Collection N/C/69 - NEW COURT CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, CAREY STREET

Identity area

Reference code

N/C/69

Title

NEW COURT CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, CAREY STREET

Date(s)

  • 1707-1975 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

5.21 linear metres

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

New Court, one of the earliest nonconformist chapels in London, dates from 1662 when under the Act of Uniformity Doctor Thomas Manton was ejected from the church of Saint Paul's, Covent Garden. He established himself as a nonconformist minister in a chapel built for him in Bridges Street in the same parish. The church remained there until 1682 when as a result of the Five Mile Act it was forced to close due to the imprisonment of its minister, Richard Baxter. James II's Declaration of Indulgence in 1687 enabled another nonconformist minister, Daniel Burgess, to re-open the chapel and after nine years the congregation moved to more substantial premises in Russell Court, Drury Lane, to a building between an old burial ground and the theatre.

On the expiry of the lease in 1705 another move was necessary and a new building was erected in New Court, Carey Street. The congregation remained there for over a hundred and fifty years and as a result the chapel thereafter was known as New Court Chapel.

While at Carey Street the chapel was attacked by a mob supporting Doctor Sachaverell, a high church fanatic who had preached a libellous sermon against dissenters, and this caused it to close for a short time. It was also during this period that New Court was specified as being a Congregational chapel for the first time. Until then the differences between the Presbyterians and Congregationalists had not been well defined. Thomas Bradbury, a minister who had come to New Court from a nearby nonconformist church at Fetter Lane, stipulated that the chapel should be run on the Congregational model.

The extension of the Law Courts in 1866 forced the congregation to move again and a new church was built at Tollington Park. Mission premises at Lennox Road were acquired in the 1880s. The Tollington Park premises were sold to the Roman Catholic church in 1959 (it is now Saint Mellitus Roman Catholic Church). The congregation moved to new premises on Regina Road in 1961 where it remained until its closure in 1976.

Archival history

N/C/69 1707-1975 Collection 5.21 linear metres Congregational Church of England and Wales

New Court, one of the earliest nonconformist chapels in London, dates from 1662 when under the Act of Uniformity Doctor Thomas Manton was ejected from the church of Saint Paul's, Covent Garden. He established himself as a nonconformist minister in a chapel built for him in Bridges Street in the same parish. The church remained there until 1682 when as a result of the Five Mile Act it was forced to close due to the imprisonment of its minister, Richard Baxter. James II's Declaration of Indulgence in 1687 enabled another nonconformist minister, Daniel Burgess, to re-open the chapel and after nine years the congregation moved to more substantial premises in Russell Court, Drury Lane, to a building between an old burial ground and the theatre.

On the expiry of the lease in 1705 another move was necessary and a new building was erected in New Court, Carey Street. The congregation remained there for over a hundred and fifty years and as a result the chapel thereafter was known as New Court Chapel.

While at Carey Street the chapel was attacked by a mob supporting Doctor Sachaverell, a high church fanatic who had preached a libellous sermon against dissenters, and this caused it to close for a short time. It was also during this period that New Court was specified as being a Congregational chapel for the first time. Until then the differences between the Presbyterians and Congregationalists had not been well defined. Thomas Bradbury, a minister who had come to New Court from a nearby nonconformist church at Fetter Lane, stipulated that the chapel should be run on the Congregational model.

The extension of the Law Courts in 1866 forced the congregation to move again and a new church was built at Tollington Park. Mission premises at Lennox Road were acquired in the 1880s. The Tollington Park premises were sold to the Roman Catholic church in 1959 (it is now Saint Mellitus Roman Catholic Church). The congregation moved to new premises on Regina Road in 1961 where it remained until its closure in 1976.

Received in 3 accessions in 1976 and 1978 (AC/76/018, AC/76/048 and AC/78/038).

Registers of baptisms, 1871-1974; registers of marriages, 1943-1948; register of members' attendance, 1934-1947; register of deacons' attendance, 1905-1941; registers of preaching engagements, 1896-1953; applications for fellowship, 1889-1971; Church Meeting minute books, 1707-1974; Deacons' Meeting minute books, 1877-1967; Choir Meeting minute books, 1924-1969; minute books of Trustees Meetings, General Purposes Committee, Supply Committee, Deacons Finance Committee, and Committee for Alterations and Additions, 1870-1934; Sunday School Teachers' Meeting minute books, 1932-1961; Women's Council minute books, 1917-1975; accounts, 1871-1972; deeds, 1754-1959; correspondence and related material, 1813-1975; Church magazines, 1885-1974; Church manuals, 1873-1962; printed material relating to New Court Chapel, 1792-1921 and sketches and photographs, 1872-1967.

Registers; Minute Books; Administrative; Printed Items.

These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 1998.

Copyright: Depositor
English

Fit

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

For marriage registers see LMA/4094.

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997. January to March 2009 Protestantism Protestant nonconformity Congregationalism Church societies Primary documents Church records and registers Baptism registers Religious organizations Sunday schools Religious groups Christians Protestants Nonconformists Architecture Buildings Religious buildings Chapels Nonconformist chapels Organisation and management Administration Church administration Information sources Documents Parish records Marriage registers Christianity Ancient religions Religions Congregationalists Protestant nonconformists Religion Churches New Court Congregational Church , Tollington Park x Newcourt Congregational Church Tollington Park London England UK Western Europe Lincoln's Inn Fields Camden Islington Europe Religious institutions Legal documents Nonconformity

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Received in 3 accessions in 1976 and 1978 (AC/76/018, AC/76/048 and AC/78/038).

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Registers of baptisms, 1871-1974; registers of marriages, 1943-1948; register of members' attendance, 1934-1947; register of deacons' attendance, 1905-1941; registers of preaching engagements, 1896-1953; applications for fellowship, 1889-1971; Church Meeting minute books, 1707-1974; Deacons' Meeting minute books, 1877-1967; Choir Meeting minute books, 1924-1969; minute books of Trustees Meetings, General Purposes Committee, Supply Committee, Deacons Finance Committee, and Committee for Alterations and Additions, 1870-1934; Sunday School Teachers' Meeting minute books, 1932-1961; Women's Council minute books, 1917-1975; accounts, 1871-1972; deeds, 1754-1959; correspondence and related material, 1813-1975; Church magazines, 1885-1974; Church manuals, 1873-1962; printed material relating to New Court Chapel, 1792-1921 and sketches and photographs, 1872-1967.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Registers; Minute Books; Administrative; Printed Items.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 1998.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright: Depositor

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

For marriage registers see LMA/4094.

Finding aids

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Publication note

Notes area

Note

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

London Metropolitan Archives

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area