Normanby Methodist Church

Normanby  Methodist Church began life in 1960, when Cleveland Street Methodist  Church (formerly the United Methodist Church) and Patton Street  Methodist Church (formerly The Primitive Methodist Church) were united.  The Cleveland Street schoolroom was built in 1863 and the Chapel opened  in 1887. The Patton Street Church was built in 1900 and then in 1960 it  became the Worship centre of Normanby Methodist Church. The Cleveland  Street premises were converted into Normanby Methodist Youth centre,  which was formally opened by Keith Schellenberg on 27th February 1965. 

MORE ABOUT THE YOUTH CENTRE

The  Cleveland Street Methodist Church became the Youth Centre when the two  churches amalgamated in 1960 Archive records indicate that the old  schoolroom at Cleveland Street was built in 1863 and subsequently the  Chapel opened in 1887. Although there are no records to confirm, there  must have been an active witness in the Normanby area in the years prior  to these dates. During these early years, the United Methodist Free  Church in Cleveland Street was an active church within the Stockton  united Methodist Free Church Circuit. Apparently the U.M. Free Church  was formed nationally in 1857. This no doubt accounts for the fact that  Cleveland Street was always known as the “Free Church”. The first  Preachers’ meeting of the UM Free Church Stockton Circuit was held on 28  September 1868 in Milton Street Chapel, Middlesbrough. The minutes of  the meeting record that “Brother Whitfield of Normanby be employed as  Preacher on note”. A similar Preachers’ meeting was held on 28 June 1869  at Normanby . Clearly the Cleveland Street Free Church was very much on  the Methodist map at this time.

For  reasons, which are not entirely clear, other than geographical,  Middlesbrough became the centre of a new circuit in 1875, the last  meeting of the Stockton UM Free Church Circuit being held on 28 June of  that year. The first Preachers’ meeting of the new circuit was held in  the Linthorpe Road schoolroom on 1 October 1875. Other Churches, which  seemed to have belonged to the new circuit included Grange Road, North  Ormesby Road, Milton Street, Ormesby Road, Orwell Street and Nelson  Street, Southbank.

It is not  clear from remaining records what happened locally in the years  immediately following, although clearly there was still a UM Free Church  witness throughout the Teesside area. In 1907, the UM Free Church  joined the Methodist New Connexion (MNC) and the Bible Christians to  form the United Methodist Union in 1932 with local circuits amalgamating  in 1932 with local circuits amalgamating in 1934.

The  first signs of a blossoming relationship between Patten Street and  Cleveland Street are recorded in the minutes of the UM Church Quarterly  Meeting held on 8 March 1926. A letter had been received from the Eston  Primitive Methodist (PM) circuit “notifying us that they had appointed a  deputation to meet a similar one from this meeting to explore the  ground in the hope of bringing the two churches into a relationship”. In  Normanby it took almost 40 years before this courtship was consummated.  The first joint meeting of the trustees of Patten Street and Cleveland  Street was held on 13 June 1961.

In  the intervening years, Cleveland Street, together with the UM Church in  Nelson Street, Southbank, was formally included in the Southbank (ex  Wesleyan) and Eston (ex Primitive) Quarterly meeting held in the  Normanby Road, Southbank Methodist Church on Wednesday 11 April for  submission to the 1934 Methodist Conference.

Finally,  it is interesting to note some extracts from remaining trustees meeting  records from Cleveland Street. Some folk will remember with fond  memories the event and personalities mentioned.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR CHURCH

All the following passages are taken from Normanby Methodist Centenary Booklet, which was issued for the centenary year in 2000

There  appears to be no documentary evidence about how the Normanby Primitive  Methodist Church began as a “house church” before the chapel was built  in 1900 The received verbal tradition is that it started in the streets  of Normanby with fellowship meetings and working parties to raise money  for the new building. The James Hammerton senior and Hannah Hammerton,  whose names are on inscribed stones inside the church lived in number 30  West Street, Eston. James had connections with the United Methodist  Free Church in Cleveland Street but transferred his loyalty to the  Primitive Methodists and helped considerably in financing the building  of our church.

The  foundation stone on the left-hand side was laid by A.E.Pease,esq, M.P.,  on 30th June 1900. William Codd who was a retired grocer who lived in  Ormesby laid the foundation stone on the right hand side of the  entrance. He had lived in Eston and was probably the oldest member of  the church, being 75 years old in 1900. The following extracts from “The  Primitive Methodist World” describe in some detail the important  ceremonies in 1900.

On  Saturday (June 30th) the memorial stones of the primitive Methodist  Church now in course of construction at Normanby were formally laid. A  deputation accompanied by the Eston Miners’ Old Brass Band, met Mr. and  Mrs. A.E. Pease, and the party proceeded to the site of the new chapel,  where a short devotional service was held. The Rev. J. Davidson read a  letter from Mr.. J.J. Swan that neither he nor Mrs. Swan could attend  and he enclosed £2.2s on behalf of Mrs. Swan and a further sum of £5.00  as a donation from himself, and concluded by wishing the church and its  members every happiness and success in their new venture.

Mr.  Pease was then asked to lay the first stone, for which purpose he was  presented with a handsome silver trowel bearing the following  inscription “Presented to A.E.Pease, esq.M.P. by the trustees of  Normanby Primitive Methodist Church, at the foundation stone laying,  June 30th 1900”. After laying the stone Mr. Pease said that it was  indeed a great pleasure to himself and Mrs. Pease to pay a visit to  their friends at Normanby. He supposed that like himself, there were  many present who were not Primitive Methodists, but he sincerely hoped  that they all felt warmly as he did towards them. There were, of course,  various points of difference, but after all, their creeds were similar,  and it therefore was necessary that they should endeavour to assist  each other whenever opportunity presented itself. They should always be  ready to help bodies like the Primitive Methodists, who had to find the  means for erecting their chapels and schools from pockets anything but  well filled. He thought it spoke very well for such a small chapel that  they had already been able to raise nearly half the amount required.  This chapel, he sincerely hoped would be a success and prove a never  failing source if comfort to the people of the neighbourhood. Stones  were also laid by Mrs. Pease, Mr. J. Hammerton and three stones by young  people of the church.

At  the conclusion of the ceremony a public tea was held in an adjoining  field, and later in the evening a public meeting, Dr. Fulton presiding.  On Sunday special commemoration services were held, the choir rending a  service of song, “Led by a Child”, whilst in the evening Mr. J.  Appleyard of Middlesbrough delivered an address. 

In  the early 2000's it became apparent that something need to be done to  bring the church up to standard as regards the Disablement Act. After  several meetings it was decided to sell the Youth Centre premises as  these were difficult to update, and to knock down the Church building  and build a new church as this was a cheaper option , there  being no  VAT on a new build.

Many  fund raising efforts began, some of which were sponsored hymn singing of  Hymns and Psalms, a sponsored Bible read of the Gospels and Acts. A  Ways and Means committee was set up and social evenings took place to  raise  funds.  Several people took out a covenant to raise a certain  amount.  With grants from several places the money was eventually raised  and the new church building was completed by late 2014  and worship  moved from the Youth Centre to our modern building. We give thanks to  God for his provision and for the vision which made this project begin.   Rev David Payne who had begun  the process came back to officially open  the church in early 2005. We celebrated the 10 years of the new church  with a flower festival in 2015