ST. AUSTELL AREA HISTORY	Borough Crest War Memorial Parish Guide Main Menu

CHURCHES and CHAPELS
compiled by J. Mosman, OPC
for the St. Austell Genealogy and History website

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NON-CONFORMIST CHURCH CIRCUITS which covered the St. Austell parish area (from CRO records, 2012)

This is a list of Non-Conformist Church Circuits, which one may search should their families not appear in Anglican records after July 1, 1837. Starred entries denote circuits with records on this website; all records of the circuits may not be included, however. All surviving pre-1837 non-parochial registers are held at the Public Record Office (PRO). After 1837, the chapels are covered by the following:

St. Austell Bible Christian*                                   Bodmin Bible Christian
St. Austell Primitive Methodist*                           Bodmin Wesleyan
St. Austell Wesleyan*                                            Mevagissey Wesleyan*
St. Austell UMFC (United Methodist Free Church) *

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This is a list of churches/chapels circa 1893-1910; St. Austell Parish had been divided into 5 ecclesiastical districts by this time. Some had been in existence many years before these dates; many continue into the present day. Some have been closed, sold, or torn down.

According to the West Briton newspaper, in 1837 for St. Austell there were 27 Wesleyan chapels, and one Church of England church - Holy Trinity, which seated at full capacity 1,850 persons - within the parish of St. Austell. The population of the parish at that time was over 10,000 persons (official numbers vary); hence, the obvious need for more places of worship!.

Circa 1907, Free Methodist churches joined with Bible Christians; in 1932, they joined with Wesleyans and Primitive Methodists to form the present day Methodist Church in the United Kingdom.

This list is not all-inclusive; if you have knowledge of a church/chapel not listed, please contact us. If you know the full names of the various churches, we'd be interested in learning of them!

HISTORIC CHURCHES – ST. AUSTELL PARISH

ST. AUSTELL

BAPTIST, Western Road.... Rev. Thomas Pulsford, 1852

CHURCH OF ENGLAND - HOLY TRINITY - estb. 1291
see the History section for a discussion of this church; photographs, including interior, in the photo section

CONGREGATIONAL - the "Tabernacle" in Duke Street, seating 350, demolished for a new town centre in the 1970's.

EAST HILL - United Methodist Free Church/United Methodist

ROMAN CATHOLIC - church built in 1989; served by visiting priests until 1962, when one was appointed to the town. However, an index of 1892 refers specifically to a "Roman Catholic church". Perhaps a building was rented for services?

ST. JOHN'S WESLEYAN METHODIST - built on land donated by the Sawle family, opened in 1828 with room for 1,000. It was restored in 1892. Included in the photo section, and transcripts of registers too.

SOCIETY OF FRIENDS ** (QUAKERS) - Friends' Meeting House, High Cross St.

ZION BIBLE CHRISTIAN - built in 1890 as Bible Christian, which became United Methodist; closed 1994

** the Society of Friends cemetery was removed when the highway was widened; some headstones were built into the wall adjoining the highway (photos of which are in our photography section). Others were arranged in the St. Austell meeting house, along the wall.

BETHEL ....................................................................................BETHEL CHAPEL METHODIST
Est. 1822, still active

CARCLAZE .........................................................................CARCLAZE CHAPEL METHODIST

LONDON APPRENTICE ............................................NEW MILLS PRIMITIVE METHODIST
Est. 1870; closed 1988/89

MOUNT CHARLES ......................................................BRIDGE UNITED FREE METHODIST
Also known as the United Methodist Free Church; demolished 1985                 

MOUNT CHARLES.................................................VICTORIA ROAD METHODIST CHAPEL
designed by Simon Trevail 1873, demolished 1995

PENTEWAN ............................................................................... ALL SAINTS C. OF E. CHAPEL photographs

PENWITHICK ................................................................PENWITHICK CHAPEL METHODIST

POLGOOTH .......................................................................POLGOOTH CHAPEL METHODIST

TRENARREN..................................................................TRENARREN CHAPEL METHODIST

HISTORIC CHURCHES – CHARLESTOWN PARISH

CHARLESTOWN .............................................ST. PAUL’S CHURCH OF ENGLAND
Est. 1846; built 1851

CHARLESTOWN ...............................................WESLEYAN METHODIST CHAPEL
Built 1827, closed 1998

PARAMOOR.....................................PARAMOOR CHAPEL UNITED METHODIST

PORTHPEAN .................................................................ST. LEVAN C. OF E. CHAPEL

TREGREHAN MILLS .......................................................PRIMITIVE METHODIST
Est. 1830; still active

TREGREHAN MILLS............................................EBENEEZER BAPTIST CHURCH

HISTORIC CHURCHES – TREVERBYN PARISH

BUGLE FORE STREET(Carn Rosemary) ...................CHAPEL BIBLE CHRISTIAN

CARTHEW .....................................................................CHAPEL BIBLE CHRISTIAN

GREENSPLAT................................................................CHAPEL FREE METHODIST

MOLINNIS .........................................................CHAPEL PRIMITIVE METHODIST

RESCORLA ...................................................... .CHAPEL PRIMITIVE METHODIST

STENALEES .......................................................CHAPEL WESLEYAN METHODIST

STICKER ...............................................................STICKER CHAPEL METHODIST

TRELOWTH ......................................................TRELOWTH CHAPEL METHODIST

TREVERBYN ..........................................................ST. PETER’S C. OF E. CHURCH

TRETHURGY ..................................................TRETHURGY CHAPEL METHODIST

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HISTORIC CHURCHES AND CHAPELS, ST. BLAZEY

CHURCH OF ENGLAND - St. BLAISE, or St. BLAZEY - built circa 1440

LEEKSEED METHODIST CHAPEL built 1824..(and Graveyard)

BIBLE CHRISTIAN

FREE METHODIST

PRIMITIVE METHODIST

WESLEYAN METHODIST

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HISTORIC CHURCHES OF PAR *

St. MARY's BISCOVEY.................................................. CHURCH OF ENGLAND
Consecrated 1 November 1849; built on land donated by Edward Carlyon of red Biscovey slate, with quoins of Pentewan stone. Seats 360 persons.

CHURCH OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD, PAR GREEN.....................CHURCH OF ENGLAND (Mission Church, at Par Green)
Built in 1896; seats 270 persons.

PAR...................................................................................WESLEYAN METHODIST
(St. Austell Circuit) built in 1864; seats 400 persons.

PAR.........................................................................................UNITED METHODIST
(St. Austell Circuit) seats 250 people.

ST. BLAZEY GATE...............................................................UNITED METHODIST
(St. Austell Circuit)

ST. BLAZEY GATE.........................................................WESLEYAN METHODIST
(St. Austell Circuit) Seats 300 people.

SEAMEN's MISSION................................................................Non-denominational

*in 1914, 2 Wesleyan Methodist chapels, with 1 pastor, and 2 United Methodist chapels with one pastor, reflecting the joining of Bible Christians and Free Methodist Chapels in 1907

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