Development of Mainly Protestant Churches
in Hull to 1965


General Background

1643 to 1649: Westminster Assembly of 121 ministers and 30 lay Members of Parliament. Some saw it as a national assembly of a Reformed Church, others as advising the House of Commons. Its Presbyterian and Calvinist members would behave like an assembly but Parliament would not give it such powers. Included ten plus Independents and others who frustrated Presbyterian designs.
1643: Solemn League and Covenant - quest for uniform Church policy for England and Scotland
1645: August Book of Common Prayer forbidden although some memorise, use partially: Directory of Public Worship replaced it.
1645: Parliament ordered presbyteries throughout the land but refused it unrestricted right of excommunicating - needed clear offences or parliamentary commissioners. Westminster Assembly petitioned against but elders could still appeal to a parliamentary committee.
1646: Implementation but failed to work except in London, Lancashire, Derbyshire and then inconsistently. Assembly also tried to move 39 Articles in Calvinist direction and the Westminster Confession.
From 1645: In effect the Army ran much of the country and took upon itself religious liberties; 1647 clear rival for parliamentary power. Presbyterians opposed the death of the King; his death and rise of toleration with exclusion of Episcopacy and Roman Catholicism.
1649: Cromwell crushes Irish rising with no toleration; Scottish rising crused at Dunbar 1650 and Worcestor 1651. Leaves Cromwell powerful enough to dissolve Long Parliament
1652: Originally dedicated without permission to James I of England, Socinian Racovian Catechism burnt by order of Parliament.
1653: Cromwell as Lord Protector and Barebones Parliament; Committee of Triers 33 ministers and 10 laymen had power for fitness of ministers, of mainly Independents, some Presbyterians and a few Baptists. Lay Commissioners of 15 to 30 laymen in each county could recommend ejecting ministers and schoolmasters to 8 to 10 clerical assessors. Baxter, who'd rejected earlier Presbyterian system, approved of its working. Epicopalians acceptable for appointments so long as they did not use the Prayer Book. Independent congregations in cathedrals, some ministers elected by congregations and some chosen by patrons.
1660: Restoration but not the Star Chamber of High Commission (a Lutheran style court exercising royal supremacy); High Anglican Parliament and very conservative. Prayer book entrenched
1662: The Great Ejection.
1672: Declaration of Indulgence
1673: Withdrawal of the Declaration of Indulgence
1687: Declaration of Indulgence
1689: Toleration Act


Developments in Hull

PRESBYTERIANS

1640s: Hull, active group of Puritan clergy within the Established Church
1650s: John Shawe, Presbyterian preacher, lecturer at Holy Trinity preached in the nave. Independents worshipped in the chancel.
1662: Shawe ejected
1664?: Shawe left Presbyterians
1664: Mr. Anderson, minister, 'a dangerous person and a concealed Presbyterian', in Hull and Presbyterian preacher named Thornberry.
1669: The year when Presbyterians in the nave and Independents in the chancel were both removed from Holy Trinity (source: URC at Chanterlands Avenue website).
1672: Joseph Wilson, Presbyterian, ejected from Hessle parish church, was licensed to preach in Hull and Newland and did at Richard Barnes's house and at a new meeting house in Blackfriargate.
1679: Wilson died
1679: 679 families Holy Trinity parish 38 Presbyterian
1679: 330 families in St. Mary's parish 30 mostly Presbyterian.
1679: Presbyterian minister Samuel Charles, ejected from Mickleover (Derbys.) 1662. One meeting possibly already in Bowlalley Lane.
1682: Earl of Plymouth, governor, ordered the suppression of Independent and Presbyterian congregations.
1683: Charles was caught in and imprisoned for six months. After imprisonment Charles despatched to Welton under the Five Mile Act.
1683?: John Robinson, the elder of the Independents, and Christopher Fawthorp, on whose land the Bowlalley Lane Presbyterian chapel was later to be built, called before the corporation.
1691 or 1692: the Bowlalley Lane Presbyterian chapel built.
1693: Charles died.
Early 1700s: Thomas Wallis's house, for Jonathon Bielby as preacher.
1705: Joseph Sutton's house
1709: Sarah Jackson's house.
1713: George Bielby's house.
Outside Hull itself several other houses registered:
1709: Margaret Dent's at Newland.
1713: John Peacock's at Stoneferry.
1713: Robert Plaxton's at Sculcoates.
1719: Thomas Rogers' at Sutton.
1722: John Spivy's at Sutton: Independent or Presbyterian.
1743: Presbyterians met once a week at Bowlalley Lane with about 300 people.
1743: Sculcoates parish: 88 families: 5 Presbyterian.
1838: Presbyterians met
1841: United Presbyterians acquired the 'Old' Dagger Lane chapel where Hull Independents ended by 1783. They soon go on to purchase the premises.
1866: Andrew Jukes forced by ill-health and finance to give up a new Presbyterian congregation that moves 1868 to former Free Church of England Prospect Street.
1875: Dagger Lane replaced by Spring Bank; Holderness Road and Anlaby Road new churches.
1931: St. Ninian's, Chanterlands Avenue, replaces Spring Bank.
1939: Four chapels remaining.
Second World War: Presbyterians lost two chapels; afterwards replaced both, including a new church, and so still had four congregations.

