Nonconformity in Woburn

The Wesleyan, Independent (Congregationalist) and Baptist Chapels shown on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey map of 1883

Registration of Nonconformist Meeting Houses

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.

Congregationalists

The first registration held by Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service is for the house and outhouse occupied by Sarah Edmunds in West Street in 1789 [QSR1789/200]. It seems likely that this West Street was the road later called Leighton Street. The registration was carried out by Joseph Harris, plumber, Robert Carey, surgeon, Joseph Barnes, ropemaker and Samuel Handscomb, watchmaker. In 1798 it was Robert Carey's own house which was registered, which we know from other sources was 1 Leighton Street [ABN1/1 and ABN2/80]. This building was later used by the Baptists| [q.v.]

The Congregationalist| Chapel was registered in 1804 by Michael Castleden, Robert Carey and John Buttfield. It stood behind Leighton Street, not far from the Methodist chapel, as will be seen from the map.

Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service holds the deeds to the Congregational chapel [Z768]. The deeds begin in 1823 when Susannah Rock conveyed 38 poles of land to the trustees for them to build a chapel vestry. The trustees, at this date, were Michael Castleden, the minister, John Circuitt, yeoman, Joseph Circuitt, yeoman, Samuel Handscomb, watchmaker, William Cobb the younger, grocer, George Gascoyen, gentleman, James Fowler, brewer, Thomas Loton, yeoman, Joseph Osborn of Dunstable, grocer and Joseph Hill of Potsgrove, yeoman. The church at that date called itself "The Society of Protestant Dissenters of the Pedo Baptists denomination" - pedo baptist meaning that they allowed the baptism of children, unlike the Baptists themselves, to whom Fowler later defected.

The chapel was rebuilt in 1854 and enlarged in 1899. The last service took place in 1944. The chapel was authorised to be sold by the Charity Commissioners in 1952 [Z768/8] and was conveyed on 12 May 1953 to Aubrey Boutwood of Toddington, retired solicitor [Z768/9]. The building was used as a studio by Derek Greaves, an artist, from about 1959 and was demolished in 1988.

Strict Baptists

The first Strict Baptist| chapel in Woburn was registered in 1835 by, rather unusually, a brewer - James Fowler [ABN1/2 and ABN2/307] who had a house at 1 Leighton Street with a brewery and malting behind. He registered a room in his malthouse for meetings in 1840 and another building in his occupation in 1841 and 1852. The final registration by Fowler was in 1853. The last registration of a Baptist building in Woburn was of the Leighton Street building in 1867, when the person registering was one of the members, Eliza House of the High Street. The registration was cancelled in 1897 and the meeting presumably closed at that date. The map shows the location of the chapel near the brewery behind 1 Leighton Street.

The first mention of Baptists in Woburn predates the registration of the meeting by some years. The first Ridgmont Baptist Church Book [X347/1] notes that in 1801 the minister at Ridgmont would work with the minister in Woburn to preach at Husborne Crawley on Sunday evenings.

Former Wesleyan chapel in London End - March 2007

Wesleyan Methodists

The first registration of the Wesleyan Methodist| chapel in Woburn took place in 1861 by the circuit minister, Thomas White of Newport Pagnell [Buckinghamshire]. The registration was cancelled in 1964. As can be seen from the modern photograph the chapel still exists, just behind the old Fire Station in Leighton Street, though it is now a private house. Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service has no individual chapel records for the Wesleyans in Woburn since the chapel, for most of its life, was in the Newport Pagnell circuit.