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A History of the Methodist Church in Windy Nook
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WINDY NOOK VILLAGE
How old is the village of Windy Nook? There is no certain answer to this question though we can confidently say that it existed in 1698 as on 23 January of that year, Dorothie, daughter of Richard Laws of Windie Nook, was baptised at Heworth Chapel. Prior to this, we know that the area was described as waste ground from Medieval times onwards, within the Vill of Heworth.
From the 13th century, the Priory Rolls show Heworth as a Vill and a Manor – meaning that the estate was organised under the manorial system of feudal times though there is no evidence of a manor house existing in the area. The earliest known house near to Windy Nook was the White House at High Heworth and this was built probably around 1520.
The lands belonged to the Bishops of Durham and the Hayning Wood near to Nether Heworth was known to Kings for the quality of its wood and the deer that roamed there. The ground higher up on which now are the houses of Birch Avenue and Laburnum Avenue, was used as a monastic farm worked by a Grainger – Heworth Grange Farm on older maps was spelt Grainge. This farm may have been worked by monks from Jarrow.
Moving forward to the 14th century, the Black Death was sweeping the area and it appears that Heworth did not escape. The Heworth Corn Mill (known locally as “Snowdon’s Mill” from 1870 after the miller & owner, Robert Snowdon) was abandoned in the winter of 1349/50 and its value fell from 53s 4d to 20s. The miller had either died from the plague or had left the area. This mill marks the boundary between Heworth Parish and that of Gateshead and lay at the top of the Causeway just west of Windy Nook Lane. To encourage people to live in the area, the Bishop of Durham offered financial “incentives” to prospective tenants and a few took up the offer. In the late 1600s, land was divided up and sold to prominent families. Most notable in the Windy Nook area were the Colvilles of White House who acquired all of the land from the present St. Albans Church westwards to the reservoir at Carr’s Hill.
The Waggon-way had been used to transport stone from the various quarries along the route. These are first mentioned in the Durham Account Rolls4 from 1438 onwards. Whilst there were significant quarries at Springwell, Wrekenton, Eighton Banks and Felling, the stone most favoured was from the Windy Nook area and Gateshead Fell. From the Middle Ages until about 1730, Newcastle had complete control over all Tyne trade and all commodities shipped from the quay was liable to tolls and taxes.
The greatest period for the quarries of Windy Nook was the period 1830 – 1900 and by far the largest of the quarries was that owned by Richard Kell. He was born in 1749 and came from a long line of masons and quarrymen who had worked at Gateshead Fell. He began quarrying at Heworth Shore in 1784 then later at High Heworth Firestone Quarry. He died in 1823 and left his quarries to his grandson Richard Wellington Hodgson, eldest son of the Rev. John Hodgson of Heworth and it was he who carried on the business employing over 200 men on the sites at Windy Nook and the Leam.
Other employment in the area was available at the large number of collieries – Heworth Colliery, Gateshead Fell, Sherriff Hill Colliery and Felling and the families connected to the miners all needed somewhere to live. The village of Windy Nook thus grew to accommodate these people and with them the shops, public houses, schools, church and chapels that were needed to support the community.
Today, Windy Nook is no longer a village, being part of the urban sprawl of Gateshead Metropolitan Borough. The older buildings are fast becoming overshadowed by the number of new estates, streets and single houses and many are giving way to being converted into something other than what they were originally planned to be. At the heart of the village however, can still be seen the church, the pub and the chapel perhaps the three places that hold a village like Windy Nook together.
How old is the village of Windy Nook? There is no certain answer to this question though we can confidently say that it existed in 1698 as on 23 January of that year, Dorothie, daughter of Richard Laws of Windie Nook, was baptised at Heworth Chapel. Prior to this, we know that the area was described as waste ground from Medieval times onwards, within the Vill of Heworth.
From the 13th century, the Priory Rolls show Heworth as a Vill and a Manor – meaning that the estate was organised under the manorial system of feudal times though there is no evidence of a manor house existing in the area. The earliest known house near to Windy Nook was the White House at High Heworth and this was built probably around 1520.
The lands belonged to the Bishops of Durham and the Hayning Wood near to Nether Heworth was known to Kings for the quality of its wood and the deer that roamed there. The ground higher up on which now are the houses of Birch Avenue and Laburnum Avenue, was used as a monastic farm worked by a Grainger – Heworth Grange Farm on older maps was spelt Grainge. This farm may have been worked by monks from Jarrow.
Moving forward to the 14th century, the Black Death was sweeping the area and it appears that Heworth did not escape. The Heworth Corn Mill (known locally as “Snowdon’s Mill” from 1870 after the miller & owner, Robert Snowdon) was abandoned in the winter of 1349/50 and its value fell from 53s 4d to 20s. The miller had either died from the plague or had left the area. This mill marks the boundary between Heworth Parish and that of Gateshead and lay at the top of the Causeway just west of Windy Nook Lane. To encourage people to live in the area, the Bishop of Durham offered financial “incentives” to prospective tenants and a few took up the offer. In the late 1600s, land was divided up and sold to prominent families. Most notable in the Windy Nook area were the Colvilles of White House who acquired all of the land from the present St. Albans Church westwards to the reservoir at Carr’s Hill.
The Waggon-way had been used to transport stone from the various quarries along the route. These are first mentioned in the Durham Account Rolls4 from 1438 onwards. Whilst there were significant quarries at Springwell, Wrekenton, Eighton Banks and Felling, the stone most favoured was from the Windy Nook area and Gateshead Fell. From the Middle Ages until about 1730, Newcastle had complete control over all Tyne trade and all commodities shipped from the quay was liable to tolls and taxes.
