DESCRIPTION

The Methodist church of White Knowle is the mother church to that of Chinley. Methodism was brought to this area by the Rev. David Taylor. Services were first held in cottages until the chapel was built in 1809, but there are no known records for this time.

The chapel was built for the agricultural workers before the advent of the railway, and was a central place for the scattered farmsteads. The land on which the chapel stands was sold to the trustees by John Goddard, for 10 shillings, and was in fact a gift.

In the early years, those who wanted to attend Sunday School went to Hayfield or Chapel-en-le-Frith. In 1833, Ralph Harrison began a Sunday School in his own home, 'Ausworth House', New Smithy. He built a new Sunday School in 1858 at his own expense, and a few years later a Day School was added to the same building. The School was enlarged in 1868.

When the Midland Railway Company extended their line, the School was demolished to make way for the railway and a new one built at Four Lane Ends in 1904.

Mr. Ernest Harrison was the first to be buried at White Knowle, in 1871, but there is no gravestone.

LIST of SURNAMES from the Inscriptions

AINSWORTH	ASHTON	BAINBRIDGE	BAMFORD	BARBER
BARNES	BENSON	BIRCHENALL	BLEA(C)KLEY	BLOUNT
BOARDLEY	BOWER	BOYLING	BRADSHAW	BROADHURST
BROWN	BUCKLEY	BURMAN	BUSBRIDGE	CAMPBELL
CARLINE	CARSON	CHATTELL	COLLIER	COOPER
COUPLAND	DAVIES	DAY	DENT	DOWNS
DUMELOW	DUNN	FARNSWORTH	FARROW	FELDON
FORD	FOX	FREARSON	FROGGATT	GODDARD
GREEN	GREGORY	HADFIELD	HALLAM	HAMER
HANDFORD	HANSON	HARDING	HARRIS	HARRISON
HARTLE	HARTLEY	HAYMAN	HAYWOOD	HEMMINGS
HENSHALL	HIGGINBOTTOM	HILL	HOWE	HUDSON
HULLEY	HULME	HYDE	JACKSON	JENKINS
JOULE	KAY	KENNEDY	KIRK	KIRKHAM
LEESON	LOMAS	LONG	LONGDEN	MARCHINGTON
MARKHAM	MARRIOTT	MARSHALL	MASON	MELLOR
MIDDLETON	MITCHELL	McCABE	NADIN	NEWTON
NUNN	PARKES	PARTRIDGE	POOLE	POWNALL
PRENTICE	PROCTOR	REDFERN	SCHOLES	SEDDON
SELLARS	SHARPE	SHUKER	SIDEBOTHAM	SMITH
STEPHENSON	STEVENSON	THOMPSON	TRUEMAN	WAIN
WALTON	WARREN	WATERHOUSE	WEBSTER	WILLIAMSON
WILTON	WINDLE	WOOLLEY

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