Methodists & Crump Meadow Pit (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Monday, April 07, 2014, 17:02 (3882 days ago) @ Jefff

Hi again Christoper,
I've just read the second page of the old Rootsweb thread abt Crump Meadow pit, it contains this reply from Glyn Hale (presumably descendant of the Pits Managing Director Joseph ?).

Glyn says

"Since you mentioned JOSEPH HALE (new pit M.D. from 1884) you may be interested in this short extract
from "Forest Voices" Compiled by Humphrey Phelps. (ISBN 0 7524 0738 4)
pub. by the Chalford Publishing Co. St. Mary's Mill, Chalford, Stroud, Glos.,
in which Elsie OLIVEY reminisces :

...."Father also attended Wesley. Since he was already working at Crump
Meadow Pit he would have attended Wesley because if you worked at JOSEPH
HALE's pits you went to Wesley, if you knew what was good for you. If
any of HALE's men were not in their accustomed place in Chapel on a
Sunday, Joseph HALE would want to know the reason why. If you wanted to
get or keep a job you attended the Chapel of the pit owner's choice"

Ah, the good old days!"

Now I'm NO expert on religions but I think I'm right assuming your father would have been a Wesley man ?. I do know the Wesley Church was Methodist if only from reading it's signpost while walking up Belle Vue Rd to our family Church St Stephens, or Cinderford Library which I'm afraid I found more enlightening, altho we always really enjoyed the pantomimes at Wesley Hall.
Is it possible if not probable his beliefs and subsequent career as a Methodist Minister influenced his choice of employer, or was it the other way around given he started at Crump Meadow so young ?
http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/GLOUCESTER/1999-10/0939089285

Heres another article saying the same thing, an interesting angle I've never really considered before.
"In the early days of Wesley the close affinity between colliery and chapel made itself felt in where men worshipped. It has been expressed as "where men wanted to work depended on where they went to church" but others have put a darker side to worship and phrased it as "if you wanted to work you went to the appropriate church - if you had any sense". So, men connected with Lightmoor went to St. John's, where Mr Meredith worshipped; the Baptist Church for Foxes Bridge; Wesley for Crump Meadow, the Hales' colliery."
http://way-mark.co.uk/foresthaven/historic/cinwesl7.htm

Interesting history of Cinderford Wesley Church here
http://way-mark.co.uk/foresthaven/historic/cinwesl1.htm
http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-354093-methodist-church-cinderford-gloucestersh