| Date | Description of events |
| 1779 | July 21st / 22nd. John Wesley visited Coventry.
Also believed to have visited Foleshill during this year. |
| 1782 | John Wesley again visited Coventry. July 15th. |
| 1786 | John Wesley again visited Coventry. July 11th. A group of Wesleyan Methodists were now meeting in an auction room in The Women’s Market |
| At some time unknown after 1779 Coventry was included in the Wesleyan Northamptonshire Circuit. | |
| 1791 | The records of the Northamptonshire Circuit show that by this year, 14 members were meeting at Hall Green in Foleshill. This group could possibly be linked to John Wesley’s visit to Foleshill in 1779. Later this year Coventry was moved from the Northamptonshire Circuit to the Birmingham Circuit. |
| 1792 | Coventry moved from the Birmingham Circuit to the Leicester Circuit |
| 1793 | Wesleyan Methodists moved from Women’s Market to the Baptist Meeting House in Jordan Well, when the Baptists moved to their new Chapel in Cow Lane. |
| 1798 | About this time the Wesleyans moved from Jordan Well to a large room in New Court on the north side of Gosford Street. |
| 1800 | It is believed that about this time Coventry moved from the Leicester Circuit to the Hinckley Circuit. |
| 1808 | Wesleyans built a Chapel at the bottom of Gosford Street (possibly near the corner of the present day Vecqueray Street). |
| 1809 | The group that had held meetings at Hall Green, now held regular services in a Weaver’s Shop near a street called Lime Terrace. This society was served by a Minister from Hinckley. |
| 1810 | Due to Mr Eagleton’s Calvanistic beliefs, and the movement of some of the congregation towards Independent Methodism, the Chapel was closed down and re-opened later in the year, clearly defined as a Wesleyan Methodist Chapel. Mr Eagleton and his Calvanistic adherents moved to Vicar Lane Congregational Chapel while the Independents (Revivalists) moved back to the room in New Court. |
| 1811 | Coventry moved from the Hinckley Circuit to form the Coventry Circuit, to include Leamington; Kenilworth; together with several small villages in the immediate locality. |
| 1813 | James Blackett, a Wesleyan Minister, registered a house in Spon Street for public worship. Also, a Wesleyan Minister, it is not clear whether this was the James Blackett, registered a house in Brownshill Green, Coundon, for public worship. A group of Wesleyan Methodists, who had gathered at Bell Green, opened a Chapel in Old Church Road. |
| 1819 | John Garner, a follower of Hugh Bourne – a founder of Primitive Methodism – preached at Sowe, but was chased out by “a howling mob”. Later during the year, a group of Primitive Methodists began to meet in a small, obscure room in Muston’s Court, on the South side of Gosford Street. This was possibly started by John Garner. |
| 1822 | Primitive Methodists at Muston’s Court, and Independent (Revivalists) Methodists, amalgamated and continued meeting at New Court. |
| 1823 | Primitive Methodists began to meet at Paradise, Stoney Stanton Road, Foleshill. |
| 1825 | The group holding meetings in the Weaver’s Shop near Lime Terrace, now built a Chapel in Lockhurst Lane, Foleshill. |
| 1828 | Primitive Methodist Chapel opened at the corner of Cross Road and Stoney Stanton Road. Known either as Bethesda or Paradise Chapel. |
| 1832 | Group broke away from the Wesleyan Chapel in Lockhurst Lane and formed an Independent meeting in Carpenters’ Lane (later to be Station Street West). |
| 1834 | Gosford Street Wesleyan Chapel declared to be untenable and was demolished. |
| 1835 | Primitive Methodist group meeting in Muston’s Court purchased a site in Grove Street, Harnall. In February this year, the Gosford Wesleyans, whose Chapel at Gosford Street had closed the previous year, purchased a site in Warwick Lane, known as “part of the Grey Friars Church Yard”. |
