G'day Listers, Daryl Lightfoot, are you still a member of this list? I ask this because I believe you are the most likely to know the answer to my question (below). OTOH, there may well be other listers who know the history of our churches. My great-grandparents, William Francis GOODHEW and Anney MORGAN were married at Newcastle on 19 July 1866 at the "Wesleyan Church". The marriage certificate is disappointingly brief, with details like parents' names and occupation totally blank. But that is sent to try we genealogists. It quotes the name of the church, but not its location. However, I was always under the impression that this marriage took place at Hamilton Wesley church, since it seems to be the only local Wesleyan church around. But, while recently researching stories for the Newcastle Family History Society's Journal (I am now its editor), I discovered that there was a Wesleyan Church at the corner of Tyrrell and Perkin Streets at around that era. My research for the story revealed that the church was demolished in 1903 after the government purchased the property. It was considered a navigational hazard because it blocked the view of the leading light tower (which still stands) on the corner of Tyrrell and Brown streets. The leading light towers (the other one was in front of the church in Perkin Street) were used by mariners to located the deepest part of the channel while entering and leaving Newcastle Harbour. The point I would like to clarify, with the help of someone on this list, is whether in fact it was this church in Tyrrell Street where my ggp's were married - and not the Wesleyan church in Beaumont Street, Hamilton. I believe it more likely because Anney MORGAN's family lived in Bolton Street, Newcastle; and the nearby church was more likely to be the family's place of worship. Any clues will be appreciated. Catch you later, Ron My surnames are: GOODHEW, CARROLL, TEASDALE, PHIPPEN, VINCENT, BAILEY, WAKELING, DAVEY, LUXFORD, PAYNE, BOYD, MORGAN, WRIGHT, SPEAR, RAMSTER, ARCHINAL, JOLIFFE, HEWSTON, HODGINS to mention just a few.

Hi Ron, http://www.newcastle.edu.au/service/archives/coalriver/images.html Scroll down to 1849, where you can view an image of the Wesleyan Chapel (also included in the panorama). According to the State Library, this is the Tyrrell Street church. This church is also depicted in James Colwell's Illustrated Histroy of Methodism and is described as "the first chapel (Wesleyan) in Newcastle". If you keep scrolling down to the 1850's, you'll find a link to a pdf image called "Key to the View of Newcastle" .. there is no date that I can see, but you'll find the following churches listed : Primitive Methodist Chapel (No. 21) and Wesleyan Church (No.50). You might be able to glean something from this, altho the pdf is a little grainy. >From John Bingle's Past and Present Records of Newcastle : "the Wesleyan Church was built in Newcomen Street in 1844; the first minister was the Rev. Mr. Lewis; the new church was built in 1863" "the Primitive Methodist Chapel erected in 1855". If you know the ministers name, that might be a further clue ... Diane ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ron Goodhew" <goodhew@ozemail.com.au> To: <AUS-NSW-Hunter-Valley-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, August 18, 2006 11:27 AM Subject: [AUS-NSW-HUNTER-VALLEY] Newcastle Wesleyan Church G'day Listers, My great-grandparents, William Francis GOODHEW and Anney MORGAN were married at Newcastle on 19 July 1866 at the "Wesleyan Church". The marriage certificate is disappointingly brief, with details like parents' names and occupation totally blank. But that is sent to try we genealogists. It quotes the name of the church, but not its location. However, I was always under the impression that this marriage took place at Hamilton Wesley church, since it seems to be the only local Wesleyan church around. But, while recently researching stories for the Newcastle Family History Society's Journal (I am now its editor), I discovered that there was a Wesleyan Church at the corner of Tyrrell and Perkin Streets at around that era. My research for the story revealed that the church was demolished in 1903 after the government purchased the property. It was considered a navigational hazard because it blocked the view of the leading light tower (which still stands) on the corner of Tyrrell and Brown streets. The leading light towers (the other one was in front of the church in Perkin Street) were used by mariners to located the deepest part of the channel while entering and leaving Newcastle Harbour. The point I would like to clarify, with the help of someone on this list, is whether in fact it was this church in Tyrrell Street where my ggp's were married - and not the Wesleyan church in Beaumont Street, Hamilton. I believe it more likely because Anney MORGAN's family lived in Bolton Street, Newcastle; and the nearby church was more likely to be the family's place of worship. Any clues will be appreciated. Catch you later, Ron