INDEPENDENTS

1643: Produced a separated congregation including Robert Luddington Vicar of Sculcoates
1650s: John Canne preached Independents in the chancel of Holy Trinity Church.
1662: Canne and Shawe were ejected.
1669: Richard Astley came to Hull Independents 55 members.
1672: Richard Astley, Independent, ejected from Blackrode (Lancs.), was licensed to preach at John Robinson's house and Thomas Oliver preached at John Marr's house at Newland.
1677: Astley's congregation shrank down to one.
1682: Earl of Plymouth, governor, ordered the suppression of Independent and Presbyterian congregations; Astley escaped.
1689: Toleration Act from which Independents recovered numbers.
1696: Astley died.
1698: New chapel Independents, in Dagger Lane; 113 members.
1679: 679 families Holy Trinity parish 29 Independent.
1743: Independents, met twice on Sundays Dagger Lane, about 200, and once each alternate Wednesday with 100.
1743: Sculcoates parish: 88 families: 9 Independent. Sutton 80 families: 7 families Independent
All three Congregational branches in Hull expanded.
Branch 1:
1827: Nile Street from Fish Street
1833: Cogan Street from Fish Street.
1842: Albion Street from Fish Street James Sibree minister at Nile Street and Cogan Street for fifty years Christopher Newman Hall minister at Albion Street until 1854; George Lambert (1769 - 1816), a founder of the London Missionary Society, Thomas Stratten, minister at Fish Street (in ecclesiastical controversy in Hull in 1834)
Branch 2:
1830: Holborn Street was built for Ebenezer Morley, son of Hope Street's minister John Morley (1801-50).
Branch 3:
1826: Sykes Street built from Ebenezer Chapel/ 'New' Dagger Lane; Sykes Street built by Samuel Lane, the minister at Ebenezer, soon went to Mariners' Church Society (C. of E.).
1842: Osborne Street from Ebenezer Chapel/ 'New' Dagger Lane; Samuel Lane used Osborne Street after Nile Street.
Congregationalists (Independents' new name):
1898: Fish Street closed
1899: Fish Street Memorial, Prince's Avenue, opened.
1904: Hope Street replaced by Newland, Beverley Road.
1914: Cogan Street to Judaism.
1939: The Congregationalists had five remaining churches: at Albion Street, Beverley Road, Prince's Avenue, Hessle Road, and Reckitt Garden Village.
Second World War: Congregationalists lost two chapels; afterwards one new building.
1964: Five congregations.

QUAKERS

1650s: Quakers met with families formed from Holmes, Garbutt, Crowther, Staveley, Netleton, in Hull Ellerker in Sutton; Lyth in Marfleet
1660: Six were expelled in and imprisoned for fifteen weeks on return.
1661: Crowd bullying Quakers.
1661: Hull Quakers told can meet outside the town, but arrested at Drypool and imprisoned.
1669: Hull and Sutton meetings were part of Owstwick Monthly Meeting; Hull meeting included both Marfleet and Newland.
1679: 679 families Holy Trinity parish 5 Quaker
1683 onwards: Sutton combined with Hornsea.
Late 1600s: Twenty Hull Quakers.
At least 1709: Quaker meeting in Lowgate, in St. Mary's.
1743: Quakers meet St. Mary's twice on Sundays 45, once Thursdays with 15.
1743: Sculcoates parish no meeting-house; 88 families: 9 Independent, 5 Presbyterian, 4 Anabaptist, 3 Quaker. Sutton 80 families: 7 families Independent.
1852: Moved from Lowgate to Mason Street.
1887: Membership of 102.
c. 1920: Moved to Percy Street.

