Malings Rigg Presbyterain Church (1852)



What memories crowd around Malings Rigg! A few good men belonging to Flag Lane E. Jobling, J. Whittaker, M. Spencer, M. Wayman, R. Norwood, and J. Wilson among the rest took a room in The Hatcase in 1852, opened a Sunday School, and conducted a religious service on the Sunday nights and other meetings during the week. John Moffatt, who was then twelve years of age, was the first scholar in the new school, and he and many more who joined had never been at a Sunday School before. So many children came that two rooms had to be made into one; then a larger place had to be taken, and it became so crowded and the heat became so intense that Joseph Spoor, on one occasion, put off his coat while preaching. Michael Spencer and his wife started a new class. One night, in the October of 1854, about a score of young people were converted, among them being John Moffatt and William Baitey. The revival went on, an old Presbyterian Chapel at Malings Rigg was afterwards bought, and Mary Porteus opened it in 1856. Souls were saved, the church grew, and the Sunday School flourished. Rarely a week passed without converts, though dark days intervened.

‘Northern Primitive Methodism’ by W M Patterson, published in 1909, page 259.

Additional Information

The church was built in 1777 and taken over by the Primitive Methodists in 1852. The whole area was re-developed in the 20th century. The church would have been within a street of here.


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