The greatest period for the quarries of Windy Nook was the period 1830 – 1900 and by far the largest of the quarries was that owned by Richard Kell. He was born in 1749 and came from a long line of masons and quarrymen who had worked at Gateshead Fell. He began quarrying at Heworth Shore in 1784 then later at High Heworth Firestone Quarry. He died in 1823 and left his quarries to his grandson Richard Wellington Hodgson, eldest son of the Rev. John Hodgson of Heworth and it was he who carried on the business employing over 200 men on the sites at Windy Nook and the Leam.
Other employment in the area was available at the large number of collieries – Heworth Colliery, Gateshead Fell, Sherriff Hill Colliery and Felling and the families connected to the miners all needed somewhere to live. The village of Windy Nook thus grew to accommodate these people and with them the shops, public houses, schools, church and chapels that were needed to support the community.
Today, Windy Nook is no longer a village, being part of the urban sprawl of Gateshead Metropolitan Borough. The older buildings are fast becoming overshadowed by the number of new estates, streets and single houses and many are giving way to being converted into something other than what they were originally planned to be. At the heart of the village however, can still be seen the church, the pub and the chapel perhaps the three places that hold a village like Windy Nook together.
Wesleyan Methodist Chapel
The first Methodist preaching place opened in County Durham, was in 1754 on what is now known as Church Road and the second was at Shaddon’s Hill, afterwards Blackham’s Hill and eventually at the Mount. But closer to Windy Nook once lay the hamlet of Blue Quarries and a meeting house opened there in 1786 possibly as a result of a visit by the founder of Methodism, John Wesley.
Wesley’s extensive diary does not actually say that he preached here but the reference is to the second place in that neighbourhood. He actually says in the entry for 23 May 1786 “I preached at the Fell…” and it has always been assumed that he was referring to Gateshead Fell – the first meeting house, however the Wesley Centre suggest that this was not the case. It may be that the cause at Blue Quarries was began as a result of Wesley’s preaching there – we may never know for certain and, being so close by, it would be reasonable to expect that people from the hamlet of Windy Nook would have been amongst the hearers at such an event.
Another occasion when it is possible that Wesley was in the Windy Nook area is in May 1790 when he had been preaching at Byker Hill. Although Wesley was journeying towards Newcastle, he decided instead to go to Gateshead Fell. Two routes lay open to him; the first would take him into Newcastle and across the temporary wooden Tyne Bridge (the old stone bridge was washed away in the flood of 16 November 1771) then up into Gateshead and onto the Durham and Tyne Bridge Turnpike (established in 1746). On reaching Sheriff Hill, a footpath through the Dyke would lead to the meeting house. The second route would be to walk down to the river Tyne to a point near Hog’s Island and cross to Felling Shore by ferryboat. From there, the footpath followed the straight line of the waggon-way to Gateshead Fell.
It is unlikely that Wesley would follow the first route. If he wanted to get to the Fell quickly, avoiding Newcastle would be important as he would not want to meet up with too many people he knew there and, perhaps more importantly he needed to avoid Gateshead where a typhus epidemic was raging at that time. Taking the second route therefore would have been quicker and healthier and would have led him through Felling and Windy Nook.
The first mention of a Methodist society at Windy Nook, appears in the records held by Durham University Library and is a meeting house certificate submitted on 22 December 1804 and registered 2 days later. This house, the property of James Robson at the Stead, remained registered until 29 March 1833 when a new certificate was issued as a Wesleyan Chapel had been built at Fell Dyke Cottages (this area now forms part of Windy Nook Road and the site of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital). It had opened the previous day for worship.
It is only within Circuit records that we have any information relating to the Society and even then it is very vague. It would appear that they ceased to meet in 1840 but High West Street Chapel re-opened the cause on 6 May 1841. Circuit records indicate that there were 24 members at Windy Nook in 1843 but towards the end of that year, the Society closed again only to re-open in 1847. It was not until 1st September 1898 that we learn from local newspapers that the Wesleyan Chapel has closed and is being converted into a pair of shops. Until around 1935, when Gateshead Council issued Slum Clearance Orders on many village properties, this area was known as "Old Chapel".
Rev. Andrew Lynn’s diary (he was an MNC travelling preacher, born in Northumberland, but with connections at Blue Quarries and Gateshead Fell) makes reference to a Mr R Bowsfield a Wesleyan preacher from Windy Nook, in 1816.
Wesley’s extensive diary does not actually say that he preached here but the reference is to the second place in that neighbourhood. He actually says in the entry for 23 May 1786 “I preached at the Fell…” and it has always been assumed that he was referring to Gateshead Fell – the first meeting house, however the Wesley Centre suggest that this was not the case. It may be that the cause at Blue Quarries was began as a result of Wesley’s preaching there – we may never know for certain and, being so close by, it would be reasonable to expect that people from the hamlet of Windy Nook would have been amongst the hearers at such an event.
Another occasion when it is possible that Wesley was in the Windy Nook area is in May 1790 when he had been preaching at Byker Hill. Although Wesley was journeying towards Newcastle, he decided instead to go to Gateshead Fell. Two routes lay open to him; the first would take him into Newcastle and across the temporary wooden Tyne Bridge (the old stone bridge was washed away in the flood of 16 November 1771) then up into Gateshead and onto the Durham and Tyne Bridge Turnpike (established in 1746). On reaching Sheriff Hill, a footpath through the Dyke would lead to the meeting house. The second route would be to walk down to the river Tyne to a point near Hog’s Island and cross to Felling Shore by ferryboat. From there, the footpath followed the straight line of the waggon-way to Gateshead Fell.
It is unlikely that Wesley would follow the first route. If he wanted to get to the Fell quickly, avoiding Newcastle would be important as he would not want to meet up with too many people he knew there and, perhaps more importantly he needed to avoid Gateshead where a typhus epidemic was raging at that time. Taking the second route therefore would have been quicker and healthier and would have led him through Felling and Windy Nook.
