Congregational Chapel

Dahne Pepper remembers the Tuesday evening dances in the old Congregational Chapel (audio)
Daphne Pepper remembers the Tuesday evening dances in the old Congregational Chapel (50 seconds)
A transcription of this audio file and photo of Daphne Pepper can be seen at the bottom of the page.
The Old Congregational Chapel, 63 High Street, Meldreth
Chris Duguid
The chapel now being used as a garage
W.I Scrapbook 1977
Daphne Pepper
Chris Duguid

The Congregational Chapel stands in the garden of 63 High Street.

It was built in 1852 and seated 100 people.  It seems that the land at that time belonged to Richard Wallis.

The Indenture of 5th day of November 1851 reads thus:
This Indenture is made between Richard Wallis of the one part and Samuel Clear, William Clear, John Unwin, Benjamin Howard, Simeon Mortlock, William Blott, Jonathan Farnham, Ephraim Orriss, William Unwin, Daniel Flitton and William Farnham. All that piece or parcel of freehold land or ground situate in the Parish of Meldreth containing 10 poles or thereabouts upon which a chapel and other buildings was conveyed to the above in fee simple upon the trusts and for the purposes and subject of the powers provisions and declarations expressed and contained therein. 

On the 29th June 1898 new trustees were appointed:
Ephraim Orriss, Walter Wedgeborough Clear, Alfred Russell Fordham, Thomas Farnham, George Palmer, Edward Stockbridge, William Chapman, Amos Greenhill, Ernest Harrup, George Peters and James Waldock.

On the 28th March 1958 new trustees were appointed:
Ernest John Harrup and James Waldock

In February 1969 The Congregational Union sold the chapel to John Gipson, the owner of 63 High Street.

The chapel building had many uses over the years. During the war it was used as a drill hall and village hall. It continued to be used as a village hall until the 1960’s when plans were drawn up to build a new village hall.

In 2013 John Gipson sold the chapel and from 2014-16 it was converted to a dwelling.

TUESDAY DANCES IN THE VILLAGE HALL (i.e the Congregational Chapel)

I can remember all through the War every Tuesday there was a dance at the Village Hall you know where I mean don’t you?  Every week, and it was for what they called the Homecoming Fund so that all the troops when they came home all of them got some money, I don’t know how much, and everything they had there was for the Homecoming fund.  I don’t know who arranged them but I mean Mum used to go and help, I mean there again everybody mucked in you know and this happened every Tuesday and in between they had Beetle Drives and things like that you know, so there was always something going on and it was always for a good cause.

Click on the audio bar at the top of the page to hear Daphne Pepper talking about the dances in the old Congregational Chapel.

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