Registration and Early Registration in Luton

In 1672 Charles II issued a Declaration of Toleration for Protestants dissenting from the Church of England; this had the effect of some dissenting meeting houses registering with the Secretary of State. The Toleration Act of 1689 enshrined the right of protestants to dissent from the Church of England and, once again, encouraged meeting houses to register voluntarily with local quarter sessions and Anglican church. Registration provided protection against persecution, laying a duty of protection upon magistrates and so was popular with nonconformists. Most registrations were made with quarter sessions until the middle of the 18th century, presumably due to the mutual antagonism of nonconformists and established Church. However, from that point registration with the Church, via the local archdeaconry began to become the favoured method, because the archdeaconry Registrar would issue a licence at any time rather than during the days each quarter when the quarter sessions met.

Visitations by the Bishop of Lincoln to Bedfordshire in the early 18th century give some idea as to the number of nonconformists in each parish from returns made by the vicar or rector. Former County Archivist Patricia Bell has compiled returns from 1706 to 1720 for the Bedfordshire Historical Records Society (Volume 81, published 2002); information for Luton, all relating to the parish of Saint Mary, which was the only ecclesiastical parish in the town at the time, includes the following:

• 1706: “The number of families great, the Town and Parish being very populous. The Dissenters are many, and of all sorts: Presbyterians, Quakers, but especially Anabaptists [Baptists], of which there are 2 sorts, and each has its Meeting house”.
• 1709: “No Papist. Dissenters numerous, chiefly Anabaptists. Some few Quakers. The former have a Meeting House, Thomas Marsome, Nathan Marsome and Francis Stone their Teachers. They meet twice every Sunday”.
• 1712: “About 400 families, of which 50 of dissenters, chiefly Anabaptists, a few Quakers”.
• 1717: “The parish of Luton is very large and Extensive, and Consists of Numerous Families more than is in my power to describe, of whom many of them are Dissenters, mostly Anabaptists, with some few Quakers. On[e] Licensed Meeting House in the said parish of Anabaptists. They assemble together twice on Sundays and frequently on other days in considerable numbers out of this and other adjacent parishes. The Teachers are Thomas Marsom senior and his son Nathan, besides Itinerants”.
• 1720: The Town and parish of Luton being of such great Extent and withall very populous, it is not in power to set forth the number of Families therein contained. The Dissenters are numerous consisting chiefly of Anabaptists with some few Families of Quakers. One Licensed meeting House within the parish of Anabaptists, they assemble together morning and afternoon on Sundays and great numbers resort to them, not soe much out of the Town and parish as from other adjacent parishes. Thomas Marsom senior is the chief Teacher therein”.

Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service has a reasonable number of registrations of nonconformist meeting houses in both the Quarter Sessions and Archdeaconry of Bedford archives. Registration continued through the 19th century even though persecution faded away - this was because registered buildings were allowed to claim exemption from parish poor rates, were exempt from control by the Charity Commission and were allowed to be licensed to carry out marriages. These things meant that registration became almost compulsory in practice for well established nonconformist meetings. This is fortunate for the local historian because sometimes the only surviving references to a nonconformist meeting occur as registrations. One drawback with the registrations are that they do not usually inform the reader of the particular type of denomination involved, though sometimes it is possible to infer it from other evidence.

Edwin Welch researched the history of registrations in Bedfordshire for Bedfordshire Historical Records Society Volume 75 Bedfordshire Chapels and Meeting Houses [published in 1996] and found the following meeting houses of uncertain denomination for Luton and its hamlets:

• June 1798: the house in the occupation of Edward Pain in Leagrave was registered by Pain himself, Elizabeth Pain, Richard Partridge and Joseph Harper [ABN1/1; ABN2/87];
• 1803: the dwelling house of Thomas Wingrove, labourer, at Ramridge End was registered by Wingrove himself, John Newman, William Hare, John Abbett, James Pryor junior and Joseph Jackson [QSR1803, 58; QSM21, page 153];
• 3rd June 1807: the house of Richard Partridge was registered [ABN1/1];
• 1822: the house of William Haydon was registered by Haydon himself, James Cream and Edward East [ABN1/2; ABN2/189; ABN3/3];
• 1823: the house of John Squires of Stopsley was registered by Squires himself, James Quarrie and James Jarvis [ABN1/2; ABN2/203; ABN3/3, 48];
• 1824: the house in the occupation of George Worsley or Worley in East Hyde was registered by Francis Harrison, Samuel Davison, David Barber and William Clark [ABN1/2; ABN2/212; ABN3/3, 56];
• 1841: a chapel was registered by William Willis and William Brewer [ABN1/2; ABN2/370];
• 1845: the house of W. Burgess was registered by Burgess himself [ABN1/2];
• 22nd October 1849: the chapel in the occupation of William Willis was registered by William Brewer [ABN2];
• 2nd December 1863: an unsectarian meeting in the New Room in the Old Brewery in Park Street was registered by William Gowin Ogborne of Saint Albans [Hertfordshire], dissenting minister; cancelled on revision 12th May 1896;
• 12th February 1867: a building in the occupation of William Read in Chale Street, New Town, “for those who object to being designated” was registered by William Read of Brighton Terrace, Luton, straw hat manufacturer (occupier) and cancelled on revision on 12th May 1896;
• 14th January 1900: The Railway Mission Hall in Bridge Street was registered by James Neal of 79 Berry Park Road, Luton, treasurer and substituted on 10th November 1902.