Beckside Rd Welsh Calvinist, Dalton-in-Furness

Welsh Calvinist church,
Beckside Rd,
Dalton-in-Furness
Lancashire

Cemeteries

The church does not have a graveyard.

Church History

It was founded in 1874 and closed in 1928.

The Victoria County History of Lancashire (vol viii page 318) mentions a Welsh Presbyterian (Calvinist) congregation existing in Dalton prior to the establishment of their chapel in Barrow in 1863.

The Dalton congregation met (at least after the first few years) in the Old Grammar School, Beckside Road. The same building had also been formerly used by the Congregationalist and the Bible Christian members, prior to the completion of their own chapels in the town. Slater's Directory of 1869 states that Dalton's Free Grammar School was founded in 1622.

Bulmer's Directory of Furness & Cartmel, c1911 (p. 262), alleges that "in the old Grammar School, Beckside Road, the Welsh Calvinists hold their services. They are also establishing themselves at Barrow, Millom, and other places in the district, and providing for the Welsh people who desire to worship in their native tongue" (Welsh Minister, Rev. Robert Parry Jones). [We think they were actually virtually defunct in Barrow by that date.]

Kelly's Directory of Lancashire 1924 still refers to the Calvinistic Methodist (Welsh) Chapel in Dalton, although if it was still functioning, it apparently had no regular minister. The final mention in the Furness Year Book was in 1928, after which the building was used briefly for Spiritualist meetings.

The church which remains to be noticed is that of the Welsh Calvinists, which holds its Sunday school and preaching services in the old Grammar School. It was established July, 1874.

The following table is submitted for reference. The return of members of society is the number enrolled on the books of the different churches in May, 1882 :

Name of church	Number of enrolled Church Members	Sitting Accommodation of the Chapel.
Wesleyan Methodists	225	650
Congregational Church	174	300
Primitive Methodists	110	252
Bible Christians	92	500
Baptists	91	340
Welsh Calvinists	34	180

from Mannex's directory of Furness & Cartmel, 1882

The building is today converted into a private house, virtually unrecognisable as a former chapel. It bears a modern inscription 'The Old Grammar School, 1746'.

Maps

The church was located at OS grid reference SD2324574088. You can see this on maps provided by:

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• English Jurisdictions in 1851
• Google maps showing nearby churches with satellite image option.

This site provides historical information about churches, other places of worship and cemeteries. It has no connection with the churches themselves.