Deopham Green Chapel

Contents

1. 1836 Sale of Land to the Methodists
2. 1843 Tithe Survey
3. 1851 Census of Religious attendance
4. 1885 Appointment of new trustees
5. 1907 Registered for Solemnising Marriages
6. 1920 New Trustees
   1. Present Trustees
   2. Continuing trustees
   3. New trustees
7. 1924 Additional land purchased
8. 1930 Long-Leverett wedding
9. 1937 Centenary
10. 1938 Funeral of Mr Arthur Long
11. 1952 Trustees adopt new deed
12. 1953 New Trustees of Chapel and Premises
    1. Existing Trustees
    2. Trustees continuing
    3. Newly appointed trustees
13. 1953 New Trustees of Church Land
    1. Existing Trustees
    2. Trustees continuing
    3. Newly appointed trustees
14. 1967 New Trustees
    1. Trustees not continuing
    2. Trustees continuing
    3. Newly appointed trustees
15. 1987 Booklet commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the Deopham Green Chapel.
16. 1991 Sale of the chapel
17. 1992 Conversion of Chapel
18. 1994 Link to Bramley Cottage
19. Photos of Deopham Green Chapel
    1. Stored Furnishings
20. Sunday School
21. Footnotes

1836 Sale of Land to the Methodists

The indenture dated April 20^th 1836 recorded that the land was sold for “£2 10s of lawful British money” by John Curson, Farmer, to the following trustees:-

Name	Residence	Occupation
Henry Clarke	Deopham	Farmer
Thomas Cana	Deopham	Tailor
Jeremiah George	Deopham	Yeoman
Thomas Smith	Deopham	Cordwainer
Jonathan Wright	Deopham	Yeoman
Samuel Shorten1	Rockland St Peter	Primitive Methodist Preacher
James Fielding the Younger	Rockland St Peter	Farmer
Taylor Fenix otherwise Stone	Deopham	Thatcher

The plot is described as 40 feet from north to south and 30 feet east to west. The sale took place with “the intent that a Chapel or Meeting House and School shall be erected thereon by the members of the Primitive Methodist Connexion resident at Deopham aforesaid and the neighbourhood thereof”.
“The use of the said Chapel or Meeting House and School shall be in conformity with the provisions of a certain deed poll under the hands and seals of Hugh Bourne, James Bourne and William Howes bearing the date the fifth day of February 1830”. These three were the founders of Primitive Methodism, and the Deed Poll referred to here is a foundation document for the movement’s beliefs and organisation. See here for more details of this Deed Poll.

1843 Tithe Survey

This survey with its corresponding plan lists plot 319 (outlined in green below) as being owned by the Trustees of the Primitive Methodists and occupied by themselves; it is described as “Chapel and Yard”:-

All rights reserved by Norfolk Record Office who hold the original; their ref is NRO DN/TA 743

All rights reserved by Norfolk Record Office who hold the original; their ref is NRO DN/TA 743

1851 Census of Religious attendance

In 1851, the government carried out a national survey of all places of worship. The results for Deopham are recorded here.

1885 Appointment of new trustees

On July 1^st 1885 an indenture was signed appointing new trustees to supercede those listed in the above 1836 indenture. It seems that an indenture rather than a routine election of officers had become necessary because 5 of the original trustees are listed in the indenture as “departed”; the others were unlikely still to be active.

Name	Residence	Occupation
Jeremiah George	Deopham	Yeoman
James Fielding	Rockland Saint Peter	Farmer
Rev. William Moore2	Rockland Saint Peter	Superintendent Preacher
Edward Gathergood	Deopham	Labourer
Fielding Coldham	Deopham	Labourer
Arthur John Lincoln	Deopham	Labourer
William Turner	Deopham	Grocer
George Wilson	Deopham	Labourer
Thomas Leeder Clarke	Deopham	Farmer
John Lincoln	Deopham	Labourer
Thomas Leeder Clarke Junior	Deopham	Carpenter
Frederic Charles Lincoln	Deopham	Labourer
Eldon Smith	Attleborough	Shoemaker

This indenture states that since the date of the 1836 indenture “a Chapel and other buildings have been erected and are now standing on the said piece of land”.
As with the 1836 indenture, it is repeated that the “use of the Chapel or Meeting House and School shall be in conformity with the provisions of a certain deed poll under the hands and seals of Hugh Bourne, James Bourne and William Howes bearing the date the fifth day of February 1830”. See here for more details of this Deed Poll.

