Dorchester
A Brief History of the Baptist
Church in Dorchester Dorset [1645-2010]
(formerly known as 'Dorford' and based in Fordington)
Dorford Baptist Church, Dorchester
Picture by Derek Harper
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It has its own website which originally included a brief history of their development since 1645 which forms the basis of the following account. The English Civil War was essentially a dispute between Parliament and King for ultimate sovereignty over the affairs of the nation. However there was a strong religious undercurrent to the dispute as on the one hand the Crown drew its support from Roman Catholics and the strong Anglo Catholic wing of the Church of England. Whilst, on the other hand, Parliament was greatly influenced by the new Dissenting churches, the Presbyterians, the Baptists and the Independents. Although few in number Baptists held a large number of important posts in Cromwell's army and Government. In 1644 Parliamentarians led by the Earl of Essex came to Dorchester. Among his men was a Baptist named Allen. It is recorded that he preached somewhere in the town and the church dates its origins from 1645, making it the first Dissenting church in Dorchester. Allen's action was typical of the religious zeal of those early Baptists and wherever Parliaments armies went new churches were planted, many of them Baptist. By 1653 the Dorchester church is mentioned in Baptist records, and by 1658 (1) the church is strong enough to host the annual meeting of the Western Baptist Association attended by 300 delegates. The founder of the Quakers George Fox who visited the town in 1655 provides independent evidence of the church's early existence (2). Fox records that he stayed at an Inn kept by a Baptist but when he asked the Baptist Minister permission to use the "Baptist Chapel" he was refused! The restoration of the monarchy led to a period of persecution of Dissenters and the church's minister, the Rev. Francis Bamfield,(3) was imprisoned for nine years in Dorchester prison along with six other ministers. However, he formed a church within the prison and preached every morning in the yard listened to by people who gathered outside the prison walls. He suffered greatly and eventually died in Newgate prison, London, one of a large number of Baptist Ministers who died in this way. The records prior to 1830 are lost but it is apparent that the original church declined, closing in the late 1700's, until in 1830 the work was rekindled in Fordington (now part of Dorchester itself). This new chapel was called Dorford in an attempt to give continuity to the witness. Although the church now is located in Dorchester proper, the name Dorford has been retained to the present day. Several local Baptist churches were founded during the Victorian era, namely Buckland Newton (1864), Winterbourne Abbas (1872) and Piddletrenthide (1875). Sadly all are now closed. The Park Mission in Dorchester was also begun by the Baptist church, and although it has also closed it is now the site of the Pentecostal church with whom Dorford retains a good working relationship. In 1902 a New Church was first mooted at a Church meeting, this becoming a reality in 1915 when the new (and present) Dorford was built and opened on a new site at Top o' Town in Dorchester. This was undertaken by a Membership of about 60, clearing the debt on the buildings by 1930. There is a brief association with Thomas Hardy, Dorchester's most famous son, who had been brought up as a strict Anglican. He was invited to a prayer meeting at Dorford and arrived promptly on time. Unfortunately a circus was arriving and the minister and others watched the procession, arriving late for the prayer meeting. Consequently Hardy displayed little interest in the Baptists although it is recorded that he admired the Rev Perkins' frugal and austere household by their piety and thoroughness. Genealogical Notes:- (1). This event is mentioned by David Underdown in his Book 'Fire from Heaven' - page 219: - The towns governors were distinctly unfriendly to the sects. Delegates from west country Baptist congregations met in Dorchester in May 1658, but the town was chosen for its location, not its religious climate. Major Stansby refused to let the Baptists meet in any of the churches, so they had to use the George instead, where their discussions were observed by a government spy. (2). David Underdown also mentions page 242 "A Baptist Conventricle at Fordington, some of whose members were Dorchester people, was broken up by soldiers in March 1665" (3). The non conformist minister Francis Bampfield (Bampfylde) (1616-1663/64) was the 13th of 15 children of John Bampfield (1586-) of Poltimore in Devon by his wife Elizabeth Drake. His grandfather was Sir Amias Bampfield (1560-1625/6) the Sheriff of Devon. Francis according to the Oxford Alumni was educated at Wadham Hall College Oxford where he matriculated on 16th May 1634 at the age of 18.