Methodist Church, Earl Sterndale

Travelling Methodist preachers arrived in Earl Sterndale in 1787, and one of the first converts was Rowland HEATHCOTE, who provided a meeting place at his farm for worshippers.

At his death in 1820, his Will (proved at London, 26th July 1821: PRO Ref: PROB 11/1646) makes provision for the financing of the Methodist ministry at Earl Sterndale:-

“I also give the interest of one hundred pounds to provide food and Lodging for the preachers in connection with the old Methodists conference so long as they shall continue to preach once in fourteen days or thereabouts regularly in Earl Sterndale Derbyshire but if at any time it shall so happen that a place for preaching is not provided or the preachers shall refuse to preach at Sterndale then and not till the place hath been given up for the space of one year without being regularly supplied with preaching then if the people of Earl Sterndale will not hear the Gospel or the Methodists refuse to preach it then it is my will that the said one hundred pounds be called in and given to the Treasurers of the Methodist Missionary ffund for sending the Gospel into fforeign parts and may the blessing of heaven make the word prosper”.

My thanks to Jennifer Blunt for kindly providing the above Will extract, and a leaflet produced by the Earl Sterndale History Group for the information about Rowland's conversion.

According to Non-Conformist Chapels and Meeting Houses, Derbyshire, (1986) the present building dates from 1850.

(Information provided by Rosemary Lockie)