be great to understand our connection.
Regards
Alison
-
Hi Alison, I think we certainly have a link. When was your great grandfather born? I have a Daniel Reynolds in my tree born in 1876 in Pertenhall and married to Emma. He was my half first cousin 4 x removed. His father was James Reynolds born 1820. James was my half 3rd great grand uncle.
Does that ring any bells?? My 4th great grandfather was John Reynolds born in 1777 in Denford, and I am descended from his first marriage and I think you might be descended from his second marriage.
Best wishes
Linda
-
Hi Linda,
Yes that's my line. I'll see if my brother in law has any pictures of the gravestones he can share x
-
Hi Alison,
Thank you very much. Would be very interested in swapping info if that's ok.
I went to visit the Moravian church a few years back but didn't get the chance to go into the site. I know we have some relatives buried there, and I believe right up to the 1960s. I have seen some pictures of it when still in use.
Regards
Linda
-
Hi Linda,
John Reynolds born in Denford son of William and Susannah (nee Maycock) died in Pertenhall.
John married Elizabeth Tandey and then Jane Mumford.
John and Jane had James 1819 in Pertenhall
James married Martha Baxter (9 children) then Mary Fletcher (6 children)
Daniel (my Gt grandfather) was the 4th of the 6 children of James and Mary.
I'm sure just outside the village there is also a private burial plot that the Reynolds family own. I'll check with mum where it is.
Do you belong to ancestry Linda ?? Happy to share my tree as that's where I keep it
My Reynolds line goes back to 1698 (John Reynolds and Mary Hall)
Speak to you soon
Alison
-
Hi Alison,
That's exactly what I have, I didn't know about a burial plot though. That's interesting. I`m not with Ancestry at the moment, I have been in the past. My tree goes back to John Reynolds and Mary Hall which was research a cousin of mine did, and obviously you have been on the same trail. :)
B.W
Linda
-
Linda, about thirty years ago I was allowed to read the Pertenhall Church book at the Moravian headquarters in London. I still have my notes of that visit, which include membership lists from 1870 and 1910 (Samuel and Emma Reynolds, living at "The Hoo" and Mary Ann Reynolds, living in Swineshead, the next-door village, are in the 1910 list). And some other anecdotes from the ministers' reports. The church closed in October 1963 after the last minister moved to Woodford Halse in Northants. Get in touch if you'd like to know more.
Peter
-
Hi Peter and Mary,
I would love to share information please if you don't mind Peter,
My Gt Grandfather Daniel and Gt Grandmother Emma worked at Hoo Farm. My aunts lives at Chapel Cottages in the square.
As I've posted earlier my Mum went and was allowed to see some of the graves in the chapel garden many years ago
Regards
Alison
-
Alison, good to hear from you. There's too much to put on a RootsChat reply. My e-mail address is west@westwymington.co.uk. If you're happy to send to that, I'll reply and give you some of what I have. If you prefer not to, I'll put it on RootsChat in small bits!!
Peter (and Mary)