Shelton and the Ridgway Family

Bedford Chapel

Location 13 on the index map

next:  Ridgway Memorial Chapel  
previous:  End of Havelock Place 

Christian Worship in the Shelton area: The first place of worship was St. Marks Church of England, built between 1831 and 1833. 

In 1834 John Ridgway paid for the construction of a Methodist chapel and Sunday School on Bedford Road. In the census returns for 1851 it was recorded that the chapel could accommodate 300 people and that the seats were rent free. Thomas Hoyland, secretary for the chapel (who lived at 19 Russell Street, Shelton provided details of the number of people who attended the services on Sunday 30th March 1851:

	Afternoon	Evening
General Congregation:	90	80
Sunday Scholars:	112	40
TOTAL:	202	120

Bedford Methodist Chapel - now used as an Islamic Centre

 

When the new chapel was opened in 1867 the Bedford Road chapel was used as a Sunday School. Today (2000) the building is used as an Islamic centre for the new occupiers of the houses in the Shelton area.

 

photo: 2000

  
next:  Ridgway Memorial Chapel  
previous:  End of Havelock Place 

questions/comments/contributions? email: Steve Birks