BURY (WALMERSLEY ROAD/BURY I) PRIMITIVE METHODIST CIRCUIT

These records were deposited by Bury and Heywood Methodist Circuit at various times up to 1992. For records of constituent churches, see: CEL (Wellington St, Elton); CIV (Irwell Vale); CRR (Edenfield); CRW (Summerseat); CWP (Bury).

The Primitive Methodist branch of Methodism was founded nationally in 1812: the first Primitive chapel in Bury was in William Street (1828). The records listed here run only from 1836 onwards: as of 1850, the Circuit included societies at:

Bury (William Street: Walmersley Road)

Edenfield (Rochdale Road)

Heywood (Bridge Street)

Ramsbottom (Bolton Road)

Summerseat (Railway Street)

Radcliffe (Railway Street)

Irwell Vale

The following main societies were subsequently added:

Elton (Wellington Street) 1869

Heywood (Miller Street) 1869

Chapelfield (Transferred to Bury circuit 1883)

In 1883, the Heywood societies were split off to form part of a new Heywood Circuit.

In 1907, the Radcliffe, Elton and Chapelfield societies were split off to form a new Bury II Circuit, with the remaining societies becoming Bury I Circuit. The Elton society rejoined Bury I Circuit after Methodist unification, and after the reorganisation of circuits in the 1930's, the ex-Primitive Bury I Circuit was amalgamated with several ex-United societies to become the new Bury and Ramsbottom Methodist Circuit, while the former Bury II Primitive Circuit became part of the new Radcliffe Methodist Circuit.