Baptist, Episcopal, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Zion Tabernacle,

The Rectory, York St, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire AB42 1SN, Tel: 01779 472217. Scottish Episcopal Church, St. Peters Church Office, Merchant St, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire AB42 1DU, Tel: 01779 478626

-56 years after Christopher Hopper's first visit to introduce Methodism to the town - there were now sufficient members with sufficient funds to warrant the purchase of a place of worship of their own. So the Methodist Society in Peterhead bought Topping's Hall in Chapel Street - this being the lower hall of the present Salvation Army Citadel - for £300. The opening date was 22nd October 1815, a memorable occasion for the Methodists - the offering on that occasion was £6.4.2d. That same year a Peterhead Circuit was formed and preachers went out from the town to minister in the surrounding villages.

The serving minister was withdrawn in 1828 and the chapel was sold, but the Methodists themselves bought the chapel back and hired a preacher and so, for 6 years, maintained an Independent Methodism in the town. (Who knows what the Peterhead Methodists are capable of?)

The chapel was sold again in 1834 and for the next 11 years worship was held in the lower part of Queen Street in what was known as The Sma' Ale Kirk (The Small Ale Church), the name coming from the fact that the premises had, at one time, been part of a brewery. Damp, miserable and ill-ventilated as it was, it is recorded that there were 65 members and every Sunday evening some 160 people met together. This actual location would have been behind the business premises of Mr Emslie, the jeweller, entry being by way of the wide close there.

The need for more suitable premises led to a decision in May 1845 to negotiate once again for Topping's Hall - on this occasion the property was the upstairs part of the building. All sorts of functions could be held in the lower part at this time so the Methodists, having agreed to pay £120, had also to agree to meeting half the cost of a separate access by way of Back Street, and being responsible for an outside wall and gate as well. The proprietor in turn agreed to have no activities downstairs which could be at variance with the Methodists in their part of the property. The chapel was not perhaps the most beautiful but the Methodists used it for 20 years.

Turning to personalities, one of the great figures to emerge from Peterhead Methodism in the 1850's was James Turner, a local cooper who was one of Peterhead's six Local Preachers in 1856. James Turner was a young man who was converted soundly to God. From the spark of grace which was kindled then, there came a flame, an actual blaze, something of which still continues to be felt in this area. Used by God in a wonderful way, it is recorded that James Turner, in addition to his normal work in his trade, gave himself much to preaching and also to prayer for the concerns of the local churches and their impact on the community.

But James Turner had a vision - to take and proclaim the gospel throughout the north-east of Scotland - and so he went himself to the Coast to do just that, going to the very places that we rejoice to include as vital in the work of our North of Scotland Mission Circuit. How much of all that we have known and experienced on the Coast, and here too in our own area, has stemmed from a Peterhead Methodist who had a dream and acted fully upon it, seeking to glorify and serve God. James Turner's grave is in the old churchyard which overlooks Peterhead Bay and his gravestone was erected, not by his family but by loving friends and converts.

Looking again for a new place of worship, a meeting of the Methodist congregation was held in Peterhead on 5th September 1864 at which a committee of twelve was appointed to be known as The New Wesleyan Chapel Building Committee - it being their remit to address themselves to the building of a new chapel in Queen Street. The town's superiors, the Governors of the Merchant Maiden Hospital, Edinburgh, had granted free a site measuring 120ft long by 62ft wide, the actual building was to be 14 to 20 feet back from the street. The total estimates of £908 were £8 over the permitted figure and so the 8 lay members present at the particular meeting undertook to make themselves responsible for paying £1 each to offset the excess in costs.

The foundation stone was laid on 16th August 1865 and the official opening of the new chapel was on 20th June 1866. The offering at the opening services were almost £13.

The Peterhead Methodists are still worshipping, witnessing and serving on that same site and in the same building erected to the glory of God by their forefathers, although over the years it has been renovated and refurbished on several occasions. The Centenary was celebrated in June 1966 and a fuller report can be found here.

There are two recorded occasions, however, when the Methodist congregation worshipped outwith the present building. The first one concerned the period 1904/05 when a major renovation of the chapel coincided with the building of the new hall (that would be the old hall now). All of this meant that worship had to take place in the town's lower Music Hall, which would have been located at the top end of Marischal Street around the vicinity of the Shelter Thrift Shop.

The second occasion was a direct result of the bombing during the Second World War in August 1941. So extensive was the damage and the general mess that there was ready acceptance of temporary accommodation offered so readily by the Deep Sea Mission, located at that time in Charlotte Street. As soon as our church hall could be cleared to serve as a hall and temporary chapel, it was arranged to move back to what could be at times rather cramped facilities.

The new hall at the back of the church was built over a period of years, the plaque on the wall commemorating its completion in 1996. We now have a wonderful suite of premises as the sanctuary was renovated and refurbished, reopening on the 6th December 1998. This now includes a baptismal tank. You can find more information on our Refurbishment page.

As we move forward in a new millennium (see our new Millennium banner) we would hold together the best of Methodism and the best of new innovations so that contemporary people can find us relevant - new technology employed for the glory of God, a wonderful team of Lay Officers to make the church run smoothly, premises used pretty well every day and traditional values of friendly and welcoming hospitality still maintained.

The building is designed in the Gothic style of architecture. The side and end walls are built of Peterhead granite, and the front elevation is built of grey Cairngall granite with freestone dressings. On each side are four windows, likewise dressed with freestone. In the front facing Queen Street is a large entrance doorway. Between each side of the doorway is a lofty three-light window. Freestone pinnacles in front surmount the roof, gable, and buttresses. All the windows are glazed with fluted plate glass.

The internal dimensions of the church are 60 feet in length and 40 feet in breadth. Adjoining the church at the back is a commodious schoolroom, 40 feet in length and 14 feet in breadth. There are sittings for 370 persons in the body of the building. The gallery - the sittings of which will not be fitted up for the present - will accommodate about 70 people. The seats are made of American pine, stained and varnished, with slightly sloping backs. A handsome communion rail, with cast-iron balustrade of an elegant design surrounds the pulpit, made of the same wood. From the large and spacious lobby two noble doors open into the body of the church.