Octagon Chapel, Liverpool
Encyclopedia
The Octagon Chapel, Liverpool was a nonconformist church in Liverpool
, England, opened in 1763. It was founded by local congregations, those of Benn's Garden and Kaye Street chapels. The aim was to use a non-sectarian liturgy
; Thomas Bentley
was a major figure in founding the chapel, and had a hand in the liturgy.
. A plan for a set liturgy, as a method of reform of dissenting services, was proposed by some Lancashire
ministers in 1750. Despite open opposition by John Brekell
from 1758, who by then had been ministering at the Kaye Street Chapel for nearly 30 years, the compilation of a new liturgy went ahead. The Kaye Street Chapel (also Key Street) dated from 1707, and belonged to the Warrington
presbyterian classis.
The Benn's Garden Chapel in Red Cross Street, Liverpool, dated from 1727 and had been built for the Presbyterian minister Henry Winder
. In 1763 its minister John Henderson became a conforming Anglican; at that point William Enfield
became sole minister there to a congregation with many local merchants. While Brekell was a conservative Presbyterian, and Enfield's theology was Unitarian, the ministers of the two chapels from which the Octagon congregation had broken away then worked together on an alternative work, A New Collection of Psalms Proper for Christian Worship (1764).
A listing of the non-Anglican places of worship in Liverpool in 1775 mentions, besides the two Presbyterian chapels and the Octagon: a Methodist chapel; two Baptist meeting-places; a Quaker meeting-house; a Catholic chapel and a synagogue, both small. The population was around 35,000.
, of Unitarian views, accepted an invitation to become the first minister there; the appointment was joint with Hezekiah Kirkpatrick. The congregation were nicknamed the Octagonians. but the chapel's existence depended very much on Bentley, who eventually moved to London. The experimental liturgy did not gain the anticipated support, from those in the founding congregations who did not want to use the Book of Common Prayer
.
The chapel was sold in 1776, to a clergyman, Rev. Plumbe, Rector of Aughton
; and became an Anglican church, St Catherine's. The Anglican incumbents were: Rev. John Plumbe; Rev. Wilmot; Rev. Brownlow Forde; and jointly RK Milner and Thomas Bold. The building was demolished in 1820, the Corporation of Liverpool having bought it; and a Fire Police Station was built on the site.
Clayton moved from 1776 to share the ministry at Benn's Garden Chapel with Robert Lewin (1739–1825), of Arian
views, until 1781. In later years Lewin's congregation there was considered Unitarian, and included William Rathbone
and William Roscoe
. This congregation moved in time to Renshaw Street, the Benn's Garden chapel being sold to Wesleyan Methodists. The contemporary Unitarian Chapel, Liverpool
identifies its history as going back to Winder's congregation. In 1786 Kirkpatrick became the minister of Park Lane Chapel, Bryn
, near Wigan
.
and Richard Godwin, and was published in 1763, as edited by John Seddon
. Among the hymns chosen was one by Elizabeth Scott, later arranged by John Broderip
. The Octagonian psalms, at least, became known to Thomas Jefferson
.
Although it was in fact adapted by a prominent minister, David Williams
, for his congregation at Exeter
, the liturgy proved controversial and even divisive. Seddon and Holland were founders of the nearby Warrington Academy
: John Taylor, who was a tutor there, opposed the liturgy from before the time of its publication. Seddon and Taylor had in fact a profound disagreement on the suitability of the philosophy of Francis Hutcheson
for the teaching at the academy; while the liturgy was Hutchesonian in intent.
While Bentley in 1762 had found the proposed liturgy "very chaste and yet animated", the basic idea, as well as that of the chapel, was contentious. Seddon himself backed away from becoming the chapel's minister, preferring extemporary prayer to a formal service. The arguments that Anglicans of broad views would prefer a liturgy, and that it would curb the tendency to free-thinking in nonconformists, remained on a theoretical level, and were apparently contradicted by Methodist success at the time. Job Orton
, who supported Taylor's position, went as far as to say that the liturgy had damaged the reputation of Warrington Academy.
In the longer term, the creedless and liberal liturgy of the Octagon Chapel formed a starting point for the beliefs and writings of Anna Aikin (later Anna Barbauld) who was brought up at Warrington Academy, her father John Aikin
being a tutor there and on Seddon's side of the debate. The liturgy was however condemned by others, following Orton's verdict: "It is scarcely a Christian Liturgy; in the Collects the name of Christ is hardly mentioned, and the Spirit is quite banished from it"; and elsewhere "Grieved I am, and very much so, to see such an almost deistical composition", an opinion followed in Buck's Theological Dictionary (c.1820).
