Baptist chapel, Coton (RGL2026)

Baptist Chapel, Coton

History of Baptist Chapel

The Baptist Church of Coton had its roots in 4 local protestant dissenters.

Around 1810 the St Andrew’s Street Baptist Chapel in Cambridgefounded a local chapel in a house in Coton. For most of the 19th century many inhabitants attended both church and chapel.

In 1851 the Baptist Chapel had a congregation of 70.

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In 1851 year the Baptists of Coton were the victims of a strange prank that was reported in the Cambridge Chronicle 24th May 1851. At the instigation of Messrs W Wallis, Parker and Co of East Road Cambridge, a young man called Downing tried to pass himself off as a preacher. This W Wallis appears to be the same as the William Wallis of 19 East Road, which was also known as The Blackbirds.

The Baptists of Coton were told that Downing was an itinerant preacher. He started preaching but was unable to maintain the guise for very long before the congregation became suspicious and Downing had to be rescued by his accomplices.

A case was later brought against William Wallis of The Blackbirds and Thomas Parker, auctioneer, as well as Downing, by W Eaden Lilley on the grounds of wilfully disturbing the congregation in Coton. In the end, Downing was fined £10 and his accomplices apologised and paid costs.

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1862 Baptist Chapel was replaced by Evangelical Protestant Chapel and its members went to both church and chapel. But later that year a chapel was built on land donated by W Eaden Lilley.

1897 chapel was Baptist and there were 16 families attending.