| 1836 | Grove Street Primitive Methodist Chapel built. April 3rd. Warwick Lane Wesleyan Chapel opened. At this time Leamington; Warwick; Kenilworth; and several other small villages were separated from Coventry Circuit, leaving this as Coventry with Foleshill; Wyken; Bedworth; Barnacle; Corley; Meriden; Balsall; together with several smaller hamlets. |
| 1837 | Group of Independents meeting in Carpenters’ Lane – now called Station Street West – erected a brick built Chapel. |
| 1839 | A Wesleyan Methodist Chapel opened at Brick Kiln Lane (New Road?).Possibly an out-thrust from Lockhurst Lane Chapel. |
| 1840 | A Wesleyan Methodist Chapel built on West side of Alderman’s Green Road. Possibly an off-shoot of Lockhurst Lane Chapel or Bell Green Chapel. At this time, evening preaching services were being held at Radford. Thought to have used a house in Radford Road, which West Orchard Congregationalists had established as a Sunday School in 1825. Services ceased in 1864 without any permanent Chapel being established. |
| 1844 | Preaching services being held in a Chapel at Spon End. These could have followed on from the house used in Spon Street in 1813 and could have been opened some years before the Circuit Schedule.Book for 1844 shows a Sunday School at Spon End of 179 pupils – 75 boys and 104 girls. Services appear to cease after 1847. |
| 1847 | Primitive Methodist Chapel opened in Holbrooks Lane, Foleshill. This closed around 1936. |
| 1848 | Wesleyan Methodist Chapel at Bell Green, originally built 1813, was re-built. |
| 1849 | Brook Primitive Methodist Chapel was built on the East side of Alderman’s Green Road. |
| 1850 | A small Chapel was in use at this time on The Heath, Keresley, but there is no evidence that it survived for very long. |
| 1855 | A Wesleyan Mission was formed at Thomas Street Infant’s School, with the permission of Cash’s. There is no evidence of the Mission after 1900. |
| 1856 | Bethesda (Paradise) Primitive Methodist Chapel, previously built in 1828, was re-built in this year. |
| 1858 | A group of Wesleyan Reformers built a Chapel in Alderman’s Green Road. |
| 1860 | The Primitive Methodists established a Preaching House at Barras Green. |
| 1866 | Primitive Methodist Chapel built at Barras Heath. Cannot trace the date when this was closed. |
| 1870 | Mission opened in Earlsdon by Warwick Lane Wesleyan Methodists, using a converted, derelict, ribbon factory in Cromwell Street, later to be called Berkeley Road South. |
| 1875 | Lockhurst Lane Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, originally built 1825, was re-built this year. |
| 1880 | Station Street West Independent Chapel, originally built 1837, was re-built, and called Station Street West Free Methodist Chapel. During the period from 1880 to 1886 the Wesleyan Methodists attempted to establish a congregation in the rural area of Willenhall, but it met with no response. |
| 1884 | Earlsdon Wesleyan Methodists built a Chapel in Berkeley Road South. |
| 1886 | Primitive Methodist Chapel built at Milton Street, Upper Stoke. |
| 1891 | A joint outreach by Warwick Lane Chapel and Brick Kiln Lane (Broad Street) Chapel established a Wesleyan Methodist School Chapel at Stoney Stanton Road, Harnall. |
| 1895 | Grove Street Primitive Methodists built a new Chapel at Ford Street. |
| 1898 | New Chapel built by Stoney Stanton Road Wesleyan Methodists at corner of Eagle Street and Stoney Stanton Road. Ebenezer Free Methodist Chapel built at Alderman’s Green Road to replace Wesley Reform Chapel built in 1858. |
| 1900 | Brick Kiln Lane Wesleyan Methodist Chapel now known as Broad Street Wesleyan Methodist Chapel. |
| 1917 | Wesleyan Home Missions Committee opened a temporary building in Holbrooks Lane, for the sue of munitions workers. This had closed by 1925. |
