Baptist Chapel, Plump Hill

I'm trying to find out what happened to the records when this chapel was demolished. Did they go to Forest or Micheldean churches or were they placed in the Gloucester records office??
I believe I was christened at this chapel in 1944 by the lay preacher
Tom Gibbs, who also was the Headteacher at Steam Mills School.

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Brian

Its just a guess but I suspect they went to another Baptist / Non conformist chapel, in turn they may have found thier way to the Gloucestershire Archives. Equally yours is recent and may still be in circulation :-)

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Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>

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>> Did they go to Forest or Micheldean churches or were they placed in the Gloucester records office?

Available in our Download Section --> Miscellaneous Documents

Non Conformist Records held by Gloucestershire Archives.pdf
http://www.forest-of-dean.net/joomla/resources/documents-and-articles

This document lists all the Forest of Dean, Non Conformist records that are held by Gloucestershire Archives.

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I noticed the following in the Gloucestershire Archives, Genealogical handlist - but maybe this practice changed in later years:

The Baptists did not practise infant baptism, so baptismal registers will consist of adult entries.

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Don't know if anyone out there can help. I'm looking for records of:-
1) When was the Methodist Chapel, Plump Hill, built & opened?
2) Where are the records of the christenings that were carried out there?

I do know that the chapel was a tin clad building and was still there on the side of the Mitcheldean to Cinderford road in the 1950's

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Don't know if anyone out there can help. I'm looking for records of:-
1) When was the Methodist Chapel, Plump Hill, built & opened?
2) Where are the records of the christenings that were carried out there?

I do know that the chapel was a tin clad building and was still there on the side of the Mitcheldean to Cinderford road in the 1950's

The fortunes of the Forest's Bible Christians fluctuated considerably and several missions were organized to reverse a decline in congregations. Most chapels continued to attract small congregations and underwent little change but the larger societies increased their accommodation. (fn. 2) In one advance after 1907 when the Bible Christians joined with other denominations to form the United Methodist Church, (fn. 3) a small iron chapel was built at Plump Hill in 1913. (fn. 4) It became part of the Methodist Church in 1932 but closed in 1972 (fn. 5) and was used as a store in 1992.

From: 'Forest of Dean: Protestant nonconformity', A History of the County of Gloucester: Volume 5: Bledisloe Hundred, St. Briavels Hundred, The Forest of Dean (1996), pp. 396-404. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=23273 Date accessed: 24 September 2012.

In Feb 1996 it caught fire ( arsonists ?) and was badly damaged, eventually it was demolished in 2001.

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Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>

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Hi Brian,
is that the same corrugated-iron type building that was(is?) tucked into the old quarry just "above" the main road next to the old shop etc as the road goes thro the esses ?. If so I recall seeing it every day back in the 80s when I worked at Ranks, I think it was being used as a workshop/garage for a small transport firm who parked their truck next to it ?.

It gets a very brief mention in this interesting website abt Mitcheldean history that thanks to your post I've only just found.
http://www.mitcheldeancouncil.co.uk/history.html

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Brian,
The christening records appear to be in the parish records on this site under "Forest of Dean Bible Christian". My two aunts were christened there and their records are annotated under Memoranda with "United Methodist Church Plump Hill Mitcheldean" for the one, and "Plump Chapel" for the second. The years were 1915 and 1916. Perhaps there is an advanced search facility for sorting out christening records for just this chapel.
The building Jefff referred to was on down the road towards the Point and was the workshop of Edgehills Transport. This has now been replaced with a new steel framed industrial type building.
Eric

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Thanks for correcting me Eric, sorry for confusing a Place of Worship with a garage, no offence intended (not that any appeared to be taken), what a fool I am !

I've checked the Old Maps website and can now see the "United Methodist Church" on the 1923 OS map. It's just up the road a little from my Edgehills garage and still on the same righthand side on the last of the esses, before the road straightens up to the brow of the hill past Fairplay ponds etc.

It's very sad to hear such an important building "caught" fire...

I've just tried using the normally wondrous Advanced Seach facility but it doesn't respond to just "Plump Hill" wrt "chapel", perhaps this is an area that might be improved in the future, please ?. I realise it's not always easy or even possible to rewrite software, and this will always have a cost, but it might be considered worth it. Personally I think it would also be nice to be able to search for a specific Minister's name too, for example.