(Note:- DNB say 1631 aged 16?) He was awarded his BA there 4th July 1635, and his MA 7th July 1638. Rector of Rampisham in Dorset 1640 he spent income from his living of £100pa on his parishioners, supplying his own wants from a small private income; He was canon of Exeter 1641 and collated to a prebend in Exeter Cathedral in which he was reinstated at the restoration. A conviction that the church was in urgent need of reform he fell out with his parishioners and after much solicitation accepted in 1653 the less valuable living at Sherborne; Here he remained until the Act of Uniformity forced his ejection 1662; In September of that year he was arrested at home and compelled to find sureties for his good behaviour. Soon afterwards he was again arrested and detained for nearly nine years in Dorchester Gaol where he continued to preach nearly every day forming a church. At his discharge in 1675 he traveled through several counties ending up living in London. He preached at his home for a time before in March 1676 forming a Sabbararian Baptist church which met in Pinner Hall. Here he met with the usual disturbances, the congregation being often broken up by the officers of miss-called justice. On February 17th, 1683, while he was preaching, a constable entered and interrupted him. "I have a warrant from the Lord Mayor to disturb your meeting," said the constable. "I have a warrant from Jesus Christ to go on," replied the preacher, and was proceeding with his discourse, when he was seized and taken, with six of his brethren, to the Lord Mayor, who fined them ten pounds each. Nevertheless, they met again in the afternoon, but were compelled to separate, on which they retired to Mr. Bampfield's residence, where he finished the exercises of the day. That day week he was apprehended once more, and committed to Newgate. At the next Quarter Sessions he and several others were placed at the bar, and the oath of allegiance was tendered to them. They declined to take it, because it was understood to comprise an obligation to conform to the Church of England, to which they could not bind themselves; whereupon the Recorder passed sentence to this effect: -- "That they were out of the protection of the King’s majesty; that all their goods and chattels were forfeited; and that they were to remain in jail during their lives, or during the King's pleasure." It was not "the King's pleasure" to release them. Death in jail was a common thing during the reigns of Charles II and James II. Mr. Bampfield died in Newgate, February 16th, 1684, being in the seventieth year of his age. Wood says of him "that he was first a churchman, then a presbyterian afterwards and independent, an anabaptist, and at length almost a complete jew. Ejected from Sherborne died in Newgate prison 16 Feb 1663/64 Extract from The History of Dorchester, During the British, Roman, Saxon, and Norman Periods By James Savage published 1837 Pages 201/202 The Baptist Chapel, called Dorford Chapel, stands at the bottom of High East street by the side of the river Frome, adjoining Fordington. It was re-built in 1830, and opened for divine worship, on 3rd June, in that year, on which occasion the Rev. S SINCOX was ordained pastor of the congregation. The baptist congregation at Dorchester appears to have existed among the very earliest communities, founded upon the independent plan of church government. During the protectorate of Oliver Cromwell the celebrated Mr Henry JESSEY, visited the congregation at this town, together with many others in the West of England. About two years after the restoration of King Charles II the Act of Uniformity passed the two Houses of Parliament by which a great number of clergymen who refused to conform to the doctrines of the Church of England were ejected from their benefices. Among these was Mr Francis BAMFIELD who then held the living at Sherborne and also one of the prebend's of the Cathedral Church of Exeter. Notwithstanding the Act of Uniformity he persisted in preaching in his own house for which he was apprehended and imprisoned in Dorchester Goal for eight years. During his imprisonment he preached almost every day and gradually formed a congregation; but whether that which he had formed in the goal was part of the one of the same faith in the town is now not known. From the year 1689 to 1692 Mr Thomas COX was the pastor of the congregation here and represented it in each of the years at the general assembly in London. Little is known of its subsequent history as all the papers were lost; but it is certain that the Baptists had for many years a small chapel here, now converted into a beer store and a burial ground, then used for gardens. For many years this was the only dissenting place of worship in the town until a congregation of Presbyterians met at the Priory in the early part of the last century. Long after the Baptist congregation had declined the few remaining members continued to have a sermon preached once a year. General Notes:-I have insufficient information at present to create a proper history but hope more will come to light over time. Contributions are welcome. In particular I would like to create a full list of Ministers and to record some of the more significant milestones in its history. Until then I will add notes to those given below as new facts are discovered. M Russell OPC Fordington.The name Dorford is a combination of the words DORchester and FORDington by which many local people still identify it, and after which its building is still named. 