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, England, opened in 1763. It was founded by local congregations, those of Benn's Garden and Kaye Street chapels. The aim was to use a non-sectarian liturgy
Liturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
; Thomas Bentley
Thomas Bentley (manufacturer)
Thomas Bentley was an English manufacturer of porcelain, known for his partnership with Josiah Wedgwood.-Life:He was born at Scropton, Derbyshire, on 1 January 1731. His father, Thomas Bentley, was a country gentleman of some property...
was a major figure in founding the chapel, and had a hand in the liturgy.
Background
The dissenting group in Liverpool in the middle of the eighteenth century was in numerical terms shrinking. Many from congregations had conformed to the Church of EnglandChurch of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
. A plan for a set liturgy, as a method of reform of dissenting services, was proposed by some 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...
ministers in 1750. Despite open opposition by John Brekell
John Brekell
John Brekell was an English presbyterian minister and theological writer.-Life:Brekell was born at North Meols, Lancashire, in 1697, and was educated for the ministry at Nottingham, at the dissenting academy of John Hardy. His first known settlement was at Stamford, Lincolnshire, apparently as...
from 1758, who by then had been ministering at the Kaye Street Chapel for nearly 30 years, the compilation of a new liturgy went ahead. The Kaye Street Chapel (also Key Street) dated from 1707, and belonged to the Warrington
Warrington
Warrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...
presbyterian classis.
The Benn's Garden Chapel in Red Cross Street, Liverpool, dated from 1727 and had been built for the Presbyterian minister Henry Winder
Henry Winder
-Life:The son of Henry Winder , farmer, by a daughter of Adam Bird of Penruddock, he was born at Hutton John, parish of Greystoke, Cumberland, on 15 May 1693. His grandfather, Henry Winder, farmer, who lived to be over a hundred , was falsely charged with murdering his first-born son...
. In 1763 its minister John Henderson became a conforming Anglican; at that point William Enfield
William Enfield
William Enfield was a British Unitarian minister who published a bestselling book on elocution entitled The Speaker .-Life:...
became sole minister there to a congregation with many local merchants. While Brekell was a conservative Presbyterian, and Enfield's theology was Unitarian, the ministers of the two chapels from which the Octagon congregation had broken away then worked together on an alternative work, A New Collection of Psalms Proper for Christian Worship (1764).
A listing of the non-Anglican places of worship in Liverpool in 1775 mentions, besides the two Presbyterian chapels and the Octagon: a Methodist chapel; two Baptist meeting-places; a Quaker meeting-house; a Catholic chapel and a synagogue, both small. The population was around 35,000.
Design and history of the chapel
The chapel was to a design by Joseph Finney, and was built in Temple Court. Nicholas ClaytonNicholas Clayton (divine)
Nicholas Clayton, D.D. was an English presbyterian minister and divine.-Life:Clayton was the son of Samuel Clayton of Old Park, Enfield, Middlesex, and was born about 1733...
, of Unitarian views, accepted an invitation to become the first minister there; the appointment was joint with Hezekiah Kirkpatrick. The congregation were nicknamed the Octagonians. but the chapel's existence depended very much on Bentley, who eventually moved to London. The experimental liturgy did not gain the anticipated support, from those in the founding congregations who did not want to use the Book of Common Prayer
Book of Common Prayer
The Book of Common Prayer is the short title of a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion, as well as by the Continuing Anglican, "Anglican realignment" and other Anglican churches. The original book, published in 1549 , in the reign of Edward VI, was a product of the English...
.
The chapel was sold in 1776, to a clergyman, Rev. Plumbe, Rector of Aughton
Aughton, Lancashire
Aughton is a village and civil parish within the West Lancashire district of Lancashire, England, situated between Ormskirk in Lancashire and Maghull in Merseyside. It is a residential area with tree lined roads being found in all parts of the parish and with an area of 1,658 hectares...
; and became an Anglican church, St Catherine's. The Anglican incumbents were: Rev. John Plumbe; Rev. Wilmot; Rev. Brownlow Forde; and jointly RK Milner and Thomas Bold. The building was demolished in 1820, the Corporation of Liverpool having bought it; and a Fire Police Station was built on the site.
Clayton moved from 1776 to share the ministry at Benn's Garden Chapel with Robert Lewin (1739–1825), of Arian
Arian
Arian may refer to:* Arius, a Christian presbyter in the 3rd and 4th century* a given name in different cultures: Aria, Aryan or Arian...
views, until 1781. In later years Lewin's congregation there was considered Unitarian, and included William Rathbone
William Rathbone IV
William Rathbone IV was a member of the noted Rathbone family of Liverpool, England. He was the son of William Rathbone III and Rachel Rutter, and was a Liverpool ship-owner and merchant, involved in the organisation of American trade with Liverpool.Originally a member of the Society of Friends,...
and William Roscoe
William Roscoe
William Roscoe , was an English historian and miscellaneous writer.-Life:He was born in Liverpool, where his father, a market gardener, kept a public house called the Bowling Green at Mount Pleasant. Roscoe left school at the age of twelve, having learned all that his schoolmaster could teach...