The first mention of a Methodist society at Windy Nook, appears in the records held by Durham University Library and is a meeting house certificate submitted on 22 December 1804 and registered 2 days later. This house, the property of James Robson at the Stead, remained registered until 29 March 1833 when a new certificate was issued as a Wesleyan Chapel had been built at Fell Dyke Cottages (this area now forms part of Windy Nook Road and the site of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital). It had opened the previous day for worship.
It is only within Circuit records that we have any information relating to the Society and even then it is very vague. It would appear that they ceased to meet in 1840 but High West Street Chapel re-opened the cause on 6 May 1841. Circuit records indicate that there were 24 members at Windy Nook in 1843 but towards the end of that year, the Society closed again only to re-open in 1847. It was not until 1st September 1898 that we learn from local newspapers that the Wesleyan Chapel has closed and is being converted into a pair of shops. Until around 1935, when Gateshead Council issued Slum Clearance Orders on many village properties, this area was known as "Old Chapel".
Rev. Andrew Lynn’s diary (he was an MNC travelling preacher, born in Northumberland, but with connections at Blue Quarries and Gateshead Fell) makes reference to a Mr R Bowsfield a Wesleyan preacher from Windy Nook, in 1816.
Methodist New Connexion Chapel
The Methodist New Connexion (MNC) seems to have reached Windy Nook around 1831 and by 1844 the New Connexion Northern Association was recording 15 members there.
Long before the chapel was built, the MNC members were meeting in a cottage which stood on Stone Place, later occupied by Phillip & Catherine Stephenson (pictured left). This was extended in 1862 to include numbers 2, 3 & 4 Stone Place. In 1863, the Windy Nook Society purchased all three cottages and retained them until the early 1940s, letting them out to various chapel members and using one as a Caretaker’s House.
Land for a new 200 seat chapel was acquired and work commenced on the building in the later months of 1864 with the foundation stone being laid by Miss Townsend of Newcastle and an address being delivered by Rev. J G Williams. The mortgage, dated October 1865, was for £400 with interest payable to a Miss Catherine Scott. The building was constructed of local stone from the quarries of Richard Kell & Co. by Thomas Kay at a cost of £55 and the joinery work undertaken by John Southern. The building opened for worship on 13 June 1865.
In 1877, the person to whom the chapel owed the money died and the mortgage was transferred though the actual details are rather sketchy. By 28 September 1883, an agreement was made between William McKie and un-named others to undertake the liabilities and responsibilities of the old Trustees and the following day they appointed new Trustees for the chapel. Circuit records show that there were difficulties in July 1885 and the Circuit Meeting convened to decide whether or not the building should remain open. The exact nature of the “difficulties” is not explained in the Circuit Meeting Minutes but one can assume that it was the financial situation that the chapel found themselves in. In 1886, it appeared that the chapel would be shut for good and after what was to have been the last service and the doors were closed, the people went home very saddened. But during the night, one man had an idea and put it to the others who agreed that they would mortgage their homes to raise money to help pay off the debt. Several payments were made – £25 in 1888 & 1891 and £50 in 1894. Following the death of John Teasdale on 26 January 1896, the Conference gave £50 towards the debt and in 1897 the chapel commenced fund-raising in earnest with a Pie & Pea Supper. This was followed by a concert at Whitehall Road Church by the Newcastle Salem Choir in October of that year and a performance of Handel’s Messiah in the November for which Windy Nook gave the choir 10 shillings and provided a tea.
It is at this point that the Society Minute Book records the first list of Trustees that we now have access too:
William McKie of Blue Quarries, a miner; John Patterson of Windy Nook, a Foreman Quarryman; Robert Hopper of Blue Quarries, a Quarryman; Joseph Hopper the younger of Blue Quarries, a gentleman; Joseph Dance of Windy Nook, a miner; John Ternent of Sheriff Hill, an Engineman; John Elliott of Windy Nook, a Quarryman; John Edward Smith of Felling Shore, a Paper Mill Manager; John Newton of Felling Shore, a Stone Yard Manager and Benjamin Arkless a joiner from Newcastle on Tyne.
We also learn from the same minutes that Mr & Mrs Patterson were appointed Chapel Keeper and Chapel Cleaner and that John Summersides had relinquished the post of leader of the choir and been replaced by John Dance with Joseph Thew as harmoniumist.
1897 seems to have been a busy year all round for the life of the chapel and its members. In addition to all the fund-raising efforts they were applying themselves to, the Circuit Plan shows that three services were held each week as well as a Band of Hope meeting, Christian Endeavour, Chapel Choir, Married Ladies Choir and the Sunday School. Camp meetings were still recorded taking place at Windy Nook even up to 1910 when most societies had ceased these. Members of the chapel attended the Circuit Picnic at Ravensworth Castle in July 1897 and several members took issue with the Chief Inspector of Police at Felling over whether or not rabbit coursing in the village was legal or not.
At what I guess is a crucial time in the chapel’s history, the Trustees named all the chapel members in the Minutes. They were: Isabella Meek, Margaret Meek of Square Houses, Joseph & Jane Dance, John J Summersides, John Patterson of Paradise, Robert & Jane Hopper of Simmswell Terrace, Blue Quarries, Joseph Hopper of 8 Quarry Row Felling, John Patterson, William Patterson and John Gay of Stone Place, John Newton of Coldwell Terrace, Joseph Thew, John and Elizabeth Thomas and W Collin of Albion Street.
The fund-raising continued into 1898 and one of the ideas put forward – but rejected – was for a demonstration of the new-fangled “Talking Machine” – the first commercial recording had only been made 12 months previously in London. Lantern shows were acceptable and were held throughout 1899. In 1900, a bazaar was held over three days for which quite detailed records survive.
