No. 36 - Rosevears - Craythorne Methodist Church (1875-1949)

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Rosevears is located on the west bank of the River Tamar about 20 kilometres north-west of Launceston. It formed part of a 640 acre grant made to William Henry Rosevear (1773-1860). Craythorne Road is located in the centre of Rosevears and is named after an estate granted to George Atkinson (1775-1859), which he named ‘Craythorne’, in memory of his home village in Yorkshire, England.

In December 1875 a Wesleyan Methodist Church was built at Craythorne on land donated by William Atkinson (1825-1910). The official opening of the church was reported in the Launceston Examiner:

“On Sunday the opening of the Wesleyan Chapel at Craythorne, West Tamar, was held, three sermons being preached by the Rev. J. S. Greer. Owing to the unpropitious state of the weather there were not so many present at the morning and afternoon services as otherwise would have been, but in the evening the little chapel was well filled. On Monday the opening tea meeting was held, a large number of persons from town and surrounding districts being present. About two hundred partook of tea provided by the ladies connected with the chapel, after which a public meeting was held, Mr W. Hart occupying the chair”.

“After some preliminary remarks, the chairman called upon Mr F. R. Layton, Treasurer of the Building Fund, who stated that Mr Thomason’s tender had been accepted and work commenced about seven weeks ago, the total cost of the building would be £110, about £82 of which had been collected; that the ground on which the chapel stands was presented by Mr W. Atkinson, who with Mrs Atkinson, had rendered very efficient help in furthering the work; and gave some interesting details in connection with the affair. ….The chapel is a Gothic building 26 feet by 16, and when finished will have blackwood facings, which will be varnished, and it is intended to supply it with local preachers from Launceston”.

A further report about a fundraising activity held in the following year provides more details about the church:

“A service of song was given in the above chapel on Monday evening last, in aid of the building fund. A number of friends from Launceston arrived at Craythorne early in the day, and formed a picnic in the grounds of Mr Atkinson, engaging in a variety of pastimes until the hour of service (6 o'clock). On the doors being opened the pretty little edifice was quickly filled, and the choir, consisting of ladies and gentlemen from Launceston, took their places on the platform".

"The Rev. F. E. Stephenson occupied the chair, and introduced the evening’s business, also interspersing the pieces with appropriate remarks. There was a long musical programme, and short addresses were given by Messrs. D. Cocker, J. Sampson, R. Locke, and F. Layton. Mr. Layton, to whose efforts the erection of the chapel is principally due, gave an account of the financial position of the building. He said the ground had been kindly given by Mr Atkinson, who had also obtained a great part of the timber for them at a very low figure: The total amount received in aid of the building fund of £3 8s 7d towards paying the fence, pulpit, &c. In aid of this latter object there are promises of sums amounting to £1 15s. The cost of the pulpit, fence &., will be about £11, so that about £6 more is required. The proceeds of the service of song (included in the above receipts), was £3”.

Regular reports about the church appear in local newspapers over a period of 60 years, most of which are about Sunday school activities and the the annual harvest festival. The last recorded event at the church concerns a memorial service held for Mrs Katherine Atkinson held in October 1940.

In 1949 the church was removed to Youngtown and placed alongside the Methodist church on Victoria Street for use as a Sunday school. The building is currently used as a residence.


The former Craythorne Chapel now in Youngtown    (photo :Duncan Grant 2018)



      The Examiner Saturday 26 March 1949



Examiner - October 1875

The Craythorne church at Youngtown - Libraries Tasmania LPIC 108/1/45

The Craythorne church (foreground) and the Youngtown Methodist church on Victoria Road in 1955. QVMAG - QVM:1983:P:0150 

George Atkinson, a son of William and Ann Atkinson, was a leading member of the Craythorne church for many years. Source: Weekly Courier


Sources:

Launceston Examiner, Thursday 24 March 1859, page 
Launceston Examiner, Saturday 16 October 1875, page 2
Weekly Examiner, Saturday 1 January 1876, page 9
Tasmanian, Saturday 1 January 1876. 
Launceston Examiner, Saturday 22 January 1876, page 4
Cornwall Advertiser, Friday 21 April 1876, page 2
Launceston Examiner, Saturday 1 July 1893, page 5
Examiner, Friday 3 April 1908, page 3
Examiner, Thursday 2 December 1909, page 6
Examiner, Friday 29 March 1929, page 7
Examiner, Wednesday 30 October 1940, page 8
Examiner, Saturday 26 March 1949, page 20

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