Meeting Houses

Background to Meeting Houses After 1660, Protestant believers who formed congregations outside the Church of England were commonly referred to as Dissenters or Non-conformists. They could be Quakers, Baptists, Presbyterians or Congregationalists. They and the Methodists who came later would gather in Meeting Houses. The Act of Toleration (1689) permitted freedom of worship to Dissenters, but required them to register their meeting houses with the local Quarter Sessions, the bishops or the archdeacons.

This index of the Meeting Houses, for non-conformist services, gives the name of the person seeking permission to hold the services (usually in part of his property) and the village. Volume 3 starting in 1789 lists several people applying for permission to hold services in a particular property, name of the occupier, if it is a new building, sometimes giving the street and some occupations and status are given. Forenames have been expanded if contracted, and modernised as are Place names but all Surnames are spelt as in the documents.

No records survive for the years 1708-1736.

FORENAME	SURNAME	STATUS	PLACE	YEAR
Edward	SMYTH		Burton Latimer	1706
John	JAMES		Burton Latimer	1707
Elizabeth	ROBINSON		Burton Latimer	1741
Edward	WOOD		Burton Latimer	1745
John	FOX		Burton Latimer	1776
William	VORLEY		Burton Latimer	1776
William	VORLEY	occupier	Burton Latimer	1776
David	PATRICK	occupier	Burton Latimer	1820
Thomas Harrison	WALKER	occupier	Burton Latimer	1821
Edward	COOK	occupier	Burton Latimer	1828

A register of meeting houses certificates, certified and registered from 1813-28
1820	A dwelling house in the occupation of David Patrick, 15 April, certified and registered 15th May
1821	A certain building with yard adjoining in the occupation of Thomas Harrison Walker, certified and registered 25th May.
1828	The Dwelling in occupation of Edward Cook, certified and registered 1st November.