Bethel Strict Baptist Chapel, Robertsbridge
Encyclopedia
Bethel Strict Baptist Chapel (also described as Bethel Calvinist Chapel) is a former place of worship for Strict Baptists
in Robertsbridge
, a village in the district of Rother
in the English county of East Sussex
. Partly hidden behind ancient buildings on the village High Street, the simple brick chapel was erected in 1842 on the initiative of James Weller, a "somewhat remarkable man" whose preaching had attracted large audiences across Kent
and East Sussex in the previous decade. The Strict Baptist cause was historically strong in East Sussex, and Protestant
Nonconformism
thrived in Robertsbridge, which was distant from the nearest Anglican
parish church
. The chapel closed in about 1999 and permission was granted for its conversion into a house. English Heritage
has listed it at Grade II for its architectural and historical importance.
, mentioned in the Domesday survey
of 1086, had an extensive parish
spanning the River Rother. There was no settlement at Robertsbridge, 1 miles (1.6 km) southwest of Salehurst village, until after 1210, when a Cistercian abbey
founded in 1176 moved there from its site further up the valley. By the 14th century, Robertsbridge was by far the larger village. There was no place of worship serving the Established Church, though: a chapel associated with the abbey was last recorded in 1567 and was probably demolished soon afterwards, and the parish church
remained in Salehurst. In 1676, when a religious census was taken, Salehurst parish was found to have the second highest number of Nonconformists (28) of any parish in the area: it was behind only Rye
, whose Nonconformist population was increased by refugees from continental Europe. (In England, people and ministers who worshipped outside the Church of England
but were not part of the Roman Catholic Church were historically known as Nonconformists
or Dissenter
s. Nonconformism became officially recognised after the Act of Uniformity 1662
.)
Many Nonconformist denominations thrived in Sussex from the 17th century, some of which overlapped, merged and changed their ecclesiology
over time. Calvinistic
causes were particularly popular, especially in East Sussex. Belief in predestination
and the salvation
of a chosen group (the doctrine of limited atonement
) were shared across all Calvinistic groups, but Strict Baptists
also hold the view that communion is only to be taken by those who have become members of the Church through baptism. In 1809, Jacob Martell—a member of the Independent Calvinistic Cade Street Chapel near Heathfield—adopted these views and was ejected from that church. He moved to Burwash and founded a Strict Baptist chapel in 1810. Six years later, Shover's Green Baptist Chapel
was established by former members of the Burwash congregation.
James Weller came to Burwash in 1838 as a 31-year-old preacher who had been a prominent figure in the Strict Baptist cause in Kent
throughout the 1830s. Born in Headcorn
, he became a poor farmer and was baptised into the Church of England
. In about 1828, during a serious illness, he experienced a spiritual conversion and adopted Calvinistic Baptist beliefs. He was re-baptised at King Street Chapel in Maidstone
in 1831. Over the next few years, he preached regularly at chapels in Frittenden
, Smarden
, Headcorn and (from 1837) at the Shover's Green chapel. The following year, he went to its parent church at Burwash; his growing reputation meant he continued to visit chapels across East Sussex and Kent, where he drew large crowds.
In his "curious little autobiography" called The Wonders of Free Grace, as Manifested in the Life of James Weller, Minister of the Gospel, Bethel Chapel, Robertsbridge (1844), Weller described his concerns at the running of the Burwash chapel, and in 1842 he had the opportunity to establish his own chapel when a friend, James Caffyn, offered him a house on the High Street in Robertsbridge which he could turn into a place of worship. This included a lease
for 50 years and an annual maintenance fund of £10. The first stone
of the chapel, "half hidden behind a shop and a cottage", was laid on 1 November 1842. Weller officially left the chapel at Burwash in January 1843, and Bethel Strict Baptist Chapel opened on 17 January 1843. Weller noted that he preached to a very large congregation, but that he "was sorely tried the whole of the day with [his] own debts and those of the chapel". It was common in Sussex for chapels to be built for the benefit of particular preachers rather than because the local populace demanded one, and in the chapel's early years many members of the congregation were drawn from the chapel at Burwash rather than from Robertsbridge village.
