Batley Carr Wesleyan Methodist Church

The following source list was originally available only on paper in one of the West Yorkshire Archive Service offices. It may have been compiled many years ago and could be out of date. It was designed to act as a signpost to records of interest on a particular historical subject, but may relate only to one West Yorkshire district, or be an incomplete list of sources available. Please feel free to add or update with any additional information.

Also known as Batley Carr Mackenzie Memorial Methodist Church.

John Wesley stayed at Batley Carr at Joseph Bennet's house in 1757 and on other occasions. For many years Methodists who lived in Batley Carr went to Dewsbury to worship. In 1834 a chapel was built in Town Street and in 1837-38 and new chapel was subsequently built next door to the old one. From 1838 the original chapel was used as a Sunday School. In 1871-1872 a new chapel was built next door to the the Sunday School with the chapel built in 1837 being demolished; the site later became a playground. In 1872 and 1882 the Sunday School building was altered and when the chapel was demolised in the 1950s-1960s, the Sunday School was then used for worship. The top storey of the premises was removed in 1981.

The church closed c2006 and the building was demolished in 2008.

NB The chapel was named after the Rev Peter Mackenzie (1824-1895), a well known popular preacher who was minister at Batley Carr 1883-1886; he is buried in Dewsbury cemetery.