From John Wesley's own journal we know that he visited St. Ives in November 1774, Wesley was then 71 years old. He had travelled along flooded Fenland highways and had to change from riding in a chaise (horse and cart) to a boat. He wrote:-

A combination of good clothes and good manners, as grateful as it was unusual in his experience.

The seeds of Methodism had been sown in St. Ives. From around 1784 the Wesleyan Methodist St. Ives Society met in the house of Elizabeth Asplin.

By 1792 a barn was acquired as a place of worship. It was located in West Street, to the rear of the present Church site. With a growing congregation, the 17 appointed Trustees decided that they needed to build a Chapel.

The Wesleyan Chapel was built on the Waits at, including the site, a cost of £1500. It was opened on Tuesday 12th December 1815 by Rev. Joseph Benson (an ex-president of the Methodist Conference and an influential director of Methodist policy since the death of Wesley).

The Chapel had a plain edifice and was built of bricks. Inside, 500 people could be seated, including the pews in the galleries. The focal point was the pulpit at the front of the Chapel and the near-by Communion Table.

The Chapel was struggling financially, with the collection plate mainly used only on Anniversary Services. The regular income came from the Members who each rented a pew. Most of the sittings were rented at 2s 0d (10p) a quarter (for 3 months) or 9s 0d where a whole pew for 5 people was taken. The side facing pews were 1s 6d a quarter.

The gallery pews were mainly used by non-members and visitors and were free. In 1854 5 the annual income of the Chapel was, in total, £73 6s 2½d. The Trustees Minute Book stated that in February 1872, stewards had to be appointed to keep order in the gallery during the Evening Services!

The inside of the old chapel built in 1815. The building had to be rebuilt because it provided insufficient accommodation for the various needs of Church Life. The gallery and front of the Church contained timber that had rotted and was thus, unsafe. Note the curtained-off pew for gentry.

At the turn of the century, the St. Ives Wesleyan Chapel had 77 Members and an average of 300 regular Hearers (non-members). The 1815 Chapel building, despite alterations and renovations was, therefore, seen as unequal to the needs of Church life. Furthermore, the St. Ives Chapel had become the head of the amalgamated 3 Circuits of Huntingdon and St. Ives, St. Neots and Ramsey, a total of 33 Wesleyan Churches.

The decision to demolish the 1815 Chapel and build a larger one, was seen as wise, when rotten timbers and poor foundations were discovered during it's demolition. The estimated cost for the new building was £4000.

This photograph shows the 1815 Chapel, taken at the Farewell Service on Sunday 15th April 1904 and some of the dignitaries who were in attendance. Between 600 - 700 people crowded into the building at the Evening Service. The preacher, Rev. J. Gawthrop, referred in his sermon to some of the worthy people of the past connected with the building of the 1815 Chapel. The hymn singing was accompanied by a string band and the collections for the day raised £32 1s 4d.

Whilst the New Chapel was being built, the Hunts. County News informs us that the congregation met, on July 16th 1904, in Mr. H. Goodman's field, and on July 30th 1904 on Mr. George Day's lawn. Usually however, the Wesleyan Methodists held their Service in the Public Institution Hall (Crown Place) or the Corn Exchange.