CHRISTCHURCH

23 October, 2011 CHRISTCHURCH

Tetbury Families

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In the reign of King Charles II there is a reference in Domestic State papers for 1672, an entry licensing Jonathon Smith of Tedbery, to use his house as a place of worship. A reference in the Parish Registers between 1822-37 mentions a church formed in 1698.

The Presbyterian Building - see Chipping Steps Burial ground

In January 1857 Thomas Page of Hanham was invited to occupy the pulpit on probation for the month, and on 5 February a letter was sent inviting him to become the new pastor. He conducted his first meeting on 27 March 1857 and preached from Romans 15 v.30.

Land in The Chipping was purchased by the church for £160, from Henry Witchell. The foundation stone was laid on 23 May 1861. After the buildings completion the old chapel at the bottom of Chipping Steps became a burial ground for the Congregationalists from 1864-1945. A note in the chapel’s register indicates that the new building opened on 2 September 1862.

On 10 March 1901 a fire during morning worship was quickly dealt with by the Tetbury fire brigade.

In 1992 The Tetbury Congregationalists (or United Reformed Church, as the congregational movement joined with the URC nationally in 1972) and Methodists joined together to make the church known today as Christ Church.


	left: location of the Church c.1899 - the long building to the left of the Independent Chapel marker, note also the BG to the top R corner of the map, indicating the site of the earlier chapel.




	left: The church as it was around the time of the map, photographed here in about 1890. above: virtually the same view over 100 years later. Photo © Lynne Cleaver 2006

MINISTERS

with dates of service in Tetbury

Rev James Gough 1821-1830

[Polling list of 1830s lists him as ‘minister of independent chapel, entitled to annual rent of 40s, issuing out of freehold house’ the tenant was William Lamb]

Rev R Collins 1851

[listed in The Evangelical magazine and missionary chronicle, Volume 33 January 1855 ‘The Rev. R Collins who for 13 years was pastor of the Independent church in Tetbury has accepted an unanimous invitation from the church at Stockbridge, HAM’]

Thomas Page March 1857-

[1859 directory lists Rev T Page, Cotwells; 1863 directory lists Rev T Page The Chipping]

George Slatter 1869-1874

Rev Jarvis Grosvenor 1876

Rev T Wesley Brown 1881-1885

Rev Pearson Cooper 1890-1897

[1897 accepted move to Leominster, HEF]

Rev R Crew -1967

[moved from Tetbury group of churches to Wakefield group]




	above: Opening page of the Register book of the Independent church.




		above: Account of Thomas Page’s first service on 27 March 1857 as reported in the Register Book [left]


	left: Report of Rev Pearson Coopers ordination from the Cheltenham Examiner 14 May 1890



			above: Announcement of Rev Pearson Coopers appointment 26 February 1890 [Cheltenham Examiner]

SOURCES & RESOURCES

Cheltenham Examiner 26 February 1890 and 14 May 1890

VCH Gloucestershire Vol 11 available on line

Gloucestershire Archives doc.reference D6026-11/1

Document images reproduced with permission of Gloucestershire Archives.


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