Southover General Baptist Chapel
Encyclopedia
Southover General Baptist Chapel is a former Baptist place of worship in the ancient village of Southover, now part of the town and district of Lewes
, one of six local government districts in the English county of East Sussex
. Founded in 1741 as the first Baptist place of worship in the area, it attracted a congregation of General Baptists whose theological views gradually moved towards Unitarianism
. This led to their union with the members of the nearby Westgate Chapel, after which the flint and brick building housed other congregations and secular groups before its conversion to a house. English Heritage
has listed the building at Grade II by English Heritage
for its architectural and historical importance.
is an ancient borough and market town on the River Ouse
. The adjacent village of Southover, now part of the town, was chosen by William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey
in the 11th century as the site for his Cluniac
Priory dedicated to St Pancras
. The area went on to develop a strong Protestant
Nonconformist
tradition in the 18th and 19th centuries: denominations
such as the Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion
, Unitarianism
, Methodism
, Quakers, Baptists, Strict Baptists
, Presbyterianism and Congregationalism
were all represented. The General Baptist Chapel, the first Baptist place of worship in the area, was founded at Southover in 1741, possibly by a group associated with an earlier church (now Unitarian)
at nearby Ditchling
. Another Baptist congregation, this time consisting of Particular Baptists
, started worshipping in Lewes in 1784; they moved to Eastgate Chapel in 1843.
In the 19th century, most General Baptist congregations in Sussex gradually adopted Unitarian views, following the lead of Matthew Caffyn
who was influential at the General Baptist chapel (now Unitarian)
in Horsham
. The members of the Southover chapel were no exception, and in 1825 they decided to unite with the congregation of Westgate Chapel, a Unitarian meeting house founded in Lewes town centre in 1695. The chapel became a meeting house used by other religious groups, including for a time The Salvation Army
. Secular groups also used it, but in 1972 it was sold and converted into a cottage. It was altered inside, and the burial ground at the rear was covered with concrete (although some headstones were dug up and preserved).
Southover General Baptist Chapel—under its new name of The Old Meeting—was listed at Grade II by English Heritage
on 29 October 1985; this defines it as a "nationally important" building of "special interest". As of February 2001, it was one of 1,162 Grade II listed buildings, and 1,250 listed buildings of all grades, in the district of Lewes.
in the Vernacular
style. There are quoins
and dressings of red brick. The hipped roof
is tiled. A modern porch with weatherboarding
and a gable
covers the original entrance door, above which is a stone marked . Flanking the porch are two shallow-arched sash window
s which have lost their original wooden shutters. There is also a small casement window
at the top right. The rear (south) wall has two similar arched windows and a doorway which is not original. There are chimney-stacks on the west and east walls, both of which are later additions. That on the east wall is flanked by the outline of two original windows.
The chapel's interior dimensions were 27.25 by 17.75 ft (8.3 by 5.4 m). All 18th-century features, including a gallery, have been stripped out, but two old (possibly early 19th-century) fireplaces remain. A series of bricks in the south wall, laid out in a square, are inscribed with various initials and the date 1741.
Lewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
, one of six local government districts in the English county of East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
. Founded in 1741 as the first Baptist place of worship in the area, it attracted a congregation of General Baptists whose theological views gradually moved towards Unitarianism
Unitarianism
Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
. This led to their union with the members of the nearby Westgate Chapel, after which the flint and brick building housed other congregations and secular groups before its conversion to a house. English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
has listed the building at Grade II by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
for its architectural and historical importance.
History
LewesLewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
is an ancient borough and market town on the River Ouse
River Ouse, Sussex
The River Ouse is a river in the counties of West and East Sussex in England.-Course:The river rises near Lower Beeding and runs eastwards into East Sussex, meandering narrowly and turning slowly southward...
. The adjacent village of Southover, now part of the town, was chosen by William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey
William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey
William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey, Seigneur de Varennes is one of the very few proven Companions of William the Conqueror known to have fought at the Battle of Hastings in 1066...
in the 11th century as the site for his Cluniac
Cluny
Cluny or Clungy is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne in eastern France. It is 20 km northwest of Mâcon.The town grew up around the Benedictine Cluny Abbey, founded by Duke William I of Aquitaine in 910...
Priory dedicated to St Pancras
Lewes Priory
The Priory of St Pancras was the first Cluniac house in England and had one of the largest monastic churches in the country. It was set within an extensive walled and gated precinct laid out in a commanding location fronting the tidal shore-line at the head of the Ouse valley to the south of Lewes...
. The area went on to develop a strong Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
Nonconformist
Nonconformism
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:...
tradition in the 18th and 19th centuries: denominations
Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
such as the Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion
Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion
The Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion is a small society of evangelical churches, founded in 1783 by Selina, Countess of Huntingdon as a result of the Evangelical Revival. For years it was strongly associated with the Calvinist Methodist movement of George Whitefield...
