Baptists in Sharnbrook

The Baptist Chapel in Sharnbrook, c.1908 [ref: Z1306/100/21]

The first Particular Baptist Church in Sharnbrook was formed in March 1719. In February 1786 this group bought the plot of land behind two cottages on the north side of the High Street and built a chapel, the site of the present building. A few years later the cottages were purchased, demolished and the land used as a burial ground. Bedfordshire Archives holds records on the Chapel which are held on loan from the Gospel Standard Baptist Library who are responsible for the property. The include copies of deeds, minute books, accounts and correspondence [ref: X992].

Around the time of the creation of the burial ground, a second Particular Baptist Church was formed in Sharnbrook and Mr Thomas Grindon (who lived in Sharnbrook but was a member of the Baptost Church at Succoth Chapel, Rushed became Pastor. For some years the services were held in his house, but in 1844 a Chapel was erected and this building still stands behind the greengrocer's shop near the corner of Park Lane and the High Street. Services continued to be held in this chapel, known as Bethlehem Chapel, until 1938. 

Plan of Baptist Chapel by John Usher [ref: CDE116/1]

After the death of Pastor Richard Emery the First Particular Baptist Church, known as the Old Chapel, had an unsettled period but in 1864 Mr. Alfred Peet became Pastor and a period of prosperity followed. The chapel was rebuilt and enlarged to plans prepared by John Usher [ref: CDE116]. Mr Peet remained Pastor until 1896 and after this date the church at Sharnbrook remained without a Pastor until its closure nearly 100 years later. Services were continued regularly by visiting ministers until 1973, after which occasional services were held until 1991. By the 1990s the building was in urgent need of care and repairs and the Trustees decided that the services would cease and the building was transferred to The Gospel Standard Trust. One of the Trust's activities was the publication of religious books. Some £50,000 was spent on renovating the building and it was used for book storage, with at times, 100,000 books being kept there. 

Information taken from Sharnbrook: Into the New Millenium by the Sharnbrook Celebrations 2000 Committee.

List of sources at Bedfordshire Archives: 

• X992/1/1/1: Sharnbrook Church Book, 1719-1836
• X992/1/1/2: Sharnbrook Baptist Meeting House Church Book, 1837-1941
• CDE116: Plans for Sharnbrook, Baptist Chapel, by John Usher, 1865
• X992/1/2/1-3: Trustees Minute Books, 1901-1991
• X992/2/1-3: Notebooks recording income and expenditure, 1901-1909
• Z1306/100/21: Postcard of 'The Baptist Chapel, Sharnbrook' High Street, c.1908
• X992/2/4 and X992/2/10-12: Chapel Account Books, 1910-1991
• X992/2/5: Accounts for seat rents, 1915-1945
• Z1130/100/11: Postcard of 'Sharnbrook Baptist Chapel', 1931
• X704/141: SHARNBROOK: Strict Baptist Chapel:  Posters for anniversary services etc.  (29 items), 1954-1970
• PL/AC1/17: Sharnbrook Baptist graveyard record cards, 1980
• X992/4/1/3: Plan of graveyard of Strict Baptist Chapel, Sharnbrook with list of those buried where known., 1992
• X657/132: Negative of building to south of Strict Baptist Chapel Graveyard, one corner of Chapel on left & part of graveyard, n.d.