| 1920 | Heath Road Primitive Methodist Chapel opened in an ex-army hut as an out-reach by Ford Street Chapel. |
| 1923 | Earlsdon Methodists opened a new Wesleyan Methodist Chapel in Albany Road, on the corner of Earlsdon Avenue. Independent group of Methodists, under G.H. Brown, a former Wesleyan Reform Minister, opened in Durbar Avenue, using two wooden huts dating from the first world war. |
| 1828 | Brook Primitive Methodists built a replacement Chapel in Alderman’s Green Road, about 150 yards south of the old Chapel, which was then used as a workshop. |
| 1829 | Primitive Methodist Chapel built at Wheelwright Lane, Holbrooks, as an out-reach by the Paradise Chapel, in recognition of the needs of the mining community, spring up around Holbrooks. |
| 1932 | METHODIST CHURCH UNION – Wesleyans, Primitives and Independents joined forces to create THE METHODIST CHURCH. The only exceptions to this union were three Chapels who took the title of Free Methodists: Station Street West; Durbar Avenue; and Alderman’s Green |
| 1932 | Methodist Central Hall, Warwick Lane, opened to replace Warwick Lane Chapel. |
| 1934 | Woodside Methodist Chapel opened, as an out-reach from Ford Street Chapel, in temporary premises. |
| 1935 | House meetings commenced in Lime Tree Avenue by the Earlsdon Methodist Chapel. |
| 1936 | Lime Tree Park Methodist Chapel built at the corner of Elm Tree Avenue and Willow Grove.At this time there were now three circuits in Coventry. 1 Earlsdon; Central Hall; Stoney Stanton Road; Harnall; Lockhurst Lane; Broad Street; Bell Green; Alderman’s Green Road (ex Wesleyan); and Lime Tree Park.The circuit supported seven ministers 2 Ford Street; Heath Road; and Woodside Avenue, Green Lane.The circuit supported two ministers. 3 Paradise; Alderman’s Green Road (ex Primitive); and Wheelwright Lane.Supported one minister. |
| 1938 | Services commenced at Coundon, using Southbank Road School.Woodside Avenue, Green Lane Chapel opened in a permanent building. |
| 1939 | Services commenced at Canley at Prior Deram Walk, as an out-reach by Earlsdon Methodist Chapel. Used wooden huts belonging to Coventry Corporation. |
| 1939 to 1945 | War years when many Methodist Chapels received bomb damage. Some of these were replaced by premises in suburbs. |
| 1945 | Radford Methodist Chapel started at Beake Avenue in temporary wooden building. |
| 1946 | Coundon Methodists opened wooden hut for services in Dallington Road. |
| 1946 | Coventry circuits revised to create: Coventry Mission Circuit based on Central Hall with Stoney Stanton Road; Lime Tree Park; and Canley. Coventry Circuit based on Earlsdon with Lockhurst Lane; Broad Street; Bell Green; Alderman’s Green; Ford Street; Heath Road; Woodside Avenue; Paradise; Wheelwright Lane; Radford; Meriden; Balsall Common. |
| 1947 | Some members of Ford Street, who had been meeting at the Lyndon Hotel, now opened a wooden hut in MacDonald Road, Wyken. |
| 1948 | Radford Methodist Chapel, Beake Avenue, opened a pre-fabricated concrete building. |
| 1950 | Broad Street congregation (the Chapel was destroyed by bombing) amalgamated with Paradise Chapel to form Edgewick Methodist Chapel. Heath Road, Stoke, Methodists built a pre-fabricated concrete Chapel to replace the wooden huts. |
| 1952 | Coundon Methodists built a new brick Chapel to replace temporary wooden building, erected in 1946. |
| 1956 | Brick built Chapel opened at MacDonald Road to replace temporary wooden building. |
| 1958 | New brick Chapel opened at Lockhurst Lane. |
| 1959 | New brick Chapel opened at Wheelwright Lane. |
| 1960 | New brick Chapel built at Radford, corner of Beake Avenue and Rupert Road, to replace pre-fabricated building. |
| 1964 | New brick Chapel opened at Heath Road, Stoke. |
| 1967 | New Chapel opened at Meriden. |
Created & Maintained by
Pickard Trepess
Revised: 7 January 2009
© 2009 Hunimex Kft.