, Unitarianism
Unitarianism
Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
, Methodism
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
, Quakers, Baptists, Strict Baptists
Strict Baptists
Strict Baptists, also known as Particular Baptists, are Baptists who believe in a Calvinist or Reformed interpretation of Christian soteriology. The Particular Baptists arose in England in the 17th century and took their namesake from the doctrine of particular redemption.-Further reading:*History...
, Presbyterianism and Congregationalism
United Reformed Church
The United Reformed Church is a Christian church in the United Kingdom. It has approximately 68,000 members in 1,500 congregations with some 700 ministers.-Origins and history:...
were all represented. The General Baptist Chapel, the first Baptist place of worship in the area, was founded at Southover in 1741, possibly by a group associated with an earlier church (now Unitarian)
Ditchling Unitarian Chapel
Ditchling Unitarian Chapel is a Unitarian chapel in Ditchling, a village in the English county of East Sussex...
at nearby Ditchling
Ditchling
Ditchling is a village and civil parish in the Lewes District of East Sussex, England. The village is contained within the boundaries of the South Downs National Park; the order confirming the establishment of the park was signed in Ditchling....
. Another Baptist congregation, this time consisting of Particular Baptists
Strict Baptists
Strict Baptists, also known as Particular Baptists, are Baptists who believe in a Calvinist or Reformed interpretation of Christian soteriology. The Particular Baptists arose in England in the 17th century and took their namesake from the doctrine of particular redemption.-Further reading:*History...
, started worshipping in Lewes in 1784; they moved to Eastgate Chapel in 1843.
In the 19th century, most General Baptist congregations in Sussex gradually adopted Unitarian views, following the lead of Matthew Caffyn
Matthew Caffyn
Matthew Caffyn was a British General Baptist preacher and writer.-Early life:He was born at Horsham, Sussex, the seventh son of Thomas Caffin, by Elizabeth his wife...
who was influential at the General Baptist chapel (now Unitarian)
Horsham Unitarian Church
Horsham Unitarian Church is a Unitarian chapel in Horsham in the English county of West Sussex. It was founded in 1719 to serve the large Baptist population of the ancient market town of Horsham—home of radical preacher Matthew Caffyn—and the surrounding area...
in Horsham
Horsham
Horsham is a market town with a population of 55,657 on the upper reaches of the River Arun in the centre of the Weald, West Sussex, in the historic County of Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester...
. The members of the Southover chapel were no exception, and in 1825 they decided to unite with the congregation of Westgate Chapel, a Unitarian meeting house founded in Lewes town centre in 1695. The chapel became a meeting house used by other religious groups, including for a time The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
. Secular groups also used it, but in 1972 it was sold and converted into a cottage. It was altered inside, and the burial ground at the rear was covered with concrete (although some headstones were dug up and preserved).
Southover General Baptist Chapel—under its new name of The Old Meeting—was listed at Grade II by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
on 29 October 1985; this defines it as a "nationally important" building of "special interest". As of February 2001, it was one of 1,162 Grade II listed buildings, and 1,250 listed buildings of all grades, in the district of Lewes.
Architecture
The single-storey chapel faces north and is built of knapped flintFlint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
in the Vernacular
Vernacular architecture
Vernacular architecture is a term used to categorize methods of construction which use locally available resources and traditions to address local needs and circumstances. Vernacular architecture tends to evolve over time to reflect the environmental, cultural and historical context in which it...
style. There are quoins
Quoin (architecture)
Quoins are the cornerstones of brick or stone walls. Quoins may be either structural or decorative. Architects and builders use quoins to give the impression of strength and firmness to the outline of a building...
and dressings of red brick. The hipped roof
Hip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
is tiled. A modern porch with weatherboarding
Weatherboarding
Weatherboarding is the cladding or ‘siding’ of a house consisting of long thin timber boards that overlap one another, either vertically or horizontally on the outside of the wall. They are usually of rectangular section with parallel sides...
and a gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
covers the original entrance door, above which is a stone marked . Flanking the porch are two shallow-arched sash window
Sash window
A sash window or hung sash window is made of one or more movable panels or "sashes" that form a frame to hold panes of glass, which are often separated from other panes by narrow muntins...
s which have lost their original wooden shutters. There is also a small casement window
Casement window
A casement window is a window that is attached to its frame by one or more hinges. Casement windows are hinged at the side. A casement window (or casement) is a window that is attached to its frame by one or more hinges. Casement windows are hinged at the side. A casement window (or casement) is a...
at the top right. The rear (south) wall has two similar arched windows and a doorway which is not original. There are chimney-stacks on the west and east walls, both of which are later additions. That on the east wall is flanked by the outline of two original windows.
The chapel's interior dimensions were 27.25 by 17.75 ft (8.3 by 5.4 m). All 18th-century features, including a gallery, have been stripped out, but two old (possibly early 19th-century) fireplaces remain. A series of bricks in the south wall, laid out in a square, are inscribed with various initials and the date 1741.