HITCHIN AND LETCHWORTH CIRCUIT

<span class="wrapper"><p>see NM8A</p> <p>For information as to the later history of these churches see the notes relating to the Hitchin Wesleyan Methodist Circuit</p> <p>See NM8A</p> <p>Hertfordshire Methodist Chapels</p> <p>Alphabetical list of chapels for which records have been received in the Record Office</p> <p>ALDENHAM NM7P</p> <p>ARKESDEN (Essex) NM9B</p> <p>ARLESEY Christchurch NM4D</p> <p>St John NM4N</p> <p>ASHWELL NM11C</p> <p>BALDOCK NM4U</p> <p>BARNET EAST Brookside NM1C</p> <p>BARNET HIGH NM1A</p> <p>BARNET NEW NM1B</p> <p>BENINGTON NM4E</p> <p>BERDEN (Essex) NM9C</p> <p>BERKHAMSTED Cowper Road NM3C</p> <p>High Street NM3E</p> <p>BIGGLESWADE (Bedfordshire) NM11A</p> <p>BISHOP'S STORTFORD NM9A</p> <p>BOREHAMWOOD NM1F</p> <p>BOXMOOR NM3H</p> <p>BURNT MILL (Essex) NM9D</p> <p>BUSHEY HEATH NM7N</p> <p>BUSHEY AND OXHEY NM7Q</p> <p>CHESHUNT NM10D</p> <p>CHORLEY WOOD NM7L</p> <p>CROXLEY GREEN NM7M</p> <p>CUPID GREEN (Hemel Hempstead) NM7H</p> <p>DASSELLS (Braughing) NM9G</p> <p>FLAMSTEAD NM2G</p> <p>Trowley Bottom NM2K</p> <p>GADDESDEN ROW NM2J</p> <p>GRAVELEY NM4F</p> <p>HARPENDEN High Street NM2B</p> <p>Batford NM2D</p> <p>Southdown Road NM2C</p> <p>Kinsbourne Green NM2A</p> <p>HATFIELD Birchwood NM5E</p> <p>Broadway NM5D</p> <p>Oxlease NM5F</p> <p>HEMEL HEMPSTEAD Marlowes NM3B</p> <p>Lower Marlow NM3D</p> <p>Wesley NM3F</p> <p>Bourne NM3H</p> <p>Cupid Green NM7H</p> <p>HENLOW (Bedfordshire) NM4V</p> <p>HERTFORD NM10A</p> <p>HINXWORTH NM11B</p> <p>HITCHIN Brand Street NM4A</p> <p>Nightingale Road NM4B</p> <p>Christchurch NM4C</p> <p>Walsworth NM4L</p> <p>ICKLEFORD NM4G</p> <p>KIMPTON NM2F</p> <p>KINSBOURNE GREEN (Harpenden) NM2A</p> <p>KNEBWORTH NM8A</p> <p>LANGLEY, ABBOTS NM7C</p> <p>LANGLEY, KINGS NM7G</p> <p>LETCHWORTH Broadway NM4P</p> <p>Central NM4Q</p> <p>North Avenue NM4R</p> <p>LEY HILL (Buckinghamshire) NM3K</p> <p>MARKYATE NM2H</p> <p>NASH MILLS NM3G</p> <p>OFFLEY NM4H</p> <p>PEGSDON NM4I</p> <p>PELHAM, FURNEUX NM9H</p> <p>PIRTON NM4J</p> <p>POTTERS BAR NM1D</p> <p>RADLETT NM1E</p> <p>REDBOURN NM5G</p> <p>RICKMANSWORTH High Street NM7E</p> <p>Mill End NM7F</p> <p>SAFFRON WALDEN (Essex) NM9F</p> <p>ST ALBANS Boundary Road NM5B</p> <p>Marlborough Road NM5A</p> <p>Hatfield Road NM5J</p> <p>SEWARDSTONE (Essex) NM10E</p> <p>SHEERING (Essex) NM9E</p> <p>SHENLEY NM5H</p> <p>SLEAPSHYDE NM5C</p> <p>STEVENAGE Old Town NM6A</p> <p>Chells NM6B</p> <p>Broadwater NM6C</p> <p>STOTFOLD (Befordshire) Brook Street NM4S</p> <p>High Street NM4T</p> <p>STUDHAM (Bedfordshire) NM2L</p> <p>TRING Langdon Street NM3J</p> <p>TROWLEY BOTTOM (Flamstead) NM2K</p> <p>TWO WATERS NM3A</p> <p>WALKERN NM4K</p> <p>WALSWORTH (Hitchin) NM4L</p> <p>WALTHAM ABBEY (Essex) NM10F</p> <p>WARE NM10B</p> <p>WARESIDE NM10C</p> <p>WATFORD North NM7B</p> <p>Queen's Road NM7A &amp; NM7J</p> <p>St Albans Road NM7I</p> <p>Vicarage Road NM7D</p> <p>Whippendell Road NM7K</p> <p>WELWYN Oaklands NM8B</p> <p>WESTON NM4M</p> <p>WHEATHAMPSTEAD The Mill NM5I</p> <p>The Folly NM2E</p> <p>WHETSTONE (Middlesex) NM1G</p></span>

• <corpname>Hitchin and Letchworth Methodist Circuit, Hertfordshire</corpname>
• <corpname>Hitchin Primitive Methodist Circuit, Hitchin, Hertfordshire</corpname>
• <corpname>Hitchin Wesleyan Methodist Circuit, Hitchin, Hertfordshire</corpname>
• <corpname>Letchworth Wesleyan Methodist Circuit, Letchworth, Hertfordshire</corpname>

the records are now deposited at the Cambridgeshire Record Office, Shire Hall, Cambridge CB3 0AP.

