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

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

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

Jeff

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

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

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.

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

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.

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 :-)