Lower Frankton United Methodist chapel

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• OSWESTRY ADVERTISER, 30 July 1890, page 3.
  “FOUNDATION STONE LAYING AT LOWER FRANKTON.
  The foundation stones of a Free Methodist Chapel were laid at Lower Frankton on Saturday [26th July]. The greatest part of the work has been done by the Rev. J. Walter Thomas, and a chapel, to hold 150 persons is now in course of erection. The building is being done by Messes Kesterton and Son of Ellesmere, the contract price being £185, which, with a few necessary extras, will amount to about £200. The land for the site was given by Mr. J. W. Thomas, and also £50 subscription, and a subscription of £10 was given by Mr. J. Shaw of Sheffield. On Saturday afternoon six foundation stones were laid. A tent was erected near the site, and a capital tea was sat down to by about 230 people … In the interval the Ellesmere Drum and Fife Band played selections of music. Representatives were present from Frankton, Tetchill, Hordley, Whittington, and Ellesmere, and at the ceremony there were over three hundred present … The Rev. J. W. Thomas then called upon his wife to lay the first – the Frankton – stone … she hoped the new place of worship would be a great blessing to Lower Frankton … The following stones were also laid:- On behalf of Tetchill … Hordley … Whittington … Trefonen … and Ellesmere … The company then adjourned to the tent, where a public meeting was held … The proceedings were opened with the singing of the anthem, ‘Thou shall keep him in perfect peace,’ by the combined choir of the Trefonen, Dudleston, Lower Frankton, and Maesbury choirs. The Rev. T. Caseley … [said] Thirty-three years ago three men, named Everett, Donne [i.e. Dunn], and Griffith George [sic. William Griffith], circulated fly-sheets, for which they were expelled from the Wesleyan body … The congregation could not hold any meeting without the consent of the preacher. They had no voice in the matter of inviting other preachers. The Free Church had this power in their own hands. This was a great obstacle in the way of their amalgamating with the parent body … The Rev. J. W. Thomas then addressed the meeting, and handed over the deeds of conveyance of the church property … Their chapel was not of mushroom growth, for it had been talked about for years upon years. People had been crying out for a chapel that could be built within their reach and that they could attend. There was a very large number of people in the district who had never attended a place of worship at all … after the choir had sung an anthem, the meeting closed.”
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  OSWESTRY ADVERTISER, 1 October 1890, page 7.
  “CHAPEL OPENING AT LOWER FRANKTON.
  On Saturday [27th September], the opening services in connection with the newly-erected Methodist Free Church at Lower Frankton, were held, when a large number of friends were present from Dudleston, Chirk, St. Martins, Preesgweene, and Ellesmere. In the afternoon a tea … was supplied in a tent near the chapel … After the tea a public meeting was held, when the chapel was crowded … a long list of subscribers, which included Sir W. W. Wynn, Bart., the Right Hon. G. Osborne Morgan, M.P., Mr Stanley Leighton, M.P., Col. Barnes, The Quinta, and Mr C. H. Wright, Halston … Choirs from Dudleston, St. Martins, and Chirk Green rendered a musical service during the evening.”

  By Janice Cox (13/02/2021)