Methodism in Clophill
In 1672 Charles II issued a Declaration of Toleration for Protestants dissenting from the Church of England; this had the effect of some dissenting meeting houses registering with the Secretary of State. The Toleration Act of 1689 enshrined the right of protestants to dissent from the Church of England and, once again, encouraged meeting houses to register voluntarily with local quarter sessions| and Anglican church. Registration provided protection against persecution, laying a duty of protection upon magistrates and so was popular with nonconformists. Most registrations were made with quarter sessions until the middle of the 18th century, presumably due to the mutual antagonism of nonconformists and established Church. However, from that point registration with the Church, via the local archdeaconry |began to become the favoured method, because the archdeaconry Registrar would issue a licence at any time rather than during the days each quarter when the quarter sessions met.
Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service has a reasonable number of registrations of nonconformist meeting houses in both the Quarter Sessions and Archdeaconry of Bedford archives. Registration continued through the 19th century even though persecution faded away - this was because registered buildings were allowed to claim exemption from parish poor rates, were exempt from control by the Charity Commission and were allowed to be licensed to carry out marriages. These things meant that registration became almost compulsory in practice for well established nonconformist meetings. This is fortunate for the local historian because sometimes the only surviving references to a nonconformist meeting occur as registrations.
The archive of the Archdeaconry of Bedford contains three registrations relating to Clophill. In 1812 a building adjoining the premises of draper Thomas Parrish were registered by Parrish himself, John Butcher, James Bedford and John Chapman [ABN1/1 and ABN2/148]. In 1848 a building in occupation of Caroline Upton was registered by Samuel Sexton [ABN1/2 and ABN2/395]. The registrations do not tell the denomination of the meeting house but it seems at least possible that, given the later history of the village in which Methodism was very important, that they may have been Methodist meetings.
the former Primitive Methodist Chapel in March 2007
In 1853 a Primitive Methodist| in Luton Road (now Old Silsoe Road) was registered by John Symonds Gostling of Bedford, upholsterer. The Wesleyan Methodists| had built a chapel in Bedford Road in 1814 though, being on the west side of the road it was actually in the parish of Maulden, however, it always referred to as Clophill Wesleyan Methodist church. When the two branches of Methodism came together, with others, in 1932 to form the Methodist Church of Great Britain, it was decided to close the two chapels and to build a new one in the High Street which was done in 1936, the new church opening in 1937. The former Wesleyan chapel was then demolished in connection with a road widening scheme for the A6 but the old Primitive chapel survives as may be seen in the photograph above.