BAPTISTS

1717: a Baptist meeting-place registered.
1736: the Baptists began to meet in a tower of the former Pole family manor-house in Manor Alley; congregation of eighteen.
1743: 'Anabaptists' meet once a week Manor Alley, about 60 people.
1743: Sculcoates parish no meeting-house; 88 families: 4 Anabaptist.
1757: Manor Alley meeting-place for Baptists replaced by Salthouse Lane.
1765: Calvinists seceded with the minister, Robert Rutherford; John Beatson at Salthouse Lane.
1771: Opened a new chapel in Dagger Lane.
1772: A house registered for worship by Samuel Lyon and 5 others.
1781: Dagger Lane chapel fell into the Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion - minister joined the Church of England Succession of Independent, Calvinistic, ministers.
1788: William Clarkson and two others registered a room for Baptist worship in High Street.
1794: Salthouse Lane divided, nineteen with the probationer-minister. William Pendered to the Corn Exchange in North Church Side.
1795: Robert Blake and five others in High Street.
1796: George Street chapel opened.
1797: Samuel Barnard left Dagger Lane to establish the Hope Street church, founding an important branch of local Congregationalism. Later two ministers with Baptist sympathies in the early 19th century Salthouse Lane sole Baptist chapel.
1798: Robert Stainton and two others registering Mill Street Independent Baptist.
1799: 'Independent Baptist' William Hornsey and three others in Garden Street.
Particular Baptist congregations at Salthouse Lane and George Street.
1811: William Arbon became a Baptist and he and followers met in Princess Street. Arbon trained for Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion, at Ebenezer, Dagger Lane
1816: Salthouse Lane: William Arbon's congregation came in.
1822: Mason Street.
1823: William Arbon as minister; Osborne Street.
1866: Salthouse Lane replaced by South Street.
1866-8: (F. W. Smith) George Street: group seceded to Protestant Hall and others joined Prospect Street Presbyterian church; Smith became Unitarian minister in 1868
1890: Beverley Road seceded from George Street.
1903: South Street moved to Boulevard.
1903: George Street united with Beverley Road to form the new Central Church.
1938: Central Church closed for Chanterlands Avenue.
1899 to 1929: Four new churches.
1938: Mission at Marfleet opened
1939: Holderness Road, Courtney Street and Marfleet remained.
1903: Union of Trafalgar Street and George Street - 850 sittings.
1906: Then Beverley Road, Trafalgar Street or Central Church opened. It was designed by G. Baines & Son of London in a simplified Gothic style, and built with a flint facade and red-brick dressings at a cost of £9,000.
1938: Central Church closed and became an undenominational church.
After 1945: Baptists opened one new church; had six congregations.

UNITARIAN (AND RELATED)

1743: Presbyterians met once a week Bowlalley Lane about 300 people.
1757: John Beverley and Bowlalley Lane Unitarian...
1767: Dagger Lane Independent minister appointed John Burnett: a Presbyterian and Arian.
1769: 11 seceded to build a chapel in Blanket Row, replaced in 1782 by Fish Street.
1783: Dagger Lane minister Robert Green, Swedenborgian.
1807: George Street: James Lyons announced his movement towards Unitarianism' - he left with others.
1808: General Assembly of General Baptist Churches added in Robert Blake's group.
1811: Unitarian Society reported in that Blake's congregation had dispersed. Unitarian Baptist New Dock Street at Ebenezer, Dagger Lane, Congregational chapel.
1834: Unitarians Number of churches and chapels 1 Number of sittings 500 Average Sunday attendance 300 Number of regular communicants 60 Number of Sunday-school children 120.
1845: George Street: John Pulsford left with 70 members to meet as Unitarian Baptist in Nile Street and then South Street.
1851: Denominationist Unitarians: Number of churches 1 Number of sittings 490 Attendance morning 155 evening 130.
1881: Unitarians shared in the movement to the suburbs when Park Street replaced Bowlalley Lane, built no other chapels.