Bethel Chapel was constituted (officially formed into a church) in August 1844. Weller's ill health and debt problems continued, and he died in 1847. In his History of Salehurst, Leonard Hodson notes that while he was a "somewhat remarkable man", he was more of a "dreamer" than a practical man and his philosophy was that of a "mystical Micawber". Nevertheless, his preaching was influential: its effect on the wife of the Mayor of Rye
caused a spiritual conversion which led to her becoming a Baptist and founding the Bethel Strict Baptist Chapel at Rye, which is still in use.
George Stedman became the pastor at the Robertsbridge chapel in 1848 and continued until 1881; in 1864, during his pastorate, the chapel became aligned to the Gospel Standard
Baptist movement. No other full-time pastor led the chapel after Stedman's death, and it declined in the early 20th century. There was a revival from 1940, when it was reconstituted and regular worship recommenced, and the congregation still met as late as 1996, but in October 1999 planning permission
was granted to convert the chapel into a house.
Bethel Chapel was listed at Grade II by English Heritage
on 13 May 1987. This defines it as a "nationally important" building of "special interest". As of February 2001, it was one of 1,991 Grade II listed buildings, and 2,106 listed buildings of all grades, in the district of Rother.
", "rich and fruity" neighbouring Congregational Church
of 1881. Weller's chapel was built in 1842, as indicated on the carved stone tablet placed high on the west-facing gable
. This elevation is of red brick and has two wooden-framed windows with pointed arches containing -tracery
. The sides of the building are hung with red tiles, and the roof has slate tiles. The entrance is set below a gabled hood mould
.
Inside, a memorial tablet set into one of the walls commemorated James Weller, who died on 12 September 1847. A Biblical quote, "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord", concluded the epitaph. George Stedman, the second preacher (d. 2 January 1881), and Christopher Sharp (d. 25 January 1890), another man associated with the chapel's early history, were commemorated together on another stone. James Caffyn (d. 23 October 1894), who gave the site for the chapel, and his two daughters also had a monumental inscription; the children, who died in infancy, were buried in a grave nearby.
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...
in Robertsbridge
Robertsbridge
Robertsbridge is a village in East Sussex, England within the civil parish of Salehurst and Robertsbridge. It is approximately 10 miles north of Hastings and 13 miles south-east of Tunbridge Wells...
, a village in the district of Rother
Rother
Rother is a local government district in East Sussex, England. The district is named after the River Rother which flows within its boundaries.-History:...
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:...
. Partly hidden behind ancient buildings on the village High Street, the simple brick chapel was erected in 1842 on the initiative of James Weller, a "somewhat remarkable man" whose preaching had attracted large audiences across Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
and East Sussex in the previous decade. The Strict Baptist cause was historically strong in East Sussex, and 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...
Nonconformism
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:...
thrived in Robertsbridge, which was distant from the nearest Anglican
Church 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...
parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
. The chapel closed in about 1999 and permission was granted for its conversion into 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 it at Grade II for its architectural and historical importance.
History
The ancient village of SalehurstSalehurst
Salehurst is a village in the Rother District of East Sussex, England, within the civil parish of Salehurst and Robertsbridge. It lies immediately to the north-east of the larger village of Robertsbridge, on a minor road; it is approximately thirteen miles north of Hastings, just east of the A21...
, mentioned in the Domesday survey
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086, had an extensive parish
Salehurst and Robertsbridge
Salehurst and Robertsbridge is a civil parish in East Sussex, England. The parish lies entirely within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty .The parish includes the villages of Robertsbridge, Salehurst and Northbridge Street.-External links:* *...
spanning the River Rother. There was no settlement at Robertsbridge, 1 miles (1.6 km) southwest of Salehurst village, until after 1210, when a Cistercian abbey
Robertsbridge Abbey
Robertsbridge Abbey was a Cistercian abbey in Robertsbridge, East Sussex, England. It was founded in 1176 by the Abbot, Robert de St Martin. The abbey was dissolved in 1538.-External links:*...
founded in 1176 moved there from its site further up the valley. By the 14th century, Robertsbridge was by far the larger village. There was no place of worship serving the Established Church, though: a chapel associated with the abbey was last recorded in 1567 and was probably demolished soon afterwards, and the parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
remained in Salehurst. In 1676, when a religious census was taken, Salehurst parish was found to have the second highest number of Nonconformists (28) of any parish in the area: it was behind only Rye
Rye, East Sussex
Rye is a small town in East Sussex, England, which stands approximately two miles from the open sea and is at the confluence of three rivers: the Rother, the Tillingham and the Brede...