With the new century upon them, the members continued their struggle to clear the chapel of debt and to pay back to the members what was owed to them. Originally, it had been planned that by 1908 all the money would have been paid but whilst the adult membership was dropping due to deaths, the Sunday School was growing at a phenomenal rate and it was decided that the buildings should be extended to accommodate the school and to add a vestry to the chapel.
Long before the chapel was built, the MNC members were meeting in a cottage which stood on Stone Place, later occupied by Phillip & Catherine Stephenson (pictured left). This was extended in 1862 to include numbers 2, 3 & 4 Stone Place. In 1863, the Windy Nook Society purchased all three cottages and retained them until the early 1940s, letting them out to various chapel members and using one as a Caretaker’s House.
Land for a new 200 seat chapel was acquired and work commenced on the building in the later months of 1864 with the foundation stone being laid by Miss Townsend of Newcastle and an address being delivered by Rev. J G Williams. The mortgage, dated October 1865, was for £400 with interest payable to a Miss Catherine Scott. The building was constructed of local stone from the quarries of Richard Kell & Co. by Thomas Kay at a cost of £55 and the joinery work undertaken by John Southern. The building opened for worship on 13 June 1865.
In 1877, the person to whom the chapel owed the money died and the mortgage was transferred though the actual details are rather sketchy. By 28 September 1883, an agreement was made between William McKie and un-named others to undertake the liabilities and responsibilities of the old Trustees and the following day they appointed new Trustees for the chapel. Circuit records show that there were difficulties in July 1885 and the Circuit Meeting convened to decide whether or not the building should remain open. The exact nature of the “difficulties” is not explained in the Circuit Meeting Minutes but one can assume that it was the financial situation that the chapel found themselves in. In 1886, it appeared that the chapel would be shut for good and after what was to have been the last service and the doors were closed, the people went home very saddened. But during the night, one man had an idea and put it to the others who agreed that they would mortgage their homes to raise money to help pay off the debt. Several payments were made – £25 in 1888 & 1891 and £50 in 1894. Following the death of John Teasdale on 26 January 1896, the Conference gave £50 towards the debt and in 1897 the chapel commenced fund-raising in earnest with a Pie & Pea Supper. This was followed by a concert at Whitehall Road Church by the Newcastle Salem Choir in October of that year and a performance of Handel’s Messiah in the November for which Windy Nook gave the choir 10 shillings and provided a tea.
It is at this point that the Society Minute Book records the first list of Trustees that we now have access too:
William McKie of Blue Quarries, a miner; John Patterson of Windy Nook, a Foreman Quarryman; Robert Hopper of Blue Quarries, a Quarryman; Joseph Hopper the younger of Blue Quarries, a gentleman; Joseph Dance of Windy Nook, a miner; John Ternent of Sheriff Hill, an Engineman; John Elliott of Windy Nook, a Quarryman; John Edward Smith of Felling Shore, a Paper Mill Manager; John Newton of Felling Shore, a Stone Yard Manager and Benjamin Arkless a joiner from Newcastle on Tyne.
We also learn from the same minutes that Mr & Mrs Patterson were appointed Chapel Keeper and Chapel Cleaner and that John Summersides had relinquished the post of leader of the choir and been replaced by John Dance with Joseph Thew as harmoniumist.
1897 seems to have been a busy year all round for the life of the chapel and its members. In addition to all the fund-raising efforts they were applying themselves to, the Circuit Plan shows that three services were held each week as well as a Band of Hope meeting, Christian Endeavour, Chapel Choir, Married Ladies Choir and the Sunday School. Camp meetings were still recorded taking place at Windy Nook even up to 1910 when most societies had ceased these. Members of the chapel attended the Circuit Picnic at Ravensworth Castle in July 1897 and several members took issue with the Chief Inspector of Police at Felling over whether or not rabbit coursing in the village was legal or not.
At what I guess is a crucial time in the chapel’s history, the Trustees named all the chapel members in the Minutes. They were: Isabella Meek, Margaret Meek of Square Houses, Joseph & Jane Dance, John J Summersides, John Patterson of Paradise, Robert & Jane Hopper of Simmswell Terrace, Blue Quarries, Joseph Hopper of 8 Quarry Row Felling, John Patterson, William Patterson and John Gay of Stone Place, John Newton of Coldwell Terrace, Joseph Thew, John and Elizabeth Thomas and W Collin of Albion Street.
The fund-raising continued into 1898 and one of the ideas put forward – but rejected – was for a demonstration of the new-fangled “Talking Machine” – the first commercial recording had only been made 12 months previously in London. Lantern shows were acceptable and were held throughout 1899. In 1900, a bazaar was held over three days for which quite detailed records survive.
With the new century upon them, the members continued their struggle to clear the chapel of debt and to pay back to the members what was owed to them. Originally, it had been planned that by 1908 all the money would have been paid but whilst the adult membership was dropping due to deaths, the Sunday School was growing at a phenomenal rate and it was decided that the buildings should be extended to accommodate the school and to add a vestry to the chapel.
A wedding in the New Connexion Chapel, Windy Nook, 1900
120 yards of land were purchased at a cost of £25 1s 6d and the foundation stone laid on Saturday 4th April, 1903. The total cost of the building work was £58 and by the time of its opening, the Sunday School had increased from 67 scholars to 98. The building work of course left the Society with more debt to pay off and it was considered that numbers 2, 3 & 4 Stone Place the site of the original chapel – should be sold off to pay for the work. The minutes reveal however that discussions on this matter “went off the boards” and it was decided to let the cottages to the Chapel Cleaner, by then a Mrs Fairlamb.
One can imagine the rejoicing that took place in that little Bethel on 6th October 1910 when a service of thanksgiving was held to mark the final clearance of the debts and all loans to members had been paid off.