METHODIST

1746: Elizabeth Blow, from Grimsby, a convert of Wesley, came to Hull and converted a couple called Medforth; Meetings held in Medforth house in the Back Ropery, and later in Butchery.
1752: John Wesley visited Hull, attending Holy Trinity Church and in the evening preached to a large crowd at Myton Carr ending in mob pursuing Wesley into the town. Methodists moved into the King's Manor tower vacated by the Baptists.
1761: Wesley said in Hull 'some witnesses of the great salvation'.
1764, 1766, and 1770: Wesley preached in Hull.
1772, 1774: Wesley at new Manor Alley chapel.
1777, 1779, 1781, 1782, 1784: Wesley preached in Hull.
1786: Wesley at Holy Trinity Church.
1788: Wesley also at the new George Yard chapel, 'exceeded all the morning congregations I had then seen'.
1790: Wesley's final visit.
1791: 'Signal Gun from Hull'. Thomas Thompson, a local preacher, the first Methodist M.P., also signed by Richard Terry, of Newland, wrote 'The Gun', a letter sent from Hull to Methodists all over the country. Both led Methodism in Hull. Letter said if Methodism parted from the Church of England it would 'dwindle away into a dry, dull, separate party'.
1797: Alexander Kilham formed the Methodist New Connexion. Hull group Met at first in Dagger Lane.
1799: the first New Connexion chapel was opened in North Street.
1804: Wesleyan Methodists: Scott Street; first of 15 chapels
1804: William Clowes Primitive preacher, Hull potter and left.
1806: Independent Methodists: seceded.
1819: William Clowes returned as a Primitive missioner
1819: North Street warehouse of Richard Woolhouse used for Primitives.
1819: Built Primitive chapel in Mill Street.
1819: Wincolmlee, building belonging to Edward Taylor Primitive.
1820: Primitive Methodist membership doubled.
1820: Primitive Methodist Conference in Hull.
1826: Independent Methodists: single chapel in Hull, was Baptist in Osborne Street.
1836: Wesleyan Association: seceded.
1842: Last of Great Thornton Street.
1846: Wesleyan Association: acquired Sykes Street Congregational chapel).
1849: New Connexion Methodists: Beverley Road only extra chapel.
1849: Wesleyan Reformers seceded and met in three or four places.
1849: Great Thornton Street Primitive to challenge the Wesleyan chapel.
1850s: Half-a-dozen Primitive chapels were taken over or built by the mid-century.
1850s on: nearly 30 Wesleyan chapels and halls, about 20 Primitive chapels and halls, built or taken over, often one after the other.
1851: William Clowes buried in Hull.
1851: Jarratt Street chapel was opened in memory of William Clowes, larger than Great Thornton Street Wesleyan.
Methodists kept open inner causes as moved out. The Wesleyans even built three central halls of 2000 sittings each, an alternative to respectability in the suburban chapels.
1857: Wesleyan Association and the Wesleyan Reformers merged into the United Methodist Free Churches United.
1866: Campbell Street, built and Methodist Free Churches met there.
1869: New Connexion Methodists rebuilt Zion, Beverley Road, as main chapel.
1905: Queen's Hall in the newly-cut Alfred Gelder Street.
1907: Mainly Free Churches and the New Connexion merged into United Methodist Church and had HQ at Boulevard.
1909: Thornton Hall two years on after fire destroyed Great Thornton Street chapel.
1910: King's Hall built in Fountain Road. In suburbs school chapels first were followed by separate chapels.
1920: Suggested 13 out of 38 Primitive chapels over 100 years paid for.
1932: the Methodist Church from United Methodists, Primitives and the Wesleyans; it built four chapels in Hull before the Second World War.
1938: Independent Methodists continued in Goodwin Street up to then.
1939: About 50 Methodist chapels plus three central halls.
Second World War: Dozen Methodist chapels, including Thornton Hall, were destroyed or irreparably damaged. After the war rebuilding concentrated on newer suburbs
1960: New central hall replaced Queen's Hall; 8 new buildings plus Central Hall.
1964: More than 30 chapels and halls in use.

All (Growth)

1851 to 1881: Total church attendance up by 57%.
Church of England up 12%.
Roman Catholics up 17%.
Wesleyan Methodists up 54%.
Primitives up 75%.
Presbyterian increase 900% with small numbers involved.
New Connexion down 12%.
Free Church Methodists down 12%.
Baptists down 25%.
Independents down 32%.
Brethren down 86%.
Day-schools from Congregationalists and Wesleyans.
1837: First Day-school.
1850: Second Day-school.
1860s and 1870s: Five added.
Libraries
1716: Bequest of books to Bowlalley Lane Presbyterian chapel
1866: Wesleyan at Waltham Street had 1,800 books.