Records of this circuit are also held at the Bedfordshire Record Office.

Introduction

Hitchin Primitive Methodist Circuit

The Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire Primitive Methodist Mission was formed in 1916 by the amalgamation of the Letchworth and Hitchin Stations and the Biggleswade Branch. It included Biggleswade, Arlesey St John [see NM4N], Shillington, Meppershall and Brook Street Stotfold [see NM4S], Bedfordshire and Hitchin Nightingale Road [see NM4B], Letchworth Broadway [see NM4P] and Benington [see NM4E], Hertfordshire. Primitive societies at Baldock, Ashwell and Lidlington had been associated with the Hitchin Station prior to 1916. The Lidlington chapel originally established in 1863 was closed in 1906. The Ashwell chapel was closed in 1903 and Baldock in 1916.

The small society forming at Knebworth was included on the Primitive preaching plan as well as the Wesleyan plan from 1930

Hitchin Wesleyan Methodist Circuit

Wesleyan societies were established at Stevenage, Hinxworth, Baldock, Ashwell, Weston and Hitchin before 1800 and were associated with the St Neots Circuit. On the formation of the Biggleswade Circuit in 1810 these churches were transferred. By 1838 this circuit, now renamed Biggleswade and Hitchin Circuit included the Hertfordshire societies at Hitchin, Baldock, Weston, Stevenage, Ashwell, Hinxworth, Newnham, Norton, Pirton, Walkern, Ickleford, Royston, Graveley and Codicote.

A Wesleyan Methodist circuit centred on Hitchin was first formed in 1842 and included the churches at Brand Street Hitchin, Stevenage, Weston, Walkern, Pirton, Ickleford and Codicote, Hertfordshire and Christchurch Arlesey, Bedfordshire. The society at Codicote appears to have died out shortly after 1845.

The chapels at Baldock, Ashwell, Hinxworth, Newnham and Norton remained with the Biggleswade circuit. Graveley appears to have trnasferred to the St Neots Circuit. A small amount of material from the chapels at Ashwell and Hinxworth has been deposited in the Record Office [see NM11B and NM11C]. The records of the St Neots and Biggleswade circuits are held at the Bedfordshire Record Office, County Hall, Bedford MK42 9AP and contain considerable information concerning individual societies. The chapel at Royston later became connected with the Cambridge circuit

During the period 1854 - 1864 the Hitchin Circuit churches were associated with the Luton Circuit.

A completely separate Hitchin Circuit with its own ministers was again instituted in 1864. The societies at Offley and Pegsdon were transferred to it from the Luton Circuit and in 1891 Graveley from the Biggleswade Circuit. Knebworth was also included on the Hitchin Wesleyan Circuit plan from 1930

Letchworth Wesleyan Methodist Circuit

A separate circuit centred on Letchworth was formed in 1918 to include the two societies at Central and Norton Mission.

Methodist Union 1933

New circuits were formed as follows:-

LETCHWORTH to include Letchworth Central, Broadway and Norton Mission, and Weston, Hertfordshire together with Stotfold Brook Street, Bedfordshire.

HITCHIN to include Brand Street and Nightingale Road Hitchin, Stevenage, Walkern, Pirton, Ickleford, Pegsdon, Offley, Graveley, Benington and Knebworth, Hertfordshire and Christchurch and St John Arlesey, Bedfordshire.

The former Wesleyan chapels at Baldock, Ashwell, Hinxworth and Stotfold High Street remained part of the Biggleswade Circuit which was also to include the Primitive society at Meppershall formerly part of the Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire Primitive Methodist Mission. A further church at Shillington, Bedfordshire also part of the Primitive Methodist Mission was transferred to the Luton Circuit.

The church at Broadway, Letchworth was closed in 1937 [see NM4P] and the members amalgamated with the Central Church [see NM4Q]. Knebworth formed part of the Hitchin Circuit until 1946 when it was transferred to the newly formed Stevenage and Knebworth Methodist Mission [see NM8A]. The church at Walsworth was added in 1954 [see NM4L]. The two formerly separate congregations at Arlesey, Christchurch and St John were amalgamated in 1961 [see NM4D]. The church at Graveley closed the same year [see NM4F] and at Pegsdon in 1970 [see NM4I]. The Methodist churches at Brand Street and Nightingale Road, Hitchin and the Congregational church at Queen Street amalgamated in 1969 to form the new shared church of Christchurch, Hitchin [see NM4A, B and C].

The modern Hitchin and Letchworth Circuit was formed in 1970 to consist of the churches at Christchurch Hitchin, Benington, Offley, Weston, Walsworth, Stotfold Brook Street, Central and North Avenue Letchworth, Arlesey, Walkern, and Pirton together

With Steeple Morden, Ashwell, Baldock, Hinxworth and High Street Stotfold transferred from the Biggleswade Circuit.

In September 1993 the Hitchin and Letchworth Circuit was combined with the Stevenage Circuit to form a new North Hertfordshire Circuit. The records of the North Hertfordshire Circuit are listed separately (see NM12), but the records of the old individual chapels of the Hitchin and Letchworth Circuit after September 1993 will continue to be listed under NM4 A-V.