. This congregation moved in time to Renshaw Street, the Benn's Garden chapel being sold to Wesleyan Methodists. The contemporary Unitarian Chapel, Liverpool
Unitarian Chapel, Liverpool
The Unitarian Chapel, Liverpool is in Ullet Road, Sefton Park, Liverpool, Merseyside, England . It is a Grade I listed building and is an active Unitarian church...
identifies its history as going back to Winder's congregation. In 1786 Kirkpatrick became the minister of Park Lane Chapel, Bryn
Bryn
Bryn is a component ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It is part of the larger town of Ashton-in-Makerfield and is geographically indistinguishable from it. It forms a separate local council ward...
, near Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
.
The Liverpool Liturgy
The liturgy of the Octagon Chapel became known as the Liverpool Liturgy. It was written by Philip HollandPhilip Holland (minister)
-Family and education:The eldest son of Thomas Holland, he was born at Wem, Shropshire. His grandfather, Thomas Holland , had been a member of the first presbyterian classis of Lancashire, and was ejected from Blackley Chapel, Lancashire, by the Uniformity Act 1662...
and Richard Godwin, and was published in 1763, as edited by John Seddon
John Seddon of Warrington
-Life:The son of Peter Seddon, dissenting minister successively at Ormskirk and Hereford, he was born at Hereford on 8 December 1725. The Unitarian John Seddon , with whom he has often been confused, is said to have been a second cousin...
. Among the hymns chosen was one by Elizabeth Scott, later arranged by John Broderip
John Broderip
-Life:Broderip was a son of William Broderip, organist of Wells Cathedral, who died in 1726. In 1740 he was organist at Minehead. The first mention of him in the chapter records of Wells is on 2 December 1740, when he was admitted a vicar choral of the cathedral for a year on probation...
. The Octagonian psalms, at least, became known to Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
.
Although it was in fact adapted by a prominent minister, David Williams
David Williams (philosopher)
David Williams , was a Welsh philosopher of the Enlightenment period. He was an ordained minister, theologian and political polemicist, and was the founder in 1788 of the Royal Literary Fund.-Upbringing:...
, for his congregation at Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
, the liturgy proved controversial and even divisive. Seddon and Holland were founders of the nearby Warrington Academy
Warrington Academy
Warrington Academy, active as a teaching establishment from 1756 to 1782, was a prominent dissenting academy, that is, a school or college set up by those who dissented from the state church in England...
: John Taylor, who was a tutor there, opposed the liturgy from before the time of its publication. Seddon and Taylor had in fact a profound disagreement on the suitability of the philosophy of Francis Hutcheson
Francis Hutcheson (philosopher)
Francis Hutcheson was a philosopher born in Ireland to a family of Scottish Presbyterians who became one of the founding fathers of the Scottish Enlightenment....
for the teaching at the academy; while the liturgy was Hutchesonian in intent.
While Bentley in 1762 had found the proposed liturgy "very chaste and yet animated", the basic idea, as well as that of the chapel, was contentious. Seddon himself backed away from becoming the chapel's minister, preferring extemporary prayer to a formal service. The arguments that Anglicans of broad views would prefer a liturgy, and that it would curb the tendency to free-thinking in nonconformists, remained on a theoretical level, and were apparently contradicted by Methodist success at the time. Job Orton
Job Orton
Job Orton was an English dissenting minister.-Life:He was born at Shrewsbury. He entered the academy of Dr Philip Doddridge at Northampton, became minister of a congregation formed by a fusion of Presbyterians and Independents at High Street Chapel, Shrewsbury , received Presbyterian ordination...
, who supported Taylor's position, went as far as to say that the liturgy had damaged the reputation of Warrington Academy.
In the longer term, the creedless and liberal liturgy of the Octagon Chapel formed a starting point for the beliefs and writings of Anna Aikin (later Anna Barbauld) who was brought up at Warrington Academy, her father John Aikin
John Aikin (Unitarian)
John Aikin was an English Unitarian scholar and theological tutor, closely associated with Warrington Academy, a prominent dissenting academy.-Life:...
being a tutor there and on Seddon's side of the debate. The liturgy was however condemned by others, following Orton's verdict: "It is scarcely a Christian Liturgy; in the Collects the name of Christ is hardly mentioned, and the Spirit is quite banished from it"; and elsewhere "Grieved I am, and very much so, to see such an almost deistical composition", an opinion followed in Buck's Theological Dictionary (c.1820).