OTHERS

Elim Church (Each replaces other)
1920s: Elim Church established.
1923: Spring Bank registered.
1923 to 1926: Jameson Street.
1926 to 1934: Mason Street registered.
1934/ 1935: Hessle Road, City Temple: the former Primitive Methodist chapel, reopened in 1935.
Free Church of England
1843: St. John's Street: the 'Wilberforce Room' used by Andrew Jukes and replaced by Baker Street.
At least 1844 to 1848: The congregation belonged to the Brethren.
1844: Baker Street: the 'New Room', opened 330 sittings.
1866: Prospect Street: St. John the Evangelist's Church registered and replaces Baker Street; designed by A. D. Gough of London in the Gothic style and built entirely of stone.
1868: Free Church of England died out. St. John the Evangelist's Church acquired by the Presbyterians.
Christadelphians
1912 to 1914: Story Street.
1929 to 1938: Charlotte Street, Hesketh Hall registered.
1938: Albion Street: registered.
1954: Albion Street ceased to be used.
1957: Chanterlands Avenue.
Christian Scientists
1902-3: Story Street (St. George's Hall) used.
1904: Queen's Road replaces
1905: Charlotte Street replaces.
1906-7: Albion Street replaces (Co-operative Educational Institute).
1908: Baker Street replaces; it was replaced by Field Street; it was replaced by Beverley Road.
1909: Beverley Road: and a Sunday school building was erected - 200 sittings. It was designed by M. Lenham and cost £387.
1921: An auditorium built in front of the school was opened - 400 sittings.
1923: Vestibule and frontage were added. The building is in red brick with a stone facade and cost £10,000.
1934: Holderness Road registered.
Assemblies of God
1926: Beverley Road, Glad Tidings Hall: the former Salvation Army hall, registered.
1918 to 1926: Beverley Road registered.
1924: Replaced by Beverley Road, Glad Tidings Hall. Caroline Place, Fig Tree Gospel Mission Room: registered
1930 to 1939: Sykes Street, Fig Tree Hall registered (replaces previous).
1939 to 1952: Waltham Street, Fig Tree Hall registered (replaces previous).
1952: Charles Street, Fig Tree Gospel Mission Hall registered.
Missions
1851 and 1939: 80 missions meeting-places, especially the Hull City Mission: a dozen were seamen's mission halls, especially Port of Hull Society.
Churches of God
In or about 1962: New denomination Wheeler Street - the former Methodist chapel taken over.
Churches of Christ
1909 to 1919: Clarendon Street used
1906 to 1913: Holderness Road registered.
Plus
1783: Dagger Lane minister Robert Green, Swedenborgian. The Swedenborgians continued until the Second World War.
1859 to 1924: The German Lutherans had their own chapel; Swedish and Finnish seamen's missions established. Danish Lutherans kept Osborne Street until the Second World War.
1881: Salvation Army origin; in 1881 William Booth himself helped to conduct well-attended meetings at a disused ice-house in Cambridge Street and at Hengler's Circus.
1866: First reference to the Brethren, after Jukes's brief association, but few meeting-places until the 1920s.
1877: The Catholic Apostolic Church. Day Street: registered from 1877 to 1903.
1897: Spiritualists first of several during the next 20 years, over 12 variously in the 1930s.
1903: Catholic Apostolic Church Day Street replaced by Wellington Lane.
Pre 1914: The Churches of Christ, the Christadelphians, the Seventh Day Adventists, and the Christian Scientists.
1916: Activity of International Bible Students' Association, forerunner of Jehovahs Witnesses.
1918: Pentecostal Churches, later Assemblies of God.
1930s: Activity of Apostolic Church and the Jehovah's Witnesses.
1934: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints built their own church.
Second World War: Danish Lutheran church destroyed. Afterwards the two Lutheran congregations were revived after the war, the Danish in a newly-erected building.
1965: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, built in in Holderness Road.


Source:

(1969) 'Protestant Nonconformity' from A History of the County of York East Riding: Volume 1, the City of Kingston Upon Hull, London: originally published by Victoria County History, Pages 311-330. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/yorks/east/vol1/pp311-330 [Accessed:Wednesday March 30 2016, 06:18].

 

Adrian Worsfold

Pluralist - Liberal and Thoughtful