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Before their chapel was built the Timsbury Free Methodists met in the Temperance Hall, which was about 100 yards to the east along North Road. The early days of the society were described by the minister, Thomas Kench, in the United Methodist Free Churches Magazine for 1865 (page 134)
“At Timsbury (a village of 1,500 inhabitants) God has begun a great work.
Nearly all the people seem affected by a sense of sin, and appear desirous to flee from the wrath to come.
On Sunday, the 8th, our minister commenced special services here, when it became evident that the Spirit of the Lord was at work .The Temperance Hall, in which the services are being held, is filled each night, and a deep solemn influence rests upon all, and many cry out, ” Sirs, what must I do to be saved.”
Every night, one hour before service, a prayer-meeting is held at some house, to which mourners are invited, at which several have found Jesus. The numbers saved this week whose names are recorded are as follows :-Sunday evening,three; Monday, eight ; Tuesday,four ; Wednesday, nine ; Thursday,four; Friday, eighteen ; Saturday,two; most of whom are adults-men and their wives. May this good work go on till all are saved.” Т. K.

We are very grateful to Emma Howell who contacted us after discovering the trowel used to lay the cornerstone of the Sunday School in 1868. She has kindly supplied some photographs of the implement.
The following account of the stone laying, from the Manchester Times of 12th September 1868 (page 6) is very instructive. We are given some hints at the early history of the chapel, and a strong sense of social attitudes of the time.

SUNDAY AND DAY SCHOOLS, NEAR ROCHDALE
On Saturday evening last Miss R. Petrie, assisted by her father, Mr. John Petrie, jun., laid the corner stone of extensive Sunday and day schools in connection with the United Methodist Free Church at Lowerplace, a thriving and populous outskirt of Rochdale. the building will cost £1,800. The style is to be Italian, of brick, with stone dressings. On the ground floor there will be two lare rooms; one 43ft. 6in. long, and 40 ft. wide; the other 39ft. long and 29 ft. wide. The upper floor will be principally devoted to class rooms. Messr. Woodhouse and Potts, of Oldham, are the architects, and Mr. W. Peters, of Rochdale, the builder. at the present time the Sunday scholars of this place of worship number 490 and increased school accommodation has been a necessity long felt. After the usual preliminary ceremony on Saturday, Mr. T. Scholfield presented Miss Petrie with a beautiful silver trowel and a mallet, on behalf of the Sunday-school teachers. He remarked that it was a novel circumstance to find such work performed by a young lady; but their friend. Mr. John Petrie. had laboured long and earnestly at their chapel, and it was a compliment to him, and a gentle hint to his family that they were expected to tread in their father’s footsteps. Miss Petrie then handled the trowel and the mallet. and laid the corner-stone, and expressed the hope that God’s blessings would rest on the schools, and that they would prove a blessing to the neighbourhood. – Mr. Petrie reminded the vast multitude that it was 30 years ago since he first began his labours with them, and that during that time he had seen the old chapel pulled down, and the new one erected, but to him the most important work was the laying the cornerstone of the schools which had been performed to-day. The neighbourhood was becoming populated and prosperous. Lowerplace, at one time, was called one of the most wicked places in the district; and judging from waht had recently taken place, it would appear that it ahd not much improved. It was the only place that had so far lost its sense of decency and honour by sending a rushcart to Rochdale “Rush-bearing” lately, (“Shame.”) They had, too, what was termed “athletic sports”. which he considered were mischievous and as bad as rushbearing. He could not mark a line of difference in spirit between it and the racecourse and the prize ring. They would try to teach the young of the neighbourhood of what true enjoyment consisted. It was true that many respectable people attended the athletic sports, but it was also frequented by pigeon flyers, race runners, and sack jumpers, and he referred to it because it was demoralising their young people. The Rev. Mr. Chew delivered a lengthy address, and the gathering separated. A tea-party, to commemorate the event, was held afterwards.

Miss Ruth Petrie was actually 21 when she laid the stone. She was the eldest daughter of Mr. John Petrie jun.(1819-1899) who was a son of Mr. John Petrie sen. (1791-1883). The Petries were very much involved in the Wesleyan Methodist Association, then the United Methodist Free Churches in Rochdale: the elder John Petrie was also the owner of a very successful engineering works in the town.