1907 Registered for Solemnising Marriages

The following announcement appeared in The London Gazette published on March 19^th 1907, Issue: 28005 Page: 1946:

A Separate Building, duly certified for religious worship, named PRIMITIVE METHODIST CHAPEL, situated at the Green, in the civil parish of Deopham, in the county of Norfolk, in Forehoe registration district, was, on the 14th March, 1907, registered for solemnizing marriages therein, pursuant to 6th and 7th Wm. IV, c. 85.—Dated the 15th March, 1907.
WM. PARTRIDGE SMITH, Superintendent Registrar.

1920 New Trustees

On March 1^st 1920 the Rev. Percy Mayhew Hoyle³ signed a memorandum which updated the list of trustees previously ratified on July 1^st 1885, as follows:

Present Trustees

Name	Residence	Occupation
Edward Gathergood	Deopham	Labourer
Fielding Coldham	Deopham	Labourer
Arthur John Lincoln	Deopham	Labourer
William Turner	Deopham	Grocer
George Wilson	Deopham	Labourer
Thomas Leeder Clarke	Deopham	Farmer
John Lincoln	Deopham	Labourer
Thomas Leeder Clarke Junior	Deopham	Carpenter
Frederick Charles Lincoln	Deopham	Labourer
Eldon Smith	Attleborough	Shoemaker

Continuing trustees

Name	Residence	Occupation
William Turner	Deopham	Farmer
Eldon Smith	Attleborough	Shoemaker
Frederick Charles Lincoln	Deopham	Farmer

New trustees

Name	Residence	Occupation
Herbert Barnard Coldham	Deopham	Labourer
Charles Leverett	Deopham	Farmer
Henry William Everett	Deopham	Labourer
Albert Wrettham Stone	Deopham	Postmaster
Frederick Henry Potter	Deopham	Farmer
James Edward Lloyd	Deopham	Builder
William Robert Wood	Deopham	Working carpenter
Frederick James Perfect	Deopham	Dealer
Charles John Dungar	Deopham	Labourer
George Henry Lincoln	Deopham	Labourer
Edward James Clarke	Deopham	Smallholder
Harry Jeffery	Hingham	Farmer
James Stephen Ewington	Deopham	Smallholder

1924 Additional land purchased

The trustees listed on the purchase indenture are:

Name	Residence	Occupation
William Turner	Deopham	Farmer
Eldon Smith	Deopham	Shoemaker
Frederick Charles Lincoln	Attleborough	Farmer
Herbert Barnard Coldham	Deopham	Agricultural Worker
Harry Jeffery	Hingham	Farmer
Henry William Everett	Deopham	Agricultural Worker
Albert Wrettham Stone	Deopham	Grocer
Frederick Henry Potter	Deopham	Farmer
Charles John Dungar	Deopham	Agricultural Worker
George Henry Lincoln	Deopham	Labourer
Edward James Clarke	Deopham	Small Holder

Also named on the indenture is Harold William Pope⁴ of Attleborough, the Superintendent Preacher.
The land purchased is defined below:

Many thanks to Deborah and Steve Allen for sight of this and all the other chapel indentures.