Music has always played a great part in Methodism – particularly singing – and Windy Nook was no exception. In 1882, Windy Nook acquired the harmonium from Washington Colliery MNC chapel which had closed. This was later sold for £1 and a Corsician Organ in a walnut case purchased for £15 down and £10 on delivery in 1906.
One can imagine the rejoicing that took place in that little Bethel on 6th October 1910 when a service of thanksgiving was held to mark the final clearance of the debts and all loans to members had been paid off.
Music has always played a great part in Methodism – particularly singing – and Windy Nook was no exception. In 1882, Windy Nook acquired the harmonium from Washington Colliery MNC chapel which had closed. This was later sold for £1 and a Corsician Organ in a walnut case purchased for £15 down and £10 on delivery in 1906.
To celebrate its installation, a recital was given by Mr G Forster of Felling with Miss Lightfoot of Felling Shore and Mr Allen of Felling providing the singing. The organ must have been a terrific boon to the chapel particularly when one thinks of accompanying the hymns at the “Old Hymns Concert” on 16th November 1916. If a piano was required at any time, one was borrowed from Sheriff Hill Zion Chapel until 1912 when a new instrument was purchased for £23.
Windy Nook Temperance Band (shown above) began life in the 1860s though their history is now lost. It is not known if the Band were actually connected with the chapel but they did use the chapel for practising on a Tuesday night and the Northern Regional Brass Band Competition was held at the chapel in 1874. Windy Nook and St.Hilda’s Colliery Bands were amongst the competitors.
In 1920, with Joseph Thew as organist, a new organ fund was instigated with a sale of work that raised over £37. In the following July, chapel members built a frame for an organ from St.Mary’s, Heworth which was successfully installed shortly afterwards. The organ fund had a surplus of nearly £35 of which £15 was banked with the Co-Operative to repair the swell at a later date. It was not until 1964 that another organ was purchased and installed in the chapel. This was later moved to the new building and still serves the church well today.
A choir has existed at the chapel for a great many years, how long exactly is lost in time. Newspaper reports of the day note that the “singers” – as the choir would have been called – were present at the opening of the chapel in 1865 however, it does not make clear if these were actually from Windy Nook or another chapel (Bethesda Chapel in Gateshead had a large choir at that time). The choir certainly took part in a great number of events connected with the chapel and regularly held concerts and Services of Song in addition to performing the great cantatas. They also went out Carol Singing in the early hours of Christmas morning. When this tradition began is unclear at present. John McKie, the late organist at Windy Nook, recalled that 14 years of age was the minimum anyone could be to go out and had been the rule for a long time. His grandfather was 14 in 1891 and went Carol Singing for the first time – but the tradition was probably established a long time before then. Fourteen at that time would have been the age when most young men began work and anyone younger would have been classed as a child. The tradition continues to this day.
It would be impossible to record the history of this chapel without making some reference to the terrible murder which took place in the village in 1907 as John Patterson who was killed was a member of the Windy Nook Ebenezer MNC Chapel.
The events in question began when it was noticed by the Co-Operative Store14 committee and some of the employees, that a systematic amount of pilfering was taking place in the butchers’ shop. The manager had reported the loss and had one night scattered sawdust on the floor before locking up for the night. The following morning there were tell-tale footsteps shown on the floor from the front door to a hook where previously a joint of meat had hung. On 13th October, a sirloin of beef was missing and on the 22nd a side of mutton. Following the theft of another joint it was decided to set a trap and endeavour to catch the culprit without the involvement of the police.
On the night of Thursday 31st October 1907, the volunteers who had undertaken to take the watch – George Ather, Christopher Carr and John Patterson (all committee members) and John Joseph Cowell, a young man in the butchering department, entered the shop and took their places with Ather in the office and the others in the mincing room. At about one o’clock in the morning someone – believed to have been a policeman – tried the door but other than that the night was quiet until about 4 o’clock. One of the watchers noticed that the lamp in Howard Street in front of the store had gone out. Soon afterwards a key was inserted in the front door and a man entered carrying a stick in one hand and a lantern in the other. He crossed the shop and entered the slaughter house behind, then returned to the shop. At this point, Patterson and Carr rushed out and seized hold of him, soon joined by Ather. Cowell in the meantime pulled the string on the gas pendant and flooded the shop with light.
There was a considerable struggle which culminated in the man producing a revolver and shooting Patterson in the forehead and Carr in the left hip. There followed some confusion whilst Carr ran for the police and Ather held the door from the outside to prevent the intruder’s escape. Ather’s wife arrived on the scene just as the man was making his escape through a broken side window into Union Street. He ran off in the direction of the quarries hotly followed by Mrs Ather (armed with an axe) but she lost him in the darkness of the quarries. Patterson lived for about two hours but never regained consciousness. Carr was taken to the Royal Infirmary in Newcastle where he recovered sufficiently to return home the next day.
The story continues for some time with the police work in finding the culprit and the subsequent arrest of Joseph William Noble who, after trial at Durham, was hung for the murder of 33 year old John Patterson.
John Patterson was a Trustee of the Ebenezer Chapel and a member for many years. He was born in the village and lived at Paradise with his wife Hannah and their children. He was a devout Sunday School worker and strove to promote the cause of temperance within the village. Naturally, his funeral service was conducted in his beloved chapel. Beginning early in the day, crowds began to assemble in the village and particularly around his home. When the appointed hour arrived, the coffin was carried from the house to the chapel accompanied by the singing of “Lead kindly light”. The North Mail gave a list of the chief mourners in its report on the proceedings on the 5th November. These included: William Patterson of Halifax – brother of the deceased; John and Mary Patterson – son and daughter; Mrs Arkless – an aunt; Mr and Mrs Joseph Dance; Mr and Mrs John Dance; Joseph Dance; Mrs McKie (older sister) and Mrs Bell (father and mother-in-law); Mr & Mrs John Bell and George, William, Mark and Joseph Bell (brothers-in-law). Also attending were representatives from the store – James Melville the store manager, William Foster and John Grey, Chairman and Secretary respectively of the Windy Nook & District Industrial Co-Operative Society. Following the service, the coffin was carried across the road and John Patterson was buried in St. Alban’s graveyard. A memorial service was held in the chapel about 3 weeks later and a memorial tablet erected in the chapel (this no longer exists).
