Clarkson Street Primitive Methodist Chapel

Walking down Benezet Street away from Bramford Road, one comes across this chapel on the Clarkson Street / Wilberforce Street junction. The view on the left shows the primary school (sadly, no visible lettering) down the hill of Wilberforce Street, presumably originally connected to the chapel.
Ipswich Historic Lettering: Clarkson St church 1   Ipswich Historic Lettering: Clarkson St church 22012 images
It was founded in 1876. It closed before 1953. The Primitive Methodist church was an early 19th century (1807) secession from the Wesleyan Methodist church and was particularly successful in evangelising agricultural and industrial communities at open meetings. In 1932 the Primitive Methodists joined with the Wesleyan Methodists and the United Methodists to form the Methodist Church of Great Britain. This chapel is in 2012 a community centre.

The building features some curious commemorative foundation stones, featuring a well-known printing and publishing name from Norwich. It is quite possible that this is Samuel Jarrold, one of four sons of the founder of the famous firm: John Jarrold II.
Ipswich Historic Lettering: Clarkson St church 3   Ipswich Historic Lettering: Clarkson St church 4
On the Clarkson Street frontage:
'THIS STONE WAS LAID
BY
SAMUEL JARROLD ESQ
OF
NORWICH
-
CATTERMOLE AND EADE
ARCHI[TECTS]'

'THIS STONE WAS LAID
BY THE
REVD. WILLIAM ROWE
PRESIDENT OF CONFERENCE
JULY 2ND 1874.
-
EDMUND S. SHIELDS }   CIRCUIT
WILLIAM E. NOBBS   }    MINISTERS.'

Ipswich Historic Lettering: Clarkson St church 5
On the Wilberforce Street side, beneath two obliterated lines of characters:
'THIS STONE WAS LAID
BY
MISS S.E. WALES
OF WANGFORD'
Ipswich Historic Lettering: Clarkson St church 6
Very faint, but we think it says:
'THIS STONE WAS LAID
BY
MR THOMAS BUTCHER
OF
IPSWICH
-
ROBERT GIRLING
BUILDER'

Another Primitive Methodist Chapel with a lettered, dated (1839) tablet stands in Rope Walk, although that is now a Seventh Day Adventist Church.


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