King's Stanley: Nonconformity

NONCONFORMITY.

The Baptist chapel at King's Stanley was founded, according to tradition, in 1640, (fn. 1) and presumably the majority of the 150 nonconformists recorded in 1676 were Baptists. (fn. 2) A congregation of 150 Baptists under a resident minister was recorded c. 1715, (fn. 3) and a chapel with a minister in 1773. (fn. 4) The chapel was evidently at the place known in 1839 as Old Meeting, on Coombe Lane south of Middle Yard. (fn. 5) The Baptist congregation registered houses in the parish in the early 1820s, (fn. 6) and a new chapel was built on the north side of the road at Middle Yard in 1824; (fn. 7) it remained in use in 1967. It is a stone building with Venetian windows, and has a later Sunday-school building adjoining. In 1882 there was also a Baptist meeting-house near Woodside Farm, (fn. 8) perhaps the building registered by the Baptists in 1841. (fn. 9)

A house in the parish was licensed for Presbyterians in 1672, (fn. 10) and it was possibly Presbyterians who were meeting at 'Stanley Court' (perhaps Court Farm) in 1689. (fn. 11) In 1735 there were said to be 14 Independents in the parish, with a meeting which was not regularly served and described as sometimes Presbyterian and sometimes Anabaptist. (fn. 12) A house was registered in 1795 by 'Anabaptists and Housekeepers', (fn. 13) who were perhaps the 'Calvinists' mentioned c. 1825. (fn. 14)

Six houses in the parish were registered by unidentified nonconformist groups between 1805 and 1835, (fn. 15) among them the Wesleyan and Primitive Methodists recorded c. 1825. (fn. 16) The Primitive Methodists built small brick chapels in King's Stanley village in 1861 and at Selsley in 1863; (fn. 17) the chapel at King's Stanley continued in use until c. 1958, and that at Selsley until c. 1965. (fn. 18)