1830 - Pigots Directory for that year makes no mention of any Churches or Chapels in Dorchester or Fordington presumably because it was being rebuilt as related in the 1837 account given above. 1844 - Pigots Directory for that year makes a passing reference to there being " three churches under the establishment and chapels for Baptists, Independents, Unitarians and Wesleyan Methodists". 1851 - Census only refers to a Durngate Lane but that for St Peters Dorchester [page 42] shows living in South Street a Mr Stephen SINCOX Baptist Minister of Dorford Chapel Dorchester age 52 born Shaldon Devon and his wife Louisa Sincox aged 57 born Maldon Essex 1852 - Slater's Directory refers to the Baptist chapel being in Durngate Street and to the Minister being the Rev. John SINCOCK. 1852 - 5th June: Article " The anniversary of the opening of the Dorchester baptist chapel will be celebrated on Tuesday next by two special services. A tea meeting will take place in a large barn, kindly lent for the occasion, after which several gentlemen are expected to address the company. Source: Jackson's Oxford Journal (Oxford, England), Saturday, June 5, 1852; Issue 5171 1853 - Sussex Advertiser - Tuesday 18 October 1853. Kerry—Skinner.—October 11, at the Baptist Chapel, Wellington-square, Hastings, by the Rev. J. Stent, the Rev. Geo. KERRY, Baptist Minister Dorchester, Dorsetshire, to Miss Ann Skinner, of Hastings. 1855 - 9th Jan Sherborne Mercury reporting on fund raising and stating that George KERRY was together with the Rev C.EVANS the successors to Rev S Sincox 1856 - 4th March - Sherborne Mercury reporting on a lecture given by George KERRY [Note:- George Kerry became a missionary and was ordained as such 26 August 1856 at Hastings. He traveled to India and was in Calcutta by 1859 as he had a son born there; was the Acting Pastor at Lall Bazar Church Calcutta from 24 Jan 1861 - 1 Dec 1903. Grateful to Gillian Gwatkin for this information] 1858 - 22nd March at the Baptist Chapel Dorchester by the Rev. J MILLER; Mr GALLOP builder and Mrs EDWARDS both of Dorchester were married: Source: Hampshire Advertiser & Salisbury Guardian (Southampton, England), Saturday, March 27, 1858; pg. 8; Issue 1804 : [Note:- GRO marriages Mar Qtr 1858 Thomas Gallop married Susan Edwards Dorchester District Ref 5a 539] 1861 - Letter from Dorford Baptist Church acknowledging the congratulations sent by the Congregational church, on appointing a new Baptist pastor held at DHC Ref NP5/DC/3/1 1861 1861 - Census For Dorchester St Peters South street shows a Baptist Minister called Mr. J HILL aged 56 born London Middlesex as a visitor. The Census for Fordington includes an entry under 'near the Court House ' for a Frederick PERKINS aged 52 born St Lukes Middlesex, a Baptist Minister 'now without a church', living with his daughter Matilda Mary Ann Perkins aged 15 born Leatherhead Surrey. In the previous census Frederick Perkins was living in Battle Sussex with his wife Maria & 5 children and by 1871 he had become the Minister at the baptist Chapel in Keysoe Bedfordshire so its not clear what his role was in Fordington. 1875 - Postal Directory refers to the Chapel being in High East Street 1875 - John HODINOTT and Emily BROWNSEA were married in Dorford Chapel by Rev Joseph HARRINGTON 1881 - Census All Saints Parish shows :- the Minister of the Baptist Chapel to be Robert Ridgeway ALBIN aged 43 born in Liverpool with his wife & 2 daughters one of which is adopted. 1889 - Kelly's Directory shows it still to be in Durngate Street and to have 'No Minister'. 1891 - DEMMER-MITCHELL On the 25th March 1891 at the Baptist Chapel Dorchester; Mr Samuel DEMMER of Dorchester married to Miss Amelia MITCHELL of Winterbourne Abbas. Source The Hampshire Advertiser (Southampton, England), Saturday, March 28, 1891; pg. 4; Issue 4674 1895 - Kelly's Directory shows it still to be in Durngate Street and the Minister to be Rev Robert B. CLARE and services to be held at 11am & 6.30pm wednesdays 8pm 1915 - Kelly's Directory shows its new address as St Martins Road and the Minister to be the Rev. Frederick Edmund BOORMAN 1999 - The Rev John PEARCE left in November 1999 2002 - The Rev Justyn HOPKINS joined as their youth pastor in May 2002 and completed his accreditation period as a Baptist Minister in 2007 2004 - The Chapel underwent a major redevelopment costing over £1million in 2004 when it was renamed the "Dorchester Baptist Church". 2006 - See Newspaper transcripts for 17 Aug 2006 - Obituary - Robert & Joyce PEINKEY Church Members for 72 years 2008 - The church had 167 members an increase of 10 on the previous year. |