1930 Long-Leverett wedding

On June 7^th 1930 the EDP reported the following wedding:

A wedding which aroused much local interest was solemnised at the Primitive Methodist Church, Deopham Green, on Wednesday, between Mr. Arthur Long, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. A. Long, Stalland Farm, Deopham, and Miss Edith Maud Leverett, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. Leverett, Laurel Farm, Deopham. The ceremony was conducted by the Rev. F. J. Harper of Attleborough, and at the close Mendelssohn’s Wedding March was played by the organist, Mrs. S. Stone.
The bride, who was given away by her father, was dressed in white georgette, with veil and. orange blossom, and carried a bouquet of pink carnations and lilies. She wore a pearl necklace, the gift of the bridegroom. The two bridesmaids—Miss Jean Kenny (her cousin) and Miss Phylis Abbs (cousin of the bridegroom)—wore blue silk dresses trimmed with pink rosebuds, and carried bouquets of pink sweet peas. Thee also wore necklaces. the gifts of the bridegroom. Mr. T. Kenny was best man.
After the ceremony a reception was held at Laurel Farm, and later the bride and bridegroom left for West Runton, where the honeymoon is being spent. The couple were the recipients of a large number of presents, including a salad bowl from the teachers and scholars of Deopham Sunday School and a clock from the teachers and scholars of Deopham Common S.S.

There is a photo of this wedding here.

1937 Centenary

On May 21st 1937 the EDP reported:

To mark the centenary of the Methodist Chapel at Deopham Green special gatherings were held on Wednesday. The present chapel was built in 1837 and considerably enlarged in 1894, and now the electric light has been installed. A sermon was preached in the afternoon by the Rev. L. Kemish, senior circuit minister and a large audience assembled for the evening meeting, at which Mr. E. Thurston (Norwich) presided and addresses were given by Nurse Lincoln and Mr. E. Smith (Attleborough), Mr. A. Spurgeon (Great Ellingham), and the Rev. P. Cadamy (circuit minister).
At the close of the meeting the minister handed to the trustees an individual communion set and plate given by Mrs. W. Saunders and Mrs. J. Sturman in memory of their parents, the late Mr and Mrs. W. Turner (who were for many years members of Deopham Methodist Church). Mrs. C. Leverett also presented an oak table to the trustees of the church.

1938 Funeral of Mr Arthur Long

On April 2^nd 1938 the EDP reported:

The funeral of Mr. Arthur Long, of Stalland Farm⁵, Deopham, who died on Sunday at the age of 63, took place at Deopham on Thursday. Mr. Long had been a Methodist preacher for over 30 years on the Rockland Circuit, and was also a trustee of the Methodist Church at Scoulton. Three years ago his wife died, and for some months he had been in failing health. A service in the Methodist Church was conducted by the Rev. P. C. Cadamy (circuit minister). The church was crowded, some people being unable to get inside. Miss Phyllis Lincoln accompanied the hymns, “Who are these arrayed in white?” and “For ever with the Lord.” During the service the minister paid tribute to the devoted Christian service that Mr. Long had given to the Methodist Churches of the district. The interment took place in the churchyard.
The family mourners were Mr. and Mrs. A. S. Long, Mr. and Mrs. N. J. Long, Mr. and Mrs. G. Long, Mr. and Mrs. H. Long, Mr. and Mrs. W. Long, Mr. and Mrs. B. Alden, Mrs. R. Parker, Mrs. C. W. Abbs, Mr. H. T. Phoenix, Mr. A. Phoenix, Mrs. Littleproud, Mr. W. Long, Mr. F. Bradford, Mr. and Mrs. C. Colby, Mrs. A. Butcher, Miss A. Phoenix, Mr. E. Abbs, Mr. and Mrs. C. Leverett, and Mrs. A. Overton.
Those unable to attend included Mr. A. J. Long, Mr. C. R. Byford, Mr. P. Tyrell, Miss H. Tyrell, Mrs. C. Lister, Mrs. G. Saunders, and Mrs. Bradford.
Those present in the congregation included Mr. W. Cator, Miss Knights, Mr. T. W. Barham, Mrs. Stone. Mr. G. W. Trollope, Mr. J. Haylock, Mr. H. W. Beales, Mr. C. Jaggar, Mrs. Sturman, Mr. H. Coldham, Mr. and Mrs. H. Fulcher, Mrs. Moore, Mrs. A. Bond, Mr. and Mrs. G. Lincoln, Mr. R. Hagan, Mr. and Mrs. H. W. Everett, Mr. A. Phcenix, Nurse Lincoln, Mr. and Mrs. F. H. Potter, Miss Thurling, Mr. W. Saunders, the Rev. W. Clark (vicar of Deopham), Mr. A. C. Watts. Mr. and Mrs. A. Dye. Mr. F. W. Neeve. Mrs. Lloyd, Mrs. Kerry, Mrs. Wright, Mrs. Sandford, Mrs. Coates, Mr. W. Dye, Mrs. C. Dungar, Mrs. A. Dye, Mr. and Mrs. H. Jeffrey, Mr. Harold Jeffrey, Mrs. J. L. Wigley, Mrs. Hawes, Mr. P. Bloomfield, Mr. Tyrell. Mr. J. Symonds, Mr. and Mrs. W. Symonds, Mrs. S. Phoenix-Stone, Mrs. Turner, Mrs. Sider, Mr. C. J. Pooley and Mr. C. W. Downes (representing Besthorpe Methodists). Mr. Aber Clark, Miss Peacock (representing Mr. Peacock), Mr. H. Goward, Mr. and Mrs. S. Leverett, Mr. and Mrs. Maynard and Mr. W. B Phoenix.
The wreaths included those from Trustees Members and Friends of Deopham Green Methodist Church, and Friends of Scoulton Chapel.

