20 Sandside, Bethel Mission Chapel, once the Town Hall

Historical research by John Rushton shows the following:-

1736- The 1736 election saw Lord  Dupplin stand against Mr. Osbaldeston The  44 burgesses. were the electorate. The poll taken at the Town Hall described as in in Quay street , Osbaldeston 24, Lord Dupplin 18.The Bailiffs as returning officers, and in the minority polled the freemen at large and returned Lord Dupplin.Osbaldeston petitioned the House of Commons who resolved 21.4.1736 that the right of election was in the common house or common council consisting of 2 bailiffs, 2 coroners,4 chamberlains and 36 burgesses.(Meadley 81). Isabella Morwan supplied to the town hall for the election - eating 10s, rum punch 12s, brandy punch 9s, bombo 16s, ale 11s9d, cards etc  total £4.2.7.in a bill of 1753 

c1800-Johnny Gilpin wrote a poem - 

 “Within this little borough, there are houses great and small, Sir.,    and one much larger than the rest, They call it the town hall, Sir, 

A dingy looking place it is, but in much estimation,Sir, 

For there each seven years are made the pillars of the nation, Sir,     Besides, it is the awful place where justice holds her court, Sir,

And underneath are cellars there, for sherry and for port ,Sir, 

So magistrates and bottles, being thus together joined, Sir, 

They seem to keep the proverb up, that justice should be blind,Sir” (Baker 239)

1800 the Town Hall was disposed of in 1800 and eventually became trhe bethel meeting house In the cellar was found the stone effigy, later at the Museum(Meadley 74)

This was viewed as being in Quay st, one storey,with cellar, entered by small flight of wooden steps, badly lit and would hold about 100. The MP’s were chaired around the town from here.  Bought in 1800 by Tindalls, it was opened for services for all religious bodies of the borough,as  a “bethel”. Services were on Tuesday and Saturday evenings conducted by ministers and friends of dissenting bodies in  the town, for sailors and fishermen. It was sold to the Wesleyans in 1874. The cellar was used as a grocer’s warehouse (Sheahan 749 &756)(Baker 382). The chapel closed in  1987.

1846    Robert Sutherland( but see No 17)

1851    Henry Wyrill  (Mary Ann Race w)(H Wyrill n)(Sandside s& e)

1855    William Fowler, share broker,Secretary to Scarborough General Ship Insurance Association 

1858    Henry Wyrill - fisherman

1867  Henry Wyrill  - fish merchant

1881    uninhabited Bethel chapel 

1902    Brown’s warehouse

1920    Charles Crawford

1931    Geisha Cafe  (Bethel place is here)

1938    Late 19c building of no interest  but well set back. “Should be preserved.”

1902 , 1910 , 1920, 1931  Bethel Wesleyan School and Mission chapel. 

1931  1939 & 1952   Bethel Mission chapel .

The Bethel became the Skipper restaurant. 

The mission had a well known parrot which talked till the morning of 16 December 1914 and never spoke again after the bombardment

12.8.1988. 1) Methodist church to 2) R. J. Shingler. £90.000

The Bethel Mission Chapel

quoting 15.12.1932 the model Deed of the Methodist church

12.8.2004  1) Trustees of Methodist church 2) Rev.Peter Doudge & Raymond H. Mass-- 3) R. J. Shingler who bought  ,subject to limitations on use for intoxicating liquor etc

9.1.2004. Change of name to Melroy investments

Bethel Place was on east side of the bethel

 Summary - The Town hall in Quay Street was sold in 1800 to the Tindall family and became a Bethel. The term has  meaning as a “holy place”. This was used for religious meetings by various denominations. There was however a  grocery warehouse in the cellar.(Sh 756). A Sunday School opened in 1835. The building was sold to the Wesleyan Methodist Society in 1854. Modernisation in 1969 brought central heating and a new floor.(Prescott 1495) 

The Town Hall

The Town Hall in Quay street was a one storey structure entered by a small flight of wooden steps. It was badly lit and could hold about 100 people. MP’s were elected and chaired from there. Colonel Phipps and the Earl of Tyrrconel were  elected and chaired in 1794. The property was  bought in 1800 by the Tindall family and opened for services for all religious bodies of the borough. (Baker 383)  It was sold to the Methodists  in 1854.

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