Willington Registration and Early References

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 Willington includes the following:

• 1706: of 26 families, "One Anabaptist [Baptist], and two Independents. No meeting house in it [the parish]".
• 1709: there were now four families of Independents and one Anabaptist.
• 1712: there was now just one family of Independents and one of Anabaptists.
• 1717: "3 [families] are Dissenters, all Presbyterians. We have no meeting house in this parish".

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.

These registrations, unfortunately, usually do not name the persuasion of nonconformity involved. The first record held by Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service registering a nonconformist meeting in Willington is from the Archdeaconry of Bedford and dated 1779 [ABN1/1 and ABN2/48]. The house being registered was occupied by Mary Wells and those registering were Thomas Wootton and James Lambe.