As the 1920s progressed, a number of New Connexion chapels in the circuit closed due mainly to falling numbers and lack of finance. Ship Lane Chapel at Wrekenton succumbed in 1921 and Windy Nook took advantage of the sale of interior fittings by buying 7 fine chairs at five shillings each. Windy Nook was progressing quite well since the debt on the building was cleared and established a new Trust. Unfortunately, that is where the Minute Book ends so the remainder of this history can only be gleaned from Circuit Minutes and other sources.
Following Methodist Union, the Trustees carried out extension work to the schoolroom to provide a stage area and a small kitchen at a cost of £260. The Act of Methodist Union brought all the major Methodist church bodies together and in 1935 there was a major overhaul of the Circuits. This produced some remarkable results – in some towns, Felling for example, there were now seven Methodist Chapels in the one town and now in the same circuit (Felling almost became a one-town circuit as a result16). At the relatively small village of Windy Nook this put the MNC Chapel and the Primitive Methodist Chapel in the same circuit and very close to each other. It was decided that the two societies should amalgamate and split the work between the two buildings. Albion Street PM was used for youth work and the Stone Street MNC chapel for worship.
As in many churches across the Circuit area, youth work took great strides forward in the 1950s and at Windy Nook Methodist Church it was decided that extensions to the premises were necessary to accommodate the growing work. An ambitious scheme was began to enlarge the schoolroom and provide a stage that could be lowered to floor level, classrooms, kitchen accommodation and other amenities. A new porch was added to the church building and the whole scheme redecorated. The new extension was opened in 1956 by Mrs LWP Ather and a celebration tea held at the Albion Street premises.
When the money owed for the extensions had been paid off, a new building scheme was begun in May 1964 however, Felling UDC advised that the chapel stood in the way of redevelopment and would have to be demolished. Many discussions took place between the church and the council and eventually it was agreed that the new building work could go ahead. On 10th July 1976,a new pre-fabricated church building was opened by William Dance and John Patterson, at that time the longest serving members. The 1909 vestry reverted to its original use following the removal of the organ (which had been housed in the vestry) and a passageway links the two buildings together.
The church and school premises continue to provide a home for Windy Nook Methodist Church today, continuing a witness in the village of Methodism for more than 200 years.
Windy Nook Temperance Band (shown above) began life in the 1860s though their history is now lost. It is not known if the Band were actually connected with the chapel but they did use the chapel for practising on a Tuesday night and the Northern Regional Brass Band Competition was held at the chapel in 1874. Windy Nook and St.Hilda’s Colliery Bands were amongst the competitors.
In 1920, with Joseph Thew as organist, a new organ fund was instigated with a sale of work that raised over £37. In the following July, chapel members built a frame for an organ from St.Mary’s, Heworth which was successfully installed shortly afterwards. The organ fund had a surplus of nearly £35 of which £15 was banked with the Co-Operative to repair the swell at a later date. It was not until 1964 that another organ was purchased and installed in the chapel. This was later moved to the new building and still serves the church well today.
A choir has existed at the chapel for a great many years, how long exactly is lost in time. Newspaper reports of the day note that the “singers” – as the choir would have been called – were present at the opening of the chapel in 1865 however, it does not make clear if these were actually from Windy Nook or another chapel (Bethesda Chapel in Gateshead had a large choir at that time). The choir certainly took part in a great number of events connected with the chapel and regularly held concerts and Services of Song in addition to performing the great cantatas. They also went out Carol Singing in the early hours of Christmas morning. When this tradition began is unclear at present. John McKie, the late organist at Windy Nook, recalled that 14 years of age was the minimum anyone could be to go out and had been the rule for a long time. His grandfather was 14 in 1891 and went Carol Singing for the first time – but the tradition was probably established a long time before then. Fourteen at that time would have been the age when most young men began work and anyone younger would have been classed as a child. The tradition continues to this day.
It would be impossible to record the history of this chapel without making some reference to the terrible murder which took place in the village in 1907 as John Patterson who was killed was a member of the Windy Nook Ebenezer MNC Chapel.
The events in question began when it was noticed by the Co-Operative Store14 committee and some of the employees, that a systematic amount of pilfering was taking place in the butchers’ shop. The manager had reported the loss and had one night scattered sawdust on the floor before locking up for the night. The following morning there were tell-tale footsteps shown on the floor from the front door to a hook where previously a joint of meat had hung. On 13th October, a sirloin of beef was missing and on the 22nd a side of mutton. Following the theft of another joint it was decided to set a trap and endeavour to catch the culprit without the involvement of the police.
On the night of Thursday 31st October 1907, the volunteers who had undertaken to take the watch – George Ather, Christopher Carr and John Patterson (all committee members) and John Joseph Cowell, a young man in the butchering department, entered the shop and took their places with Ather in the office and the others in the mincing room. At about one o’clock in the morning someone – believed to have been a policeman – tried the door but other than that the night was quiet until about 4 o’clock. One of the watchers noticed that the lamp in Howard Street in front of the store had gone out. Soon afterwards a key was inserted in the front door and a man entered carrying a stick in one hand and a lantern in the other. He crossed the shop and entered the slaughter house behind, then returned to the shop. At this point, Patterson and Carr rushed out and seized hold of him, soon joined by Ather. Cowell in the meantime pulled the string on the gas pendant and flooded the shop with light.
