Registration and Early References in Sharnbrook
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 Sharnbrook includes the following:
- 1706: "It [the parish] contains 54 families, and 250 souls. Of these 13 families and 71 persons are Dissenters. Some of all sorts. They have a Meeting house in which they all assemble notwithstanding their different Principles. They have 2 Teachers, an Independent for the most part, but sometimes a Presbyterian";
- 1709: "Families 64, souls 280. Of these 12 families of dissenters. At the meeting, which is still as it was, about 40 usually do assemble";
Bedfordshire Archives 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 for Sharnbrook:
- Between 30th September and 2nd October 1790 the rebuilt Meeting House was registered by R. Grindon, S. Dickins, Jesse Woodham, William Curtis and Charles Archer [ref: ABN1/1 and ABN2/66].
- On 27th September 1816 the house of Marshall Tebbutt was registered [ref: ABN1/1].
- Between 20th and 27th May 1826 the house of William Archer of Sharnbrook, carrier was registered by himself, Thomas Grindon, Philip Wodham and William Peck [ref: ABN1/2, ABN2/225 and ABN3/3].
- Between 17th and 21st November 1827 the schoolroom of Thomas Grindon of Sharnbrook, shopkeeper was registered by himself, Philip Woodham, William Peck and William Archer [ref: ABN1/2, ABN2/232 and ABN3/3].
- Between 30th August and 7th September 1833 a barn and tenement of Thomas Grindon, shopkeeper, was to be used as a chapel and registered by himself, William Peck, Thomas Spencer and John Payne.
- On 13th May 1848 a barn is registered by William Henry Stewart of Wellingborough, Northants [ref: ABN1/2 and ABN2].
- On 20th January 1862 the Bethlehem Particular Baptist Chapel at the top of Bodycroft Lane was registered by Thomas Corby of Radwell in Felmersham. It was cancelled on 21st January 1939.
- On 8th April 1862 The Old Meeting House in High Street (Particular Baptist) was registered by James Pacey of Kennel Hill, Sharnbrook, labourer (deacon)