Phil Long says that Arthur Long used to be the Master Blacksmith at nearby Scoulton before moving to Deopham in 1924.

1952 Trustees adopt new deed

On July 3^rd 1852 the following trustees signed a document in the presence of Frederick Warren Davies (Methodist Minister) to confirm their agreement to adopt a “new model deed”:

Harry Jeffery

George Henry Lincoln

Herbert Barnard Coldham

Henry William Everett

Charles John Dungar

1953 New Trustees of Chapel and Premises

On August 28^th 1953 the Rev. Harold William Stacey of Watton signed a memorandum which updated the list of trustees of the Methodist Church Land at Deopham Green. This updated the list previously ratified on March 1^st 1920 as follows:

Existing Trustees

Name	Residence	Occupation	Cause of ceasing to be a trustee
William Turner	Deopham	Farmer	Deceased
Eldon Smith	Deopham	Shoemaker	Deceased
Frederick Charles Lincoln	Attleborough	Farmer	Deceased
Herbert Barnard Coldham	Deopham	Labourer	–
Charles Leverett	Deopham	Farmer	–
Harry Jeffery	Hingham	Farmer	Desires to be discharged
Henry William Everett	Deopham	Labourer	–
Albert Wrettham Stone	Deopham	Postmaster	Deceased
Frederick Henry Potter	Deopham	Farmer	Desires to be discharged
James Lloyd	Deopham	Builder	Deceased
William Robert Woods	Deopham	Working Carpenter	Deceased
Frederick James Perfect	Deopham	Dealer	Deceased
Charles John Dunbar	Deopham	Labourer	Desires to be discharged
George Henry Lincoln	Deopham	Labourer	–
Edward James Clarke	Deopham	Smallholder	Deceased
James Stephen Ewington	Deopham	Smallholder	Deceased

Trustees continuing

Name	Residence	Occupation
Herbert Barnard Coldham	11, Council Houses, Deopham	Retired
Charles Leverett	Laurel Farm, Deopham	Retired
Henry William Everett	Deopham	Retired
George Henry Lincoln	Vicarage Road, Deopham	Retired

