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Ash next Ridley - Parish Information

W.I. History of Ash and Ridley from Earliest Records to 1957 - Page 27

Ebenezer Chapel

The little Ebenezer Chapel was bought and moved, brick by brick, from Dunk’s Green near Tonbridge about the year 1880, or a little later. A small wooden Baptist Chapel previously stood on this site. It was first run as a Baptist’s Chapel, but later became Free Church, and is now a Wesleyan Chapel.
   In the early 1900’s Mr and Mrs George Day of North Ash Farm were responsible for the running and upkeep of the Chapel. They organised a large Sunday School, and the great day of the year was the "Annual  Recitation Meeting", when people came from all the surrounding villages to hear the pupils recite, sing etc: and receive their prizes for good attendance during the year.
   Good Friday was another great annual event, when the "Anniversary Service" was held. It started with an afternoon meeting with a speaker, followed by tea, and then another meeting in the evening. These meetings were very well attended, people driving for miles in their dog-carts and wagonettes etc: and sometimes there were many who could not get into the Chapel.
   Another well-attended meeting was the "Band of 


Ebenezer Chapel

Hope" , which was a Temperance Meeting held every Monday evening in the Winter, mainly for the youth of the village. Sometimes it took the form of a Magic Lantern which was very exciting in those days, long before the cinema made its appearance. Occasionally plays were performed or dialogues given, usually with a moral shewing the evils of drunkenness.

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