A short historical introduction
Bath Unitarians
The Unitarian Congregation in Bath originated in 1672 as a group of Presbyterians, probably meeting in a barn of Barton Farm House in the vicinity of Old King Street. The congregation was formally established in 1688 and its first chapel was in Frog Lane, now New Bond Street, built in 1692. By 1795, when the architect John Palmer built a handsome new chapel in Trim Street, the congregation was avowedly Unitarian.
The chapel had some distinguished ministers, including the antiquarian Joseph Hunter who took up the post in 1809 and the politician and author Jerom Murch. In 1860 an apse was added to the chapel and the interior remodelled.
Although a major presence in the city in the nineteenth century, by the mid twentieth century the congregation was in decline. The chapel was abruptly sold in 1971 and converted to secular use.
Unitarians continued to meet informally in members homes until, in November 1993, the Bath Unitarian Fellowship was officially founded. It formed part of the Wessex Area Ministry with the Unitarian congregations at Trowbridge and Swindon (later Cirencester). Bath Unitarians met at the Friends Meeting House, in the centre of Bath until 2007 when uncertainties over the future of the building led to relocation, initially in Larkhall, then 2008-2013 at the Old (Unitarian) Meeting House in Marshfield. Since the Royal British Legion sold the Meeting House, the Fellowship has continued to meet at Barrow Castle in Bath.
The Unitarian Congregation in Bath originated in 1672 as a group of Presbyterians, probably meeting in a barn of Barton Farm House in the vicinity of Old King Street. The congregation was formally established in 1688 and its first chapel was in Frog Lane, now New Bond Street, built in 1692. By 1795, when the architect John Palmer built a handsome new chapel in Trim Street, the congregation was avowedly Unitarian.
The chapel had some distinguished ministers, including the antiquarian Joseph Hunter who took up the post in 1809 and the politician and author Jerom Murch. In 1860 an apse was added to the chapel and the interior remodelled.
Although a major presence in the city in the nineteenth century, by the mid twentieth century the congregation was in decline. The chapel was abruptly sold in 1971 and converted to secular use.
Unitarians continued to meet informally in members homes until, in November 1993, the Bath Unitarian Fellowship was officially founded. It formed part of the Wessex Area Ministry with the Unitarian congregations at Trowbridge and Swindon (later Cirencester). Bath Unitarians met at the Friends Meeting House, in the centre of Bath until 2007 when uncertainties over the future of the building led to relocation, initially in Larkhall, then 2008-2013 at the Old (Unitarian) Meeting House in Marshfield. Since the Royal British Legion sold the Meeting House, the Fellowship has continued to meet at Barrow Castle in Bath.
The Old Meeting, Marshfield
The origins of the Old Meeting can be traced to 1680 when George Seal, who had been ejected from a parish in south Wales, became pastor of a society of dissenters at Marshfield. George Seal appears to have been succeeded by Robert Paterson, followed by Angel Shapland, who died in 1748. The next minister was Evan Thomas and it was during his ministry that the congregation raised funds to erect the meeting house.
The meeting house was completed in 1752 and the foundation stone declared the building was erected '…not for schismatical or heretical separation, not as a source of bigotry and superstition, but for the establishment of principles quite the reverse: a super-structure built for the upholding of no unchristian faction, in opposition to no Christian command, in defiance of no Protestant royal authority,but for promoting pure religion, the glory of God, and the happiness of mankind…'
Unitarian worship was illegal in 1752 but the absence from the inscription to any allusion to doctrines such as the Trinity, and its references to the avoidance of bigotry, the happiness of mankind and (later on in the inscription) to liberty of conscience, indicate the congregation’s Unitarian sentiments.
The meeting house was completed in 1752 and the foundation stone declared the building was erected '…not for schismatical or heretical separation, not as a source of bigotry and superstition, but for the establishment of principles quite the reverse: a super-structure built for the upholding of no unchristian faction, in opposition to no Christian command, in defiance of no Protestant royal authority,but for promoting pure religion, the glory of God, and the happiness of mankind…'
Unitarian worship was illegal in 1752 but the absence from the inscription to any allusion to doctrines such as the Trinity, and its references to the avoidance of bigotry, the happiness of mankind and (later on in the inscription) to liberty of conscience, indicate the congregation’s Unitarian sentiments.
In the earlier nineteenth century the Marshfield congregation declined, and the cause would have perished had it not been for the Somerset, Gloucester and Wiltshire Unitarian Missionary Association. In 1825 the Association engaged Henry Hawkes, a Glasgow student, as minister. Then Rev. Samuel Martin, a missionary in Devon and Cornwall, was persuaded to take over. These ministers more than doubled the congregation and established a Sunday-school, a Fellowship Fund and a Library. Shortly after, however, Rev. Martin was called to ministry at Trowbridge, and the congregation again lacked a settled minister. The chapel was thereafter served for a time by lay preachers from Bristol and Bath including, from the 1840s to the late 1850s, James Jeffery of the Bath Unitarian Trim Street Chapel. The last minister was Rev. John Shearman, formerly of the Montague Street Unitarian mission in Bristol. The meeting house was closed in 1886.
The building was bought by the Anglican Church and thereafter served a variety of community uses before, after the end of the First World War being bought (with the aid of a government grant and a private loan) for Marshfield ex-servicemen. In the early 1930s ownership and responsibility for the infrastructure was passed to the Royal British Legion. The Bath Unitarian Fellowship resumed worship there in 2008 but unfortunately in 2013 the Old Meeting building was sold by the Royal British Legion. The Unitarian congregation continued to meet, initially at the Unitarian church in Trowbridge, before moving to Barrow Castle on the hills south of Bath.
The building was bought by the Anglican Church and thereafter served a variety of community uses before, after the end of the First World War being bought (with the aid of a government grant and a private loan) for Marshfield ex-servicemen. In the early 1930s ownership and responsibility for the infrastructure was passed to the Royal British Legion. The Bath Unitarian Fellowship resumed worship there in 2008 but unfortunately in 2013 the Old Meeting building was sold by the Royal British Legion. The Unitarian congregation continued to meet, initially at the Unitarian church in Trowbridge, before moving to Barrow Castle on the hills south of Bath.