Newly appointed trustees

Name	Residence	Occupation
Wilfrid Barham	11, Council Houses, Deopham	Coal Porter
Maud Leverett	Laurel Farm, Deopham	Married Woman (Poultry Farmer)
Ruth Elizabeth Leverett	Sunnyside Farm, Deopham	Married Woman
Phyllis Mary Elizabeth Lincoln	Vicarage Road, Deopham	Spinster (Domestic)
Amy Agnes Phoenix-Stone	Jubilee Cottages, Deopham	Married Woman
Arthur Samuel Long	Shaw’s Farm, Deopham	Farmer
Edith Maud Long	Shaw’s Farm, Deopham	Married Woman
Violet Edith Jeffery	Stalland Farm, Deopham	Married Woman
Herbert William Roberts	Croft Farm, Great Ellingham	Farmer
Joyce Mary Roberts	Croft Farm, Great Ellingham	Married Woman

1953 New Trustees of Church Land

On August 28^th 1953 the Rev. Harold William Stacey of Watton signed a memorandum which updated the list of trustees of the Methodist Church Land at Deopham Green. This updated the list previously ratified on August 30^th 1924 as follows:

Existing Trustees

Name	Residence	Occupation	Cause of ceasing to be a trustee
William Turner	Deopham	Farmer	Deceased
Eldon Smith	Deopham	Shoemaker	Deceased
Frederick Charles Lincoln	Attleborough	Farmer	Deceased
Herbert Barnard Coldham	Deopham	Agricultural Worker	–
Harry Jeffery	Hingham	Farmer	Desires to be discharged
Henry William Everett	Deopham	Agricultural Worker	–
Albert Wrettham Stone	Deopham	Grocer	Deceased
Frederick Henry Potter	Deopham	Farmer	Desires to be discharged
Charles John Dunbar	Deopham	Agricultural Worker	Desires to be discharged
George Henry Lincoln	Deopham	Labourer	–
Edward James Clarke	Deopham	Smallholder	Deceased

Trustees continuing

Name	Residence	Occupation
Herbert Barnard Coldham	11, Council Houses, Deopham	Retired
Henry William Everett	Deopham	Retired
George Henry Lincoln	Vicarage Road, Deopham	Retired

Newly appointed trustees

Name	Residence	Occupation
Wilfrid Barham	11, Council Houses, Deopham	Coal Porter
Maud Leverett	Laurel Farm, Deopham	Married Woman (Poultry Farmer)
Ruth Elizabeth Leverett	Sunnyside Farm, Deopham	Married Woman
Phyllis Mary Elizabeth Lincoln	Vicarage Road, Deopham	Spinster (Domestic)
Amy Agnes Phoenix-Stone	Jubilee Cottages, Deopham	Married Woman
Arthur Samuel Long	Shaw’s Farm, Deopham	Farmer
Edith Maud Long	Shaw’s Farm, Deopham	Married Woman
Violet Edith Jeffery	Stalland Farm, Deopham	Married Woman
Herbert William Roberts	Croft Farm, Great Ellingham	Farmer
Joyce Mary Roberts	Croft Farm, Great Ellingham	Married Woman
Charles Leverett	Laurel Farm, Deopham	Retired

1967 New Trustees

On August 10^th 1967 the Rev. Leslie Stephenson of Watton signed a memorandum which updated the list of trustees previously ratified on August 28^th 1953, as follows:

Trustees not continuing

Name	Residence	Occupation	Cause of ceasing to be a trustee
Herbert Barnard Coldham	11, Council Houses, Deopham	Retired	Deceased
Charles Leverett	Laurel Farm, Deopham	Retired	Deceased
Henry William Everett	Deopham	Retired	Deceased
George Henry Lincoln	Vicarage Road, Deopham	Retired	Deceased
Wilfred Barham	11, Council Houses, Deopham	Coal Porter	Deceased
Maud Leverett	Laurel Farm, Deopham	Married Woman (Poultry Farmer)	–
Ruth Elizabeth Leverett	Sunnyside Farm, Deopham	Married Woman	Desires to be discharged
Phyllis Mary Elizabeth Lincoln	Vicarage Road, Deopham	Spinster (Domestic)	Desires to be discharged
Amy Agnes Phoenix-Stone	Jubilee Cottages, Deopham	Married Woman	Deceased
Arthur Samuel Long	Shaws Farm, Deopham	Farmer	Desires to be discharged
Edith Maud Long	Shaws Farm, Deopham	Married Woman	Desires to be discharged
Violet Edith Jeffery	Stalland Farm, Deopham	Married Woman	–
Hubert William Roberts	Croft Farm, Great Ellingham	Farmer	Desires to be discharged
Joyce Mary Roberts	Croft Farm, Great Ellingham	Married Woman	Desires to be discharged