Jeff

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Eric.
The reason behind the request is, I believe my Father and two Aunts were christened there in 1900 to 1910 but cannot find these. Also I was told as a lad that my grandfather was a lay preacher at the chapel, and that I also was christened at the Plump Chapel in 1944 and it was Tom Gibbs who baptised me.
This is the Tom Gibbs who was headmaster at Steam Mills School for many years.
Thanks to Slowhands, Jefff & youself for your response
Brian

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Brian, I presume you've searched the Glos Non Conformists archives ?. I'd try and help out just in case you've missed them but don't know the names.
http://ww3.gloucestershire.gov.uk/genealogy/Search.aspx

Would these events have been covered by the Mercury etc newspapers, I guess not but ?

Jeff

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Tom GIBBS - Plump Hill School 1915

http://www.sungreen.co.uk/Mitcheldean-Dean-Glos/Plump_Hill_School_1915.html + Florrie GIBBS

1911 Census, School House, Plump Hill, Mitcheldean

Living in 5 rooms

MARFELL

James Alfred - 44 - married 19 years, 1 child born alive, 1 living, Head Teacher, Glos. County Council, born Holy Trinity East Dean
Annie Elizabeth - wife - 54, Certificated Asst. Teacher, born Glascote, Tamworth
Cyril James Bryant MARFELL, Son - 13, School Monitor, born St John's East Dean
Harry Cyril WHITMORE - nephew - 16, School Monitor, born Desford, Leics

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FOD records - baptism, Forest of Dean Bible Christian

12 September 1903

Florence Selina GIBBS - parents Ernest William (Collier) & Leah Maria

residence: East Bream, Gloucester

Event: Baptism

Memoranda: Parents House

This family were living at The Rocks, Plump Hill - Tom does not appear on the census - On the 1901 census, William Thomas GIBBS - is with his parents age 3 months.

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Francis George MARFELL - christened 1916 - United Methodist Church, Plump Hill

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From FoD PRs,
Record_ID: 83623
Entry_Number: 152
Year: 1928
Month: Apr
Day: 10
Grooms_Surname: GIBBS
Grooms_Forenames: William Thomas
Grooms_Age: 27
Groom_Condition: Bachelor
Grooms_Occupation: Teacher
Grooms_Residence: Plump Hill Mitcheldean
Grooms_Fathers_Surname: GIBBS
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames: Ernest William
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation: Colliery Examiner
Brides_Surname: THOMAS
Brides_Forenames: Dorothy Maud
Brides_Age: 22
Brides_Condition: Spinster
Brides_Occupation:
Brides_Residence: Fairplay Cottages Mitcheldean
Brides_Fathers_Surname: BUFFIN
Brides_Fathers_Forenames: Henry
Brides_Fathers_Occupation: Miner
Licence_or_Banns: Banns
Date_of_Banns:
Signature_or_Mark: Both Sign
Witness_1: Ivor Baarnard
Witness_2: Lena May Gibbs
Other_Witnesses:
Officiating_Minister: George R Newman Vicar
Event: Marriage
Memoranda:
Notes: Henry Buffin is Brides Guardian
Register_Reference: P109 IN 1/21
Page_Number: 76
Parish_Chapel: Drybrook
Soundex_Groom: G120
Soundex_Bride: T520

Re the happy couple and witness Lena May Gibbs....

I see searching the aforementioned Glos Archives NonConformists website for "Gibbs" and "Mitcheldean" that the post 1850 entries do relate to Plump Hill and latterly Plump Hill U.M.C. (No Chapel name is given for the earlier entries).

They are the Baptisms of:
Francis George Gibbs, of William Ernest & Leah Gibbs, Mar 6 1916.
Kenneth John Gibbs, of William Thomas & Dorothy Maud Gibbs, Sep 14 1931.

With reference to the photo website mentioned above wrt the School, I see it also carries a group photo of the # Lydbrook Primitive Methodists Church, Womens Own, 1926; this has Thurza, wife of Fred Gibbs & Phoebe, wife of Arthur Gibbs who occasionally led the Services. I wonder if they are related to the Plump Hill Gibbs ? - possibly yes - I see that the aforementioned William Ernest & Leah (Mariah) Gibbs also had their children Fred & Lena May Baptised at Ruardean Chapel, Vanesten Lane in 1906 and 1910 respectively.
Sadly from FoD PRs I see this Fred died aged just 4 months.

Re the naming of Gibbs' sons "William", I'm tempted to assume this family may be descended from William Gibbs b1752 of Mitcheldean & Plump Hill mentioned in this prior thread ?.
http://www.forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?id=15276

# Of course not forgetting this site for great old photos = Lydbrook P.M. Church
http://www.forest-of-dean.net/gallery/lydbrook_2/pages/page_49.html
http://www.forest-of-dean.net/gallery/lydbrook/pages/page_43.html

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Baptist Chapel, Plump Hill (General)

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William Thomas Gibbs, Headmaster, Plump Hill School.