This continues the transcribed text from the Victoria History of Oxfordshire in an adjacent screen grab.
“In 1871 the Wesleyan Conference decided that the chapel, which despite extension in 1870 seated fewer than 600, was too small, and a new chapel was built in New Inn Hall Street, in front of the old building; it was designed in ‘14th-century style’ by Charles Bell, and comprised an aisled nave, small chancel, and a tall tower and spire. It was opened in 1878 as the Wesley Memorial Church. The old chapel became a girls school, was sold to St Peter’s Hall in 1932, and was demolished in 1969.”
“Despite the grandeur of the building, George Maunder, the minister responsible for much of the planning and fund-raising, described Oxford Methodism as the poorest he had known, and a few years later Hugh Price Huges was advised to refuse appointment to Oxford, where, he was told, Methodism was dead. Hughes was not deterred, however, and during his ministry of 1881-1884 he organised an eight-day house to house mission to the city, sent younger members of the congregation in ‘gospel chariots’ to outlying villages, attempted a reconciliation with the United Methodist Free Church, and made temperance an essential feature…..” (This is rivetting stuff and I must transcribe more).
So, commenting on the above content: it is clear that the previous chapel in Oxford was behind where the Wesley Memorial Church (WMC) was built in 1878, because WMC was “in front of” the old building. So that old building must still have been there in the 1940s and 1950s, at the back of the church, which I do slightly recall visiting in connection with various ‘extra-mural’ activities at the church. Indeed, I do recall now that my elder brother Michael and our mother Gwen even (which seems extra-ordinary now in view of changes in various people’s views since then) gave a musical piece or two on violin and piano somewhere there at WMC, including (and this is why I can remember the fact) “Czardas” by Monti (a well-known ‘Gypsy-style violin solo with piano accompaniment), which Michael introduced to the audience as “Czardas” by “a chap called Monty” (so-it sounded to me), this being ‘funny’ to me at my early-teen-or-less age because ‘Monty’ was an un-fancy first-name given to ordinary people, not the surname of a musical composer. Ho ho.