, whose Nonconformist population was increased by refugees from continental Europe. (In England, people and ministers who worshipped outside the Church of England
Church 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...
but were not part of the Roman Catholic Church were historically known as Nonconformists
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:...
or Dissenter
Dissenter
The term dissenter , labels one who disagrees in matters of opinion, belief, etc. In the social and religious history of England and Wales, however, it refers particularly to a member of a religious body who has, for one reason or another, separated from the Established Church.Originally, the term...
s. Nonconformism became officially recognised after the Act of Uniformity 1662
Act of Uniformity 1662
The Act of Uniformity was an Act of the Parliament of England, 13&14 Ch.2 c. 4 ,The '16 Charles II c. 2' nomenclature is reference to the statute book of the numbered year of the reign of the named King in the stated chapter...
.)
Many Nonconformist denominations thrived in Sussex from the 17th century, some of which overlapped, merged and changed their ecclesiology
Ecclesiology
Today, ecclesiology usually refers to the theological study of the Christian church. However when the word was coined in the late 1830s, it was defined as the science of the building and decoration of churches and it is still, though rarely, used in this sense.In its theological sense, ecclesiology...
over time. Calvinistic
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
causes were particularly popular, especially in East Sussex. Belief in predestination
Predestination (Calvinism)
The Calvinistic doctrine of predestination is a doctrine of Calvinism which deals with the question of the control God exercises over the world...
and the salvation
Salvation
Within religion salvation is the phenomenon of being saved from the undesirable condition of bondage or suffering experienced by the psyche or soul that has arisen as a result of unskillful or immoral actions generically referred to as sins. Salvation may also be called "deliverance" or...
of a chosen group (the doctrine of limited atonement
Limited atonement
Limited atonement is a doctrine in Christian theology which is particularly associated with the Reformed tradition and is one of the five points of Calvinism...
) were shared across all Calvinistic groups, but 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...
also hold the view that communion is only to be taken by those who have become members of the Church through baptism. In 1809, Jacob Martell—a member of the Independent Calvinistic Cade Street Chapel near Heathfield—adopted these views and was ejected from that church. He moved to Burwash and founded a Strict Baptist chapel in 1810. Six years later, Shover's Green Baptist Chapel
Shover's Green Baptist Chapel
Shover's Green Baptist Chapel is a former Strict Baptist place of worship in the hamlet of Shover's Green in East Sussex, England. Shover's Green is in Wealden, one of six local government districts in the English county of East Sussex, and stands on the road between the market town of Wadhurst...
was established by former members of the Burwash congregation.
James Weller came to Burwash in 1838 as a 31-year-old preacher who had been a prominent figure in the Strict Baptist cause in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
throughout the 1830s. Born in Headcorn
Headcorn
Headcorn is a village and civil parish in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. The parish is located on the floodplain of the River Beult south east of Maidstone....
, he became a poor farmer and was baptised into the Church of England
Church 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...
. In about 1828, during a serious illness, he experienced a spiritual conversion and adopted Calvinistic Baptist beliefs. He was re-baptised at King Street Chapel in Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
in 1831. Over the next few years, he preached regularly at chapels in Frittenden
Frittenden
Frittenden is a village and civil parish in the Tunbridge Wells District of Kent, England. The parish is located on the flood plain of one of the tributaries of the River Medway, 15 miles to the east of Tunbridge Wells: the village is three miles south of Headcorn. It is in a very rural...
, Smarden
Smarden
Smarden is a civil parish and village, west of Ashford in Kent, South East England.The village has The Church of St. Michael which because of its high scissor beam roof is sometimes known as "The Barn of Kent"....
, Headcorn and (from 1837) at the Shover's Green chapel. The following year, he went to its parent church at Burwash; his growing reputation meant he continued to visit chapels across East Sussex and Kent, where he drew large crowds.