Trustees continuing

Name	Residence	Occupation
Maud O’Niam (Formerly Maud Leverett of Laurel Farm, Deopham)	“Greenways”, Jordan Lane, Great Ellingham	Married Woman
Violet Edith Jeffery	Stalland Farm, Deopham	Married Woman

Newly appointed trustees

Name	Residence	Occupation
Harold John Jeffery	Stalland Farm, Deopham	Farmer
Barbara Duffield	Crown Farm Cottages, Deopham	Married Woman
Norman James Long	Stalland Farm, Deopham	Farmer
Phyllis May Long	Stalland Farm, Deopham	Married Woman
Thomas Norman Ewin	Rookery Farm, Great Ellingham	Farmer
Mary Elaine Ewin	Rookery Farm, Great Ellingham	Married Woman
Leslie George Smith	17, Watton Road, Hingham	Joiner
Roger John Garrard	8, Wymondham College, Wymondham	Schoolmaster
Brenda Mary Garrard	8, Wymondham College, Wymondham	Married Woman School teacher
Edith Mary Lloyd	Sunnyside Cottage, Deopham	Married Woman
Gwendoline Jean Wigby	Sunnyside Cottage, Deopham	Married Woman
Leonard Austin Gray	Watermill, Hingham	Coal Depot Manager

1987 Booklet commemorating the 150^th Anniversary of the Deopham Green Chapel.

THE CHAPEL
Little is known of the early building. A very old account book shows that in 1882 a Mr. Clements was paid £40 and the following year received £15. This was a great deal of money in those days (a farm worker earned about 12 shillings a week) and it can be assumed that it was the cost of some form of building or renovation. The form of lighting was oil lamps. It is probable that the chapel was never heated because there were no bills for coal or coke until 1885 when Mr. Lord provided and fixed a stove for the sum of £2.16s. There is a space today in the centre of the pews where there is evidence of one pew having been taken out to make room for the stove. (Mr. Lord was the great grandfather of our present Steward, his son changed his name to Lloyd.) In 1897 the Chapel was closed while further work was done, Mr. Lord’s bill was £34.10s.  Mr. T. Clarke lent the money and it was several years before it could be repaid. His father, Mr. Henry Clarke, was one of the signatories on the Conveyance of 1836 and at the side of the Chapel there is a gravestone which records his death in 1856 together with his wife who died in 1903.

During the next three years an extension was added to the south end of the chapel and consisted of a scullery, a coal house, an earth closet, a fire-place and chimney, a copper and a sink with drainage and the work was carried out by Mr. J. Lloyd, who was the father of a recent steward, Mrs. N. Long. To meet the cost of £50 the Connexional Chapel Aid Association made a loan. A raised platform was built around the pulpit and a doorway was made to lead into this extension. The means of heating was changed in 1967 when an oil stove was installed and was used until 1981 when calor gas took its place. Five years later electric overhead heaters were put in and found to be most effective. No other major structural alterations have taken place. 

THE LIFE OF THE CHAPEL
In those early days people did not travel far from their homes. Transport was either by horse or, for most people, on foot. Bicycles were not generally used until well into the present century [i.e. the 20^th century]. Churches and chapels had large congregations and Deopham Green was no exception. There were two services on a Sunday, afternoon and evening, and a week-night service on a Wednesday. Services were conducted mostly by Local Preachers from surrounding villages, traveling on foot, by horse and later on bikes and now they come many miles by car. Much is owed to this faithful band of loyal, devoted Christians who have kept the worship alive at Deopham during the last 150 years.