There was a considerable struggle which culminated in the man producing a revolver and shooting Patterson in the forehead and Carr in the left hip. There followed some confusion whilst Carr ran for the police and Ather held the door from the outside to prevent the intruder’s escape. Ather’s wife arrived on the scene just as the man was making his escape through a broken side window into Union Street. He ran off in the direction of the quarries hotly followed by Mrs Ather (armed with an axe) but she lost him in the darkness of the quarries. Patterson lived for about two hours but never regained consciousness. Carr was taken to the Royal Infirmary in Newcastle where he recovered sufficiently to return home the next day.
The story continues for some time with the police work in finding the culprit and the subsequent arrest of Joseph William Noble who, after trial at Durham, was hung for the murder of 33 year old John Patterson.
John Patterson was a Trustee of the Ebenezer Chapel and a member for many years. He was born in the village and lived at Paradise with his wife Hannah and their children. He was a devout Sunday School worker and strove to promote the cause of temperance within the village. Naturally, his funeral service was conducted in his beloved chapel. Beginning early in the day, crowds began to assemble in the village and particularly around his home. When the appointed hour arrived, the coffin was carried from the house to the chapel accompanied by the singing of “Lead kindly light”. The North Mail gave a list of the chief mourners in its report on the proceedings on the 5th November. These included: William Patterson of Halifax – brother of the deceased; John and Mary Patterson – son and daughter; Mrs Arkless – an aunt; Mr and Mrs Joseph Dance; Mr and Mrs John Dance; Joseph Dance; Mrs McKie (older sister) and Mrs Bell (father and mother-in-law); Mr & Mrs John Bell and George, William, Mark and Joseph Bell (brothers-in-law). Also attending were representatives from the store – James Melville the store manager, William Foster and John Grey, Chairman and Secretary respectively of the Windy Nook & District Industrial Co-Operative Society. Following the service, the coffin was carried across the road and John Patterson was buried in St. Alban’s graveyard. A memorial service was held in the chapel about 3 weeks later and a memorial tablet erected in the chapel (this no longer exists).
As the 1920s progressed, a number of New Connexion chapels in the circuit closed due mainly to falling numbers and lack of finance. Ship Lane Chapel at Wrekenton succumbed in 1921 and Windy Nook took advantage of the sale of interior fittings by buying 7 fine chairs at five shillings each. Windy Nook was progressing quite well since the debt on the building was cleared and established a new Trust. Unfortunately, that is where the Minute Book ends so the remainder of this history can only be gleaned from Circuit Minutes and other sources.
Following Methodist Union, the Trustees carried out extension work to the schoolroom to provide a stage area and a small kitchen at a cost of £260. The Act of Methodist Union brought all the major Methodist church bodies together and in 1935 there was a major overhaul of the Circuits. This produced some remarkable results – in some towns, Felling for example, there were now seven Methodist Chapels in the one town and now in the same circuit (Felling almost became a one-town circuit as a result16). At the relatively small village of Windy Nook this put the MNC Chapel and the Primitive Methodist Chapel in the same circuit and very close to each other. It was decided that the two societies should amalgamate and split the work between the two buildings. Albion Street PM was used for youth work and the Stone Street MNC chapel for worship.
As in many churches across the Circuit area, youth work took great strides forward in the 1950s and at Windy Nook Methodist Church it was decided that extensions to the premises were necessary to accommodate the growing work. An ambitious scheme was began to enlarge the schoolroom and provide a stage that could be lowered to floor level, classrooms, kitchen accommodation and other amenities. A new porch was added to the church building and the whole scheme redecorated. The new extension was opened in 1956 by Mrs LWP Ather and a celebration tea held at the Albion Street premises.
When the money owed for the extensions had been paid off, a new building scheme was begun in May 1964 however, Felling UDC advised that the chapel stood in the way of redevelopment and would have to be demolished. Many discussions took place between the church and the council and eventually it was agreed that the new building work could go ahead. On 10th July 1976,a new pre-fabricated church building was opened by William Dance and John Patterson, at that time the longest serving members. The 1909 vestry reverted to its original use following the removal of the organ (which had been housed in the vestry) and a passageway links the two buildings together.
The church and school premises continue to provide a home for Windy Nook Methodist Church today, continuing a witness in the village of Methodism for more than 200 years.
The chapel interior in 1922 - this is now the church hall
Primitive Methodist Chapel
Jeremiah Gilbert’s diary extracts make fascinating reading if only to see how much ground was covered by these early Primitive Methodist travelling preachers every day. In 1838, M Lupton walked 9 miles from South Shields (after having conducted 3 services that day) to Galloping Green Road chapel then preached a one and a half hour sermon in the morning. He then walked 5 miles to Chester le Street for the afternoon mission service and on to Waldridge Fell for the 6pm service. The following morning he was at Ferryhill. Phew!
Gilbert’s diary makes mention of Windy Nook only once but I am certain that this was not their first visit to the village. On 21st September 1823, he records “I was at a camp meeting at Windy Nook near Newcastle on Tyne. We had brothers Baker, Wallace, Bagshaw, Haw and Cawthorne; a few got saved and others deeply wounded in spirit. Brother Wallace preached near the camp-ground the following evening….”
We know from Circuit records that the first visit of a Primitive Methodist preacher to the area had taken place in January of 1821 and that such was the enormous response from the public that more preachers were sent out by the Hutton Rudby Circuit to places all over the northeast. The Society at Windy Nook however was not created until around 1838 – we cannot be certain of the date as there are no surviving documents other than Circuit records. Preaching services were held in one of the members’ cottages and were irregular until June 1862 when preachers from Nelson Street Chapel in Gateshead began “revival services”. Membership of the chapel grew considerably after this and so did the Sunday School which began on 22 December 1862.
