Congregational Chapel, Nantwich
Encyclopedia
The Congregational Chapel, also known as the Independent Chapel, is a former Congregational
or Independent church in Nantwich
, Cheshire
, England. It is located on Monks Lane , now a pedestrian walkway, opposite the Dysart Buildings
and immediately north east of St Mary's Church
. Built in 1841–42, it is listed at grade II. The chapel closed in the late 20th century, and the building has been converted to residential use.
preachers were not welcomed in Nantwich. In 1753, John Wesley
was "saluted with curses and hard names", while that same year, George Whitefield
was met by angry crowds who tried to drive a bull into his audience, but were foiled when the animal fell into a pit.
A society of Independents
was formed in 1780 by Captain Jonathan Scott (1735–1807), who started preaching in a coachmaker
's shop on Barker Street with the Reverend William Armitage from Chester
. Captain Scott was a prominent independent evangelist who had resigned his commission in the 7th Dragoons
in 1769 to focus on missionary work, and was ordained in 1774 or 1776 as a "presbyter
or teacher at large". Born in Shrewsbury
and then living in Wollerton in Shropshire
, Scott went on preaching tours across Shropshire, Cheshire
, Staffordshire
, Lancashire
and Wales
during the 1770s. He is credited with involvement in the foundation of 22 Congregationalist churches. In 1794, Scott moved to Matlock in Derbyshire
, but continued to preach in Nantwich every other Sunday. One of the early supporters of the Nantwich society was a local justice of the peace
, Samuel Barrow, who donated £50 a year towards establishing a permanent ministry in 1796. The first minister is recorded from this date, and the first Independent chapel was built in 1801 on Church Lane. Scott later settled permanently in Nantwich, marrying Barrow's widow in 1802, and assisting the chapel's ministers until his death five years later.
The Independent congregation reached its height under the ministry of the Reverend J. Simson in 1840–51. A large chapel on Monks Lane was completed in 1842 at a cost of £2,200; the earlier building was retained as a Sunday School. The new chapel seated a congregation of around 700. The several other Nonconformist places of worship in the town in 1850 also included a Wesleyan Methodist Church
and a Unitarian Chapel on Hospital Street, a Primitive Methodist Chapel
on Welsh Row, a Baptist Chapel on Barker Street, a Friends' Meeting House on Pillory Street, and a Wesleyan Association Chapel on Castle Street. After 1851, the congregation went into substantial decline until at least the 1880s.
An organ was acquired at a cost of just under £400 in 1875. A meeting in May 1884 authorised the construction of a Sunday School building, which was constructed adjacent to the chapel on Monks Lane. A substantial red-brick building with stone dressings flanked by two low square towers, it was not completed until 1903. In 1890, the interior of the chapel was redecorated and new pews were added at a cost of £350.
In the 1970s, the chapel suffered from dry rot. It later closed, and the building has been converted into apartments. The Sunday School remained in use until the 1970s when it was also affected by dry rot; it was subsequently demolished.
The former Congregational Chapel is a two-storey building in red brick with stone dressings. The front façade has three bays topped with a pediment
supported by large brick pilaster
s. The pediment bears a stone plaque inscribed with the date in Roman numerals. There are two doorways to the front, flanked by pilasters, which each have rectangular fanlight
s and cornice
s above, supported by corbel
s. Between the doorways is a central window and the main façade has three windows to the first floor; each has a semi-circular arched head with a keystone
decoration. The front face also has a stone string course between the ground and first floors, and a cornice at the level of the pediment.
The side face has four bays; the windows have stone sills and semi-circular arched heads highlighted in brick. The interior (now altered) originally had a circular gallery.
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
or Independent church in Nantwich
Nantwich
Nantwich is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The town gives its name to the parliamentary constituency of Crewe and Nantwich...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, England. It is located on Monks Lane , now a pedestrian walkway, opposite the Dysart Buildings
Dysart Buildings, Nantwich
Dysart Buildings is a terrace of nine Georgian houses on Monks Lane in Nantwich, Cheshire, England. Dating from 1778–79, the building is listed at grade II*. It is located at 1–9 Monks Lane , now a pedestrian walkway, opposite the former Congregational Chapel and immediately north east of St Mary's...
and immediately north east of St Mary's Church
St Mary's Church, Nantwich
St Mary's Church, Nantwich, is in the centre of the market town of Nantwich, Cheshire, England. The church has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building. It has been called the "Cathedral of South Cheshire" and it is considered by some to be one of the finest medieval...
. Built in 1841–42, it is listed at grade II. The chapel closed in the late 20th century, and the building has been converted to residential use.
History
Early visits from NonconformistNonconformism
Nonconformity is the refusal to "conform" to, or follow, the governance and usages of the Church of England by the Protestant Christians of England and Wales.- Origins and use:...
preachers were not welcomed in Nantwich. In 1753, John Wesley
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
was "saluted with curses and hard names", while that same year, George Whitefield
George Whitefield
George Whitefield , also known as George Whitfield, was an English Anglican priest who helped spread the Great Awakening in Britain, and especially in the British North American colonies. He was one of the founders of Methodism and of the evangelical movement generally...
was met by angry crowds who tried to drive a bull into his audience, but were foiled when the animal fell into a pit.
