Two photographs of the Peoples Mission on New Street,Thornaby.
The second photograph shows the Peoples Mission looking towards Francis Street, Thornaby c1977.
Photograph and details courtesy of Derek Smith.
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
My gran also went here. She had a lovely singing voice her name was Mary Scoles. if anyone has any information please let me know as I was only young when we lost her. Also if anyone has any information about the lay preachers here as I was told my grandfather was one.
My name is Sandra Dover. I used to go to the New Peoples Mission.
I have the original documents and plans if any help to any historians. Email Picture Stockton pictures@stockton.gov.uk and they will forward on my email address
Is there anyone out there that has records of The Peoples Mission in Thornaby? It seems that no history of the mission exists , yet people have memories of the place. Any help would be very welcome
We have the records. If you contact the Picture Stockton Team : pictures@stockton.gov.uk they will forward on my email address
Hi hope you got the email.
I was Christened here on Christmas eve 1961. My dad’s side of my family lived a couple of doors up at number 27 New St.
As a small child I can remember going to Sunday school in the little room on the end of the building shown in the bottom picture.
I was baptised at the Mission on Christmas Eve 1961. My dad’s family (the Poppletons) lived a couple of doors up at no. 27 New Street.
Hello Keith Poppleton, I was big friends with your father and neighbours sons including Tommy Donnachy, Kenny Jackson, Alfie Frost and the two Wright Brothers Sammy and Bobby, I’m sure your dad was in my class at school. Happy Days.
Hi Bob did the Wright brothers have a sister called Carol?
Hi Mervyn, the two Wright brothers did not have a sister that I know of, they may have done but young boys like us never bothered about sisters or other family members. Sammy disappeared and Bobby’s life was none too good judging by his physical condition the last time I saw him. My mother told me that Mrs Wright was a German warbride who married a British German Occupation Zone soldier in Germany, and after marriage they moved to England. I never met Mr Wright ever and recall they lived just yards away from The Mission, in John Street.
My mum was born in the Mission House which was in John Street. The front of the church was in New Street. My grandfather was secretary up until his death, when my father took over. My mother had a lovely voice and played the piano and organ there and in the new building right up until she died. I remember when I was a child and there was a funeral my mother would play the organ, which she hated. We had to pump the organ to make it work properly.
All my family went to the Mission. Vera and Frankie Coates were the last people to live there. The Mission was pulled down. Sad really.
hi do you have any photos of the mission, especially Sunday school photos? I am Angela.
Should it be of any value to anyone, my aunt Sarah Sunley, was married in the Primitive Methodists on 24 March 1917. The Minister was Herbert George Hide (could be Wide). At the time it was in Peel Street.
We have a friend here in oz who was Joan Sunley before marriage.
Any relation to the above?
My apologies folks. My memory plays tricks at times. The wedding was of my grandmother’s sister, Ada Sunley to Edward Fuszard. The Preacher moved to another circuit in 1922. Fuller details in “The Christian Messenger ” on the web which has details of the primitive Methodists history.
Hi there, my dad was Frank Coates , we lived at the peoples mission where my mam and dad were caretakers. I have been looking for photos and information for a long long time, if anyone could help me I would be grateful. Hoping someone can help me with this. Thankyou.
Just recently found this picture and your message. My sister and I went to the mission every Sunday we lived on George street, I remember we would play together as children
If you had a photo I would appreciate a copy. So did we play together?. Angela.
Hi Angela. I have been in contact with someone who has records and plans of the People’s Mission. She has said it’s okay to give you her email address. Picture Stockton will forward it on to you. I have a photo of the Mission in New Street but would have to have a look for it. I remember your parents as the caretakers.
Thank you that would really be appreciated, lovely to hear from someone who remembers my mam and dad as well.
My Grandmother’s brother was Jesse Butler who was an organizer at the Peoples Mission in New Street Thornaby as was his father, also called Jesse Butler.
Hi Colin, I am trying to get a handle on the history of the mission and would appreciate your comments.
Putting together other comments to date and my certain knowledge that in 1917 the New Street building was still the Primitive Baptists. It looks like the Primitive Baptists in New Street may have gone into decline in the early 1920’s. When the Mission took the building over sometime in the 1930’s how long and where had they been previously?
One writer mentions that when the mission moved from New St to Peel St in about 1970 (to suit the road construction), you grand mother’s brother was an organiser as was his father Jesse. This bit confuses me for The BMD’s show Jesse the father died in 1899. Help??
I went to the Sunday school at the Peoples Mission in the early 1960’s. My auntie Dolly Wright was a member of the Mission Sisterhood. I remember Mr Burnett who I think played the piano. Mrs Notman with the lovely singing voice and white haired Mr Butler.It rather went into decline when it had to move to Peel Street in the 1970’s to make way for the new road. I have many happy memories of the Mission and the people who went there.
Hi Chris, thank you for sharing the memory. My grandfather was Mr Frank Burnett who played the piano at the mission. his brother Fred was the local postman and he used to teach people how to play the piano. Frank used to repair and tune them.
If anyone has any memories of the Burnetts I’d love to hear them.
Wonderful shot of the Peoples Mission extending up Francis Street. Shows the Co-op on the left corner – I think this side sold clothes. Next door was the groceries shop (I still remember our ‘divi’ number – 47542) which mam reminded us to quote whenever we went for the messages, as we called them in the fifties. I seem to remember the chemist being next door to that although I think, at a later date a new shop replaced it on the corner of the next block.
The clinic stood on the right hand side of Francis street and that holds many memories – the delicious tasting orange juice and Virol; the smell of the rubber mask when being rendered unconscious at the dentist and not forgetting the necessary inoculations for various diseases.
I spent a great deal of time playing around neighbouring streets in my early years and the photo brought the memories back.
Alan, are you any relation to the late wonderful Les Danks?
Yes, he was my father.
I’m Derek & Ann’s daughter. Mary is my Aunty, I loved Les, a lovely man …
My uncle Frank used to be the caretaker of the mission and he used to drive a green Morris traveler and I used to go to the youth club there in the sixties.
I used to know the family who looked after the mission in the early seventies, I think their surname was Coates. Not sure of their first names, might have been Frank, but couldn’t be 100%, they had a daughter named Angela.
Yes uncle Franks surname was Coates.
Hi Alan. I am Angela, Franks daughter, I don’t know if you remember me.. I would like to find out as much information as I can , if you could help me I would be very grateful. Thanks Angie.
This was built as a Primitive Methodist chapel. It would be interesting to know when the People’s Mission took it over. I would guess that it was at some point in the 1930s.
I was christened in the people’s mission 1960 as were my two brothers in the early 1960s