St Just - Society House/Chapel (1755)
Chenhall'sInn was the first meeting place for the new Methodist society and then by 1746 Charles speaks about the society meeting in the Society House (now called the ‘Meeting Place’) in North Row, which was used until 1755 when Wesley preached on the foundation stone of the next Society House, returning in 1757 to describe it as ‘the largest and most commodious in the county.’
John Wesley says in his journal on September 12th 1762, ‘Hence we rode to St Just where I spent two comfortable nights, the congregation being very large, evening and morning.’
And on August 23rd 1776, ‘The congregation, both morning and evening, was large; and great was our rejoicing in the Lord.’
There was a revival in the Penzance circuit in 1799 and the minister reported, ‘Perhaps there never was a greater reformation in any parish than there is now in St Just. Within three months, instead of revellings and frantic mirth, which it was famous for, almost all the inhabitants seem concerned for their souls; many are deeply convinced of their lost state.’ About 300 were added to that society and 1,100 to the circuit in three months and the work was still continuing. Many of the leaders were often working through most of the night.
The 1832 revival brought so many into the chapel that they had to build a larger chapel to accommodate them.
It is difficult to identify when the revivals were in Cornwall at this time although I have read of one in St Just in early 1782, within six months membership had increased from 181 to 300.