BOYS BRIGADE HISTORY ON TEESSIDE 1897-1966
The Boys Brigade was founded by Sir William Alexander Smith on 4th October 1883 in Glasgow & was the world’s first church based uniformed voluntary youth organisation. The idea quickly spread & by 1890 there were 320 UK companies with 13,700 boy members. In 1938 the BB reached its peak membership of 169,000 UK boy members. BB also spread quickly around the world reaching 143,000 members in 60 countries by 1976.
BB started on Teesside in August 1891 when a company was formed at Queen’s Terrace Congregational church, Middlesbrough. In May 1892 a second Middlesbrough company started at Cannon St Congregational church. In 1894 a new church, St George’s on Linthorpe Rd was built to replace these 2 churches & the two companies amalgamated as 1st Middlesbrough & re-located to the new church in Oct 1894.
Teesside Battalion was formed on 1st January 1967 from pre-existing South Durham & Teesside Battalions & Cleveland Group. Prior to 1967, companies were numbered according to the local area they were in. The details we have found to date are:
South Durham Battalion
1st Stockton -St George’s Presbyterian, Yarm Lane, enrolled 5th Nov 1897, closed 1996 - became 1st Teesside
2nd Stockton - North Terrace Wesleyan Methodist started 1904/05, in 1920 Yarm Rd Methodist - became 4th Teesside
3rd Stockton - Paradise Row Primitive Methodist started 1926
4th Stockton - St Andrew’s Presbyterian, Tower St, started 1930, closed & joined with 1st Stockton abt. 1950. Number given to Bowesfield Lane Methodist in 1954, closed 1957 moved to Newtown Primitive Methodist in 1957 closed by 1967
6th Stockton - North Terrace, Norton Rd Wesleyan Methodist started 1934/35
7th Stockton - Yarm Rd Congregational started 1934, closed early 1960’s
8th Stockton - Baptist church, Wellington St started 1936 - became 16th Teesside
1st Hardwick - Hardwick Baptist, Stockton started 1959, closed 1997 - became 23rd Teesside
1st Thornaby - Peel St Primitive Methodist, started 1923 - became 10th Teesside
2nd Thornaby- Cleveland Wesleyan Methodist, Mandale Rd, started 1933/34, amalgamated with 1st Thornaby about 1941
3rd Thornaby - Baptist Thorntree Rd, started 1935 - became 3rd Teesside
4th Thornaby - Thornaby - Stafford Place Wesleyan
1st Billingham - Central Hall Wesleyan Methodist, Billingham started 1932 - became 7th Teesside
2nd Billingham - North Billingham Methodist started 1962, closed abt. 1964 & re-started 1968 - became 30th Teesside
1st Norton - Norton Methodist, started 1941 - became 11th Teesside
2nd Norton - St Michael’s C of E, started April 1943
1st Eaglescliffe - Trinity Methodist, started about 1941 - became 12th Teesside
1st Yarm - Yarm Wesleyan Methodist started 1946 - became 22nd Teesside
1st Haverton Hill - Haverton Hill Primitive Methodist, started as BLB 1923, closed 1968
1st Stillington - Methodist started 1936, probably closed 1939
Teesside Battalion
1st Middlesbrough BB - Queen’s Terrace Congregational started 1891; in 1894 church replaced by new St George’s Congregational, Linthorpe Rd, which closed about 1964 when church shut & demolished
1st Middlesbrough BLB - Southfield Rd Primitive Methodist started 1915
2nd Middlesbrough BB - Cannon St Congregational started May 1892 amalgamated with 1st Mbro in 1894. Then number given to Marton Rd Baptist started 1908/09, then to Linthorpe Rd Primitive Methodist started 1920 - became 2nd Teesside
2nd Middlesbrough BLB - Gilkes St Primitive Methodist started 1915
3rd Middlesbrough BB - St Stephen's, Woodland Rd started 1915-1916, continued until 1926 then joined 2nd Middlesbrough BLB on BB/BLB amalgamation. Continued as 3rd Middlesbrough BB until about 1939. Number given to St Chads in 1942
3rd Middlesbrough BLB - North Ormesby Primitive Methodist started 1915
4th Middlesbrough BB - Park Wesleyan Methodist started as BLB 1915, closed 1956
4th Middlesbrough BLB - Newport Primitive Methodist, Orwell St started 1916
5th Middlesbrough - St James C of E Parliament St started as BLB before 1926; demolished 1936 & company moved to new Church at Crescent Rd. Closed for a time but restarted 1971 then about 1976 moved to St Barnabas C of E
6th Middlesbrough - Durham St Mission started 1920’s moved to St Andrew Methodist Thorntree in 1956, closed 1971
7th Middlesbrough - Centenary Wesleyan started as BLB in 1920’s
8th Middlesbrough - Paradise United Methodist, Milton St started as BLB in 1920’s moved 1929/30 to North Ormesby Baptist Mission - became 6th Teesside
9th Middlesbrough - Orwell St United Methodist started as BLB before 1926, closed by 1946
10th Middlesbrough - Lord St Wesleyan Methodist started as BLB before 1926 then Park Presbyterian Church from 1932 - 1936, closed by 1946
11th Middlesbrough - Grove Hill Methodist started 1934/35 - became 9th Teesside
12th Middlesbrough - Durham St Mission started as BLB before 1926 moved to Westbourne Grove Methodist 1935, closed by 1946
13th Middlesbrough - where? Started & closed between 1936 & 1946
14th Middlesbrough - Wesley Central Mission started as BLB before 1926 then St Martin’s, Whinney Banks started 1936 -1946, closed 1958
15th Middlesbrough - St James C of E, Parliament Rd started as BLB before 1926
16th Middlesbrough - Boundary St Mission started as BLB before 1926 closed by 1946
17th Middlesbrough - North Ormesby Baptist started 1929/30
18th Middlesbrough - Ayresome Primitive Methodist started 1929/30
1st South Bank - South Bank Baptist started 1913/14, closed about 1970
1st Ormesby - Ormesby Methodist, started 1964 became 29th Teesside
1st Eston & Normanby - S.S. Union started 1912/13 closed 1924, reopened at Eston High St 1932/33 closed 1936
Cleveland Group
1st Redcar - Trinity Wesleyan Methodist, started April 1921 as BLB, closed July 1940
2nd Redcar - Zetland Park Methodist, started 1930/31, closed late 1950’s?
3rd Redcar - Station Rd Methodist started 1932/33, closed before 1950
4th Redcar - West Dyke Methodist, started 1946, closed about 1976 (became 14th Teesside)
1st Guisborough - Primitive Methodist, started 1926, closed 1936 - restarted as 15th Teesside in 1980, closed 1997
1st Dormanstown - Dormanstown Methodist, Bolckow Rd started 1934/35, closed late 1970’s
1st Saltburn - Saltburn Congregational, started1932/33, closed about 1960
2nd Saltburn - Primitive Methodist started 1964, moved to Wesleyan Methodist 1965 when Primitive shut – became 29th Teesside
1st Staithes - Wesleyan Methodist started 1934/35
1st Grangetown - Central Primitive Methodist started 1933/34, closed by 1950
1st Marske - Marske Methodist, started 1958 - became 21st Teesside
2nd Marske - St Mark’s, Marske, started 1964
1st New Marske - St Thomas C of E, New Marske started 1963 - became 25th Teesside
1st Skelton - Skelton Methodist, started 1959, closed for a short time then restarted abt.1976, closed 1999
1st Loftus - Loftus Congregational, originally started 1916, sometime closed for a period, re-started 1964
If you have any information to help us expand the above history, please contact us.