In his "curious little autobiography" called The Wonders of Free Grace, as Manifested in the Life of James Weller, Minister of the Gospel, Bethel Chapel, Robertsbridge (1844), Weller described his concerns at the running of the Burwash chapel, and in 1842 he had the opportunity to establish his own chapel when a friend, James Caffyn, offered him a house on the High Street in Robertsbridge which he could turn into a place of worship. This included a lease
Lease
A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the lessee to pay the lessor for use of an asset. A rental agreement is a lease in which the asset is tangible property...
for 50 years and an annual maintenance fund of £10. The first stone
Cornerstone
The cornerstone concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or...
of the chapel, "half hidden behind a shop and a cottage", was laid on 1 November 1842. Weller officially left the chapel at Burwash in January 1843, and Bethel Strict Baptist Chapel opened on 17 January 1843. Weller noted that he preached to a very large congregation, but that he "was sorely tried the whole of the day with [his] own debts and those of the chapel". It was common in Sussex for chapels to be built for the benefit of particular preachers rather than because the local populace demanded one, and in the chapel's early years many members of the congregation were drawn from the chapel at Burwash rather than from Robertsbridge village.
Bethel Chapel was constituted (officially formed into a church) in August 1844. Weller's ill health and debt problems continued, and he died in 1847. In his History of Salehurst, Leonard Hodson notes that while he was a "somewhat remarkable man", he was more of a "dreamer" than a practical man and his philosophy was that of a "mystical Micawber". Nevertheless, his preaching was influential: its effect on the wife of the Mayor of Rye
Rye, East Sussex
Rye is a small town in East Sussex, England, which stands approximately two miles from the open sea and is at the confluence of three rivers: the Rother, the Tillingham and the Brede...
caused a spiritual conversion which led to her becoming a Baptist and founding the Bethel Strict Baptist Chapel at Rye, which is still in use.
George Stedman became the pastor at the Robertsbridge chapel in 1848 and continued until 1881; in 1864, during his pastorate, the chapel became aligned to the Gospel Standard
Gospel Standard
The Gospel Standard is a Strict Baptist magazine first published in 1835 by John Gadsby. The current editor is Benjamin Ashworth Ramsbottom....
Baptist movement. No other full-time pastor led the chapel after Stedman's death, and it declined in the early 20th century. There was a revival from 1940, when it was reconstituted and regular worship recommenced, and the congregation still met as late as 1996, but in October 1999 planning permission
Planning permission
Planning permission or planning consent is the permission required in the United Kingdom in order to be allowed to build on land, or change the use of land or buildings. Within the UK the occupier of any land or building will need title to that land or building , but will also need "planning...
was granted to convert the chapel into a house.
Bethel Chapel 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 13 May 1987. This defines it as a "nationally important" building of "special interest". As of February 2001, it was one of 1,991 Grade II listed buildings, and 2,106 listed buildings of all grades, in the district of Rother.
Architecture and description
Bethel Chapel is "an excellent example of the unobtrusive good taste of the Strict Baptists' chapel style", and its "quaint" appearance contrasts with the "very VictorianVictorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
", "rich and fruity" neighbouring Congregational Church
Robertsbridge United Reformed Church
Robertsbridge United Reformed Church is a United Reformed Church place of worship in Robertsbridge, a village in the district of Rother in the English county of East Sussex...
of 1881. Weller's chapel was built in 1842, as indicated on the carved stone tablet placed high on the west-facing 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...
. This elevation is of red brick and has two wooden-framed windows with pointed arches containing -tracery
Tracery
In architecture, Tracery is the stonework elements that support the glass in a Gothic window. The term probably derives from the 'tracing floors' on which the complex patterns of late Gothic windows were laid out.-Plate tracery:...
. The sides of the building are hung with red tiles, and the roof has slate tiles. The entrance is set below a gabled hood mould
Hood mould
In architecture, a hood mould, also called a label mould or dripstone, is an external moulded projection from a wall over an opening to throw off rainwater...
.
Inside, a memorial tablet set into one of the walls commemorated James Weller, who died on 12 September 1847. A Biblical quote, "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord", concluded the epitaph. George Stedman, the second preacher (d. 2 January 1881), and Christopher Sharp (d. 25 January 1890), another man associated with the chapel's early history, were commemorated together on another stone. James Caffyn (d. 23 October 1894), who gave the site for the chapel, and his two daughters also had a monumental inscription; the children, who died in infancy, were buried in a grave nearby.