One of the highlights of the Christian year is Easter and many older members can remember the Service of Song, which took place on Good Friday. There was a choir and special four part songs were sung and punctuated a story with a religious theme. As choir numbers dwindled Deopham joined forces with Rocklands and the service was held instead on Easter Monday until the late 1950’s when it was disbanded through lack of support. Special evangelistic services, known as camp meetings, were held on farmland nearby and were conducted from a wagon; later tents were erected. 

The Chapel Anniversary was held in October and gradually took on the form of a harvest festival service with a sale of produce being auctioned at the mid-week service. During the First World War the Chapel Anniversary and the Harvest Festival became two separate festivals. The Centenary celebrations in 1937 were held in May and since then, that month has been observed as the Chapel Anniversary. It was the collections from these services, which were the main source of income for the Trust Fund, which was used for the upkeep and general running costs of the building. A typical example of such income can be seen in the 1886 accounts when the collections for that Sunday were £2. 15s. 8d. Other income was from “Seat Money”, this was a kind of rent paid for a particular seat which was jealously kept for the member. Seat rents gradually disappeared but as late as 1943 someone paid 1s. 4d. for one seat for a year!

As the pattern of village life has changed over the years, so has the life at the chapel and today there is only one service on a Sunday at 11 a.m. As the older members have died or moved away, the membership now stands at 6, although this number is boosted for  “special” services.

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
It would seem that there was a Sunday School held on a Sunday morning in the chapel as soon as it was built. Available account books go back to 1868. The high­light of the year was the Anniversary, which took place in June or July. On that day there were three services. In the morning a sermon was preached and in the after­noon and evening the children, helped by a four-part choir, would sing special hymns, which they had practiced for months beforehand. These were inter­spersed with recitations; looking at the length of these ‘pieces’ now one wonders however the children managed to learn them! It was a great social occasion and a tea was provided at the chapel between the services. The children looked to have some new clothes for this day. The collections provided the main source of income for the school. On the following Wednesday there was a service of special hymns and recitations, followed by what was called “going round”. A wagon was provided by a local farmer, on which was put a harmonium and the children and as it was driven round the village the children sang their songs, taking a collection as they went. In 1869 the following income was recorded:

Sunday services	£1.   1s. 3d.
Wednesday service	16s. 0d.
“Going round”	16s. 1d.
Payment for the tea	£2. 19s.  8d.

The expenditure for the year was for books and provisions for the tea. 

This form of Anniversary continued unchanged until the “going round” was discontinued in 1912 and the tea after the First World War. The special hymns were not used after 1960, mainly due to the lack of adult helpers and hymns from the Sunday School hymn book were used instead. During the next 20 years the poems were much shortened and the children enjoyed performing little plays based on Bible stories.

There was usually a Christmas tea which was financed by a special effort. The first recorded outing to Yarmouth was in 1885 and the cost for the whole school was £2. 10s. 4d. It is thought that the children were taken by wagon to a rail­way station, probably Wymondham. This was not a regular treat until 1920 when it was recorded “went to Yarmouth by motor – £15. 7s”.  This was a tremendous amount of money in those days and it took many special efforts to pay for this venture. After the next year the outing to Yarmouth became a regular village treat and the cost came down dramatically, usually costing the Sunday School about £15. As it involved nearly all the village children and their parents, the council school was closed, as the day for the outing was always midweek. After 1950 it was changed to a Saturday. Going to Yarmouth was a red letter day for the children. The only exception to this yearly ritual was from 1940 – 44; directly after V.E. day, in 1945, an outing was arranged to Lowestoft  (this was the only place the coaches were allowed to go from this area) and it was a joy to see the younger children’s faces as they looked at the sea for the first time.

The Sunday School was always well supported and the record year was 1959 when over 40 children were on the register. Mr. W. Barham was the superintendent then. Mr. J. Woodcock was the organist for many years and when he left the area in the late 1970’s no replacement could be found. Other difficulties arose and it was with great sorrow that the Sunday School closed in 1981. 

