Ebenezer Chapel Records

A collection of chapel records consisting of minute books of various committees; accounts; correspondence and registers. There is a baptismal register, 1837 - 1965; two Sunday school registers, 1895 - 1931; and a Pew Rent Book, 1939 - 1966.

There are copies of Ebenezer Chapel trust deeds, 1844 and 1859 as well as tenancy agreements. There are miscellaneous papers also. An album presented to Llew Tegid in 1926, deacon, secretary and treasurer of Ebenezer Chapel; and papers belonging to the case and further opinion relating to the appointment of new trustees for the old and new Ebenezer chapels as well as their sale, 1968.

A preacher from Pembrokeshire, Daniel Evans, is believed to be the founder of Ebenezer Chapel. He obtained land in Bangor c. 1800 and built a house of worship on the site. The chapel soon found itself in debt but was saved by Mr Arthur Jones who travelled the country collecting money for the cause and in 1810 he was ordained minister at Ebenezer. By 1826 the chapel had been rebuilt and a new schoolroom had also appeared. The membership grew and the congregation gained influence in Bangor. Yet again, a new chapel was built not far from the old site and opened in 1859 in York Place.

In November 1879, a dispute at Ebenezer Congregational Chapel led to the establishment of Pendref Chapel. Over a hundred members left Ebenezer and decided that a new chapel should be built and in June 1882 the opening ceremony was held at Pendref, situated on the High Street in Bangor.

Today, Pendref chapel is a flourishing cause, whilst Ebenezer chapel has been converted into flats.

The records were received at different occasions and as a result have been catalogued separately and incorporated into the General Collection of Bangor Manuscripts. There is no apparent system of arrangement.

Open to all users.

Three items are recorded as having been donated by Mr Ernest Roberts of Bangor.

Description amended by Elen Wyn Hughes, September 2002.

An item level catalogue is available at the Archives Department of the University of Wales Bangor. Reference numbers : General Collection of Bangor Manuscripts 13930 - 13932, 17661 - 17662, 22864, 23075 - 23087, 23272 - 23275, 24351, 26005 - 26006

Usual copyright conditions apply. Reprographics are made at the discretion of the Archivist.

For further related material see Pendref Chapel Records, Papers of Llew Tegid and Rev. Ellis Jones, Bangor Papers also held at the Archives Department of the University of Wales Bangor. Fonds level descriptions of these collections are available on the Archives Hub http://www.archiveshub.ac.uk