Following the 1863 Camp Meeting, the Society began soliciting subscriptions for a new chapel and on Tuesday 8th September, 300 people gathered in the afternoon to witness the foundation stone-laying in Albion Street. The service, conducted by the Rev. John Hallam, included speeches and a couple of hymns from the singers (as the choir was known) then everyone went to the Mechanics Institute for tea.
The church building was opened on Saturday 2nd April 1864 with an afternoon soiree again attended by about 300 people. The “Gateshead Observer” described the building as “..a neat edifice nearest to the Early English style of architecture” . The interior of the building consisted of a chapel and adjoining schoolroom capable of seating 300 persons, the schoolroom being divided from the chapel by way of folding doors. There was also a small vestry. The cost of the building had been £350 and with £200 collected on the day of opening, most of the debt was cleared very quickly.
The first Trustees at this time were: J R Patterson, Thomas Dixon, Joseph Maddison, Andrew Davidson, Matthew Robson, Thomas Armstrong, George W Honeyman and Surtees Newton. In 1867, these Trustees formed a Chapel Committee to assist in the management of its affairs and finances. From what were such promising beginnings, Windy Nook PM along with Felling, Carr’s Hill and Kibblesworth caused the Circuit the greatest worries with regards to finance. In 1871, Windy Nook held additional services and undertook more collections in the neighbourhood to try and balance their books and reduce the chapel debt. Bazaars and sales at chapels seem commonplace nowadays in Methodist Churches but the first one in the Gateshead PM Circuit to be given approval was at Windy Nook in 1877. There are no records surviving to show the success of this bazaar but by 1883 the chapel was debt free.
The Sunday School continued to grow and Sunday School Union Annual Reports22 show that in 1898 there were 30 teachers caring for 70 scholars. F R Pickles was the Secretary. This growth encouraged the Trustees to undertake extension work and in October 1906, the foundation stones for a new hall were laid. A large crowd was expected to attend so Felling PM Chapel was hired for the service and the customary tea which followed such events. Surplus funds after the hall opened were invested in the Co-Operative Bank and the Society joined the store in 1923 – their “divi” number was 1480.
There are no surviving Minutes relating to Windy Nook PM Chapel in the archives though the Minute Books from Albion Street were used by Stone Street, and little else known about the chapel. In June 1942, a vote for amalgamation with Stone Street chapel took place following national Methodist Union. This was all agreed to and the Albion Street premises were used primarily for youth work from March 1943 until its closure in 1960/61.
Gilbert’s diary makes mention of Windy Nook only once but I am certain that this was not their first visit to the village. On 21st September 1823, he records “I was at a camp meeting at Windy Nook near Newcastle on Tyne. We had brothers Baker, Wallace, Bagshaw, Haw and Cawthorne; a few got saved and others deeply wounded in spirit. Brother Wallace preached near the camp-ground the following evening….”
We know from Circuit records that the first visit of a Primitive Methodist preacher to the area had taken place in January of 1821 and that such was the enormous response from the public that more preachers were sent out by the Hutton Rudby Circuit to places all over the northeast. The Society at Windy Nook however was not created until around 1838 – we cannot be certain of the date as there are no surviving documents other than Circuit records. Preaching services were held in one of the members’ cottages and were irregular until June 1862 when preachers from Nelson Street Chapel in Gateshead began “revival services”. Membership of the chapel grew considerably after this and so did the Sunday School which began on 22 December 1862.
Following the 1863 Camp Meeting, the Society began soliciting subscriptions for a new chapel and on Tuesday 8th September, 300 people gathered in the afternoon to witness the foundation stone-laying in Albion Street. The service, conducted by the Rev. John Hallam, included speeches and a couple of hymns from the singers (as the choir was known) then everyone went to the Mechanics Institute for tea.
The church building was opened on Saturday 2nd April 1864 with an afternoon soiree again attended by about 300 people. The “Gateshead Observer” described the building as “..a neat edifice nearest to the Early English style of architecture” . The interior of the building consisted of a chapel and adjoining schoolroom capable of seating 300 persons, the schoolroom being divided from the chapel by way of folding doors. There was also a small vestry. The cost of the building had been £350 and with £200 collected on the day of opening, most of the debt was cleared very quickly.
The first Trustees at this time were: J R Patterson, Thomas Dixon, Joseph Maddison, Andrew Davidson, Matthew Robson, Thomas Armstrong, George W Honeyman and Surtees Newton. In 1867, these Trustees formed a Chapel Committee to assist in the management of its affairs and finances. From what were such promising beginnings, Windy Nook PM along with Felling, Carr’s Hill and Kibblesworth caused the Circuit the greatest worries with regards to finance. In 1871, Windy Nook held additional services and undertook more collections in the neighbourhood to try and balance their books and reduce the chapel debt. Bazaars and sales at chapels seem commonplace nowadays in Methodist Churches but the first one in the Gateshead PM Circuit to be given approval was at Windy Nook in 1877. There are no records surviving to show the success of this bazaar but by 1883 the chapel was debt free.
The Sunday School continued to grow and Sunday School Union Annual Reports22 show that in 1898 there were 30 teachers caring for 70 scholars. F R Pickles was the Secretary. This growth encouraged the Trustees to undertake extension work and in October 1906, the foundation stones for a new hall were laid. A large crowd was expected to attend so Felling PM Chapel was hired for the service and the customary tea which followed such events. Surplus funds after the hall opened were invested in the Co-Operative Bank and the Society joined the store in 1923 – their “divi” number was 1480.
There are no surviving Minutes relating to Windy Nook PM Chapel in the archives though the Minute Books from Albion Street were used by Stone Street, and little else known about the chapel. In June 1942, a vote for amalgamation with Stone Street chapel took place following national Methodist Union. This was all agreed to and the Albion Street premises were used primarily for youth work from March 1943 until its closure in 1960/61.