[The booklet also includes a couple of paragraphs about the Deopham Common Chapel which I have copied to the page for that chapel here.]

CONCLUSION 
What of the future? The present small numbers and the fact that the building is now 150 years old, taken together, are both a problem and a challenge. We still have a strong concern for the life of the village and its people. The closure of the school some years ago, the withdrawal of public transport and the threat to other services, make the Church’s ministry more, not less, vital. In 1987 we cannot but think ecumenically and pray for closer co­operation with the Parish Church. We regard it as providential that the two places of worship in the village are at either end, about a mile apart.

We value our links with the circuit and a general sympathy with our work on the part of a much larger number than those who regularly worship with us. We pray that God will show us the ways “To serve the present age, Our calling to fulfil” and that our thanksgiving for the last 150 years of Methodist witness in Deopham may be the occasion not only for thanksgiving for the past but a dedication to the future.

1991 Sale of the chapel

The sale was completed by a conveyance dated October 5^th 1992 in which Alan Stephens and Roger Garrard on behalf of the Methodists sold the chapel and land to Stephen and Deborah Allen.
As is usually the case with Methodist property sales, the purchasers had to “covenant with the Managing Trustees that the said property shall not be used for the manufacture distribution sale or supply of intoxicating liquors nor for any purpose in connection with the organisation or practice of gambling in any of its forms nor as a public dance hall, and without the consent of the Board of the Property Division of the Methodist Church to the contrary the building shall not be used for Religious purposes.”

1992 Conversion of Chapel

In 1992 planning approval was given to convert the chapel to a dwelling.

1994 Link to Bramley Cottage

In 1994 planning approval was given to build a single storey link between the chapel and the adjoining Bramley Cottage.

Photos of Deopham Green Chapel

Click on an image to see the description and a larger image.

Stored Furnishings

There are photographs of furnishings from the chapel which are now stored at the Gressenhall Museum here.

Sunday School

There is a page with information on the Deopham Green Chapel Sunday School here.

Footnotes

1. The My Primitive Methodists website states that Samuel Shorten was attached to the Rockland circuit from 1835-1838:
   https://www.myprimitivemethodists.org.uk/content/people-2/primitive_methodist_ministers/s-2/shorten-samuel-1802-1879
   ↩︎
2. The Rev. William Moore was attached to the Rockland circuit from 1884-188 before moving on to the Wymondham circuit:
   https://www.myprimitivemethodists.org.uk/content/people-2/primitive_methodist_ministers/m-2/william_moore-2
   ↩︎
3. The Rev. Percy Mayhew Hoyle was attached to the Rockland Primitive Methodist circuit from 1918-1922:
   https://www.myprimitivemethodists.org.uk/content/people-2/primitive_methodist_ministers/h-2/hoyle-percy-maydew-1880-1968
   ↩︎
4. The Rev. Harold William Pope was attached to the Rockland Methodist circuit from 1922-1926:
   https://www.myprimitivemethodists.org.uk/content/people-2/primitive_methodist_ministers/p/harold_william_pope
   ↩︎
5. Mr. Arthur Long lived in the house now known as Red Brick House when he first came to Deopham. ↩︎

Date	Change
30/6/25	1992/4 planning approvals
8/6/25	1907 registration
23/2/25	Arthur Long’s arrival in Deopham changed to 1924
23/12/24	Link to page of stored furnishings
22/12/24	Images from Gressenhall
18/10/24	Photos of exterior supplied by Gressenhall museum
9/12/23	Lists of trustees
8/12/23	1885 Indenture
5/12/23	Information from Indenture of 1836
4/10/23	Photo of cup and saucer
29/9/23	Photo of interior with flowers
5/9/23	Link to new Sunday School page
17/8/23	1843 tithe detail
4/8/23	Notice of chapel being for sale
30/8/22	Published