The Beginnings of Methodism in Peterhead

It was as far back as 1759 that Methodism was introduced to Peterhead when one of John Wesley's pioneer preachers, Christopher Hopper, included both Aberdeen and Peterhead in a preaching tour which took him from his native Tyneside through north-east England and eastern Scotland. He would have been in his thirties at the time.

The first meeting place known to have been used by the Peterhead Methodists was a room in Broad Street, in a back close tenement property still referred to by some of the older townsfolk as The Society Close - Society being a name cherished by generations of Methodists. A short distance past M&A's shop in Broad Street, there is a small closed-up entrance with the year 1730 engraved above it. That was the actual entrance to The Society Close.

In 1815-56 years after Christopher Hopper's first visit to introduce Methodism to the town - there were now sufficient members with sufficient funds to warrant the purchase of a place of worship of their own. So the Methodist Society in Peterhead bought Topping's Hall in Chapel Street - this being the lower hall of the present Salvation Army Citadel - for £300. The opening date was 22nd October 1815, a memorable occasion for the Methodists - the offering on that occasion was £6.4.2d. That same year a Peterhead Circuit was formed and preachers went out from the town to minister in the surrounding villages.

An Independant Methodist Church

The serving minister was withdrawn in 1828 and the chapel was sold, but the Methodists themselves bought the chapel back and hired a preacher and so, for 6 years, maintained an Independent Methodism in the town. (Who knows what else Peterhead Methodists are capable of doing?)

The Sma' Ale Kirk

The chapel was sold again in 1834 and for the next 11 years worship was held in the lower part of Queen Street in what was known as The Sma' Ale Kirk (The Small Ale Church), the name coming from the fact that the premises had, at one time, been part of a brewery. Damp, miserable and ill-ventilated as it was, it is recorded that there were 65 members and every Sunday evening some 160 people met together. This actual location would have been behind the business premises of Mr Emslie, the jeweller, entry being by way of the wide close there.

The need for more suitable premises led to a decision in May 1845 to negotiate once again for Topping's Hall - on this occasion the property was the upstairs part of the building. All sorts of functions could be held in the lower part at this time so the Methodists, having agreed to pay £120, had also to agree to meeting half the cost of a separate access by way of Back Street, and being responsible for an outside wall and gate as well. The proprietor in turn agreed to have no activities downstairs which could be at variance with the Methodists in their part of the property. The chapel was not perhaps the most beautiful but the Methodists used it for 20 years.

The Move to Queen Street Methodist Church

Looking again for a new place of worship, a meeting of the Methodist congregation was held in Peterhead on 5th September 1864 at which a committee of twelve was appointed to be known as The New Wesleyan Chapel Building Committee - it being their remit to address themselves to the building of a new chapel in Queen Street. The town's superiors, the Governors of the Merchant Maiden Hospital, Edinburgh, had granted free a site measuring 120ft long by 62ft wide, the actual building was to be 14 to 20 feet back from the street. The total estimates of £908 were £8 over the permitted figure and so the 8 lay members present at the particular meeting undertook to make themselves responsible for paying £1 each to offset the excess in costs. Without that offer our present Methodist Church building in Queen Street could not have been built.

The foundation stone was laid on 16th August 1865 and the official opening of the new chapel was on 20th June 1866. The offering at the opening services were almost £13. Read more about the building of Peterhead Queen Street Methodist Church

The Peterhead Methodists are still worshipping, witnessing and serving on that same site and in the same building erected to the glory of God by their forefathers, although over the years it has been renovated and refurbished on several occasions. The Centenary was celebrated in June 1966 and a fuller report can be found here.