A society of Independents
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
was formed in 1780 by Captain Jonathan Scott (1735–1807), who started preaching in a coachmaker
Coachbuilder
A coachbuilder is a manufacturer of bodies for carriages or automobiles.The trade dates back several centuries. Rippon was active in the time of Queen Elizabeth I, Barker founded in 1710 by an officer in Queen Anne's Guards, Brewster a relative newcomer , formed in 1810. Others in Britain included...
's shop on Barker Street with the Reverend William Armitage from Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
. Captain Scott was a prominent independent evangelist who had resigned his commission in the 7th Dragoons
7th Queen's Own Hussars
The 7th Queen's Own Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first formed in 1690. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated into The Queen's Own Hussars in 1958....
in 1769 to focus on missionary work, and was ordained in 1774 or 1776 as a "presbyter
Presbyter
Presbyter in the New Testament refers to a leader in local Christian congregations, then a synonym of episkopos...
or teacher at large". Born in Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
and then living in Wollerton in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, Scott went on preaching tours across Shropshire, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
during the 1770s. He is credited with involvement in the foundation of 22 Congregationalist churches. In 1794, Scott moved to Matlock in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, but continued to preach in Nantwich every other Sunday. One of the early supporters of the Nantwich society was a local justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
, Samuel Barrow, who donated £50 a year towards establishing a permanent ministry in 1796. The first minister is recorded from this date, and the first Independent chapel was built in 1801 on Church Lane. Scott later settled permanently in Nantwich, marrying Barrow's widow in 1802, and assisting the chapel's ministers until his death five years later.
The Independent congregation reached its height under the ministry of the Reverend J. Simson in 1840–51. A large chapel on Monks Lane was completed in 1842 at a cost of £2,200; the earlier building was retained as a Sunday School. The new chapel seated a congregation of around 700. The several other Nonconformist places of worship in the town in 1850 also included a Wesleyan Methodist Church
Wesleyan Methodist Church, Nantwich
The Wesleyan Methodist Church, also known as the Wesleyan Chapel, is a former Wesleyan Methodist church on Hospital Street, Nantwich, Cheshire, England . Built in 1808, a new façade was added in 1876. The church then seated over a thousand, and was the largest Nonconformist place of worship in the...
and a Unitarian Chapel on Hospital Street, a Primitive Methodist Chapel
Primitive Methodist Chapel, Nantwich
The Primitive Methodist Chapel is a former Primitive Methodist church on Welsh Row in Nantwich, Cheshire, England . Built in 1840, it is listed at grade II. The chapel closed in 2001, and the building has been partially converted to residential use....
on Welsh Row, a Baptist Chapel on Barker Street, a Friends' Meeting House on Pillory Street, and a Wesleyan Association Chapel on Castle Street. After 1851, the congregation went into substantial decline until at least the 1880s.
An organ was acquired at a cost of just under £400 in 1875. A meeting in May 1884 authorised the construction of a Sunday School building, which was constructed adjacent to the chapel on Monks Lane. A substantial red-brick building with stone dressings flanked by two low square towers, it was not completed until 1903. In 1890, the interior of the chapel was redecorated and new pews were added at a cost of £350.
In the 1970s, the chapel suffered from dry rot. It later closed, and the building has been converted into apartments. The Sunday School remained in use until the 1970s when it was also affected by dry rot; it was subsequently demolished.
Description
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
supported by large brick pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
s. The pediment bears a stone plaque inscribed with the date in Roman numerals. There are two doorways to the front, flanked by pilasters, which each have rectangular fanlight
Fanlight
A fanlight is a window, semicircular or semi-elliptical in shape, with glazing bars or tracery sets radiating out like an open fan, It is placed over another window or a doorway. and is sometimes hinged to a transom. The bars in the fixed glazed window spread out in the manner a sunburst...
s and cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
s above, supported by corbel
Corbel
In architecture a corbel is a piece of stone jutting out of a wall to carry any superincumbent weight. A piece of timber projecting in the same way was called a "tassel" or a "bragger". The technique of corbelling, where rows of corbels deeply keyed inside a wall support a projecting wall or...
s. Between the doorways is a central window and the main façade has three windows to the first floor; each has a semi-circular arched head with a keystone
Keystone (architecture)
A keystone is the wedge-shaped stone piece at the apex of a masonry vault or arch, which is the final piece placed during construction and locks all the stones into position, allowing the arch to bear weight. This makes a keystone very important structurally...
decoration. The front face also has a stone string course between the ground and first floors, and a cornice at the level of the pediment.
The side face has four bays; the windows have stone sills and semi-circular arched heads highlighted in brick. The interior (now altered) originally had a circular gallery.
Sources
- Hall J. A History of the Town and Parish of Nantwich, or Wich Malbank, in the County Palatine of Chester (2nd edn) (E. J. Morten; 1972) (ISBN 0-901598-24-0)
- Lamberton A, Gray R. Lost Houses in Nantwich (Landmark Publishing; 2005) (ISBN 1-84306-202-X)
- Pevsner N, Hubbard E. The Buildings of England: Cheshire (Penguin Books; 1971) (ISBN 0-14-071042-6)
- Simpson R. Crewe and Nantwich: A Pictorial History (Phillimore; 1991) (ISBN 0-85033-724-0)
- Watts MR. The Dissenters: From the Reformation to the French Revolution (Oxford University Press; 1986) (ISBN 0-19-822956-9)