The Meerbrook Chapel project
Documents
TAKEN FROM A HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE page 200-1
NONCONFORMITY. John Tompson was described as not 'conformable to the religion now established' in 1623, when he taught a school at Meerbrook.90
William Davenport of Fould Farm was converted by the Quaker Richard Hickock in1654 and established a meeting at his home. It had 30 members in 1669, many of whom presumably lived in Leek.91
John Wood, a nonconformist who had been ejected from his fellowship at St- John's College, Cambridge, in 1662 and had preached in the
Staffordshire Moorlands, was in 1690 recommended as a minister for a congregation to be based at Meerbrook, but he died later the same year. The recommendation came from. Roger Morrice (d. 1702), Vicar of Duffield (Derb.) until his ejection in 1662 and later a London merchant. He presumably had connexions with Leekfrith, where he was living when he made his will in 1701.92 The house of John Cartwright of Upper Hulme was licensed for worship by protestant dissenters in 1693.93
A Methodist service was held fortnightly on Sundays at Roche Grange in 1798.94 In 1805 the curate of Meerbrook claimed that there were 'scarcely any Methodists' in his chapelry and in 1809 that there was only one, a widow.95
Wesleyan Methodists, however, continued to meet at Roche Grange, and an afternoon congregation of 20 was recorded there on Census Sunday 1851. Sunday services were last held at the farmhouse 1921.96 Fortnightly Sunday services held in 1829 at Thorneyleigh and at Meerbrook ceased by 1832.97 A Wesleyan chapel at Meerbrook was opened in 1862 and remained in use in 1992.98 Another at Upper Hulme is in the Heathylee .part of the hamlet.99
90 L.J.R.O , B/V/1/45
91 A G Matthews, Congregatioonal Churches of Staffs(preface dated 1924). 90 above. Leek and Lowe, prot. Nonconf. (Soc of Friends).
92Matthews, Cong. Churches of Staffs. 95-8; Calamy Revised, ed A G Matthews, 355, 541; Freedom after Ejection, ed A Gordon, 98.
93 L.J.R.O., B/v/1/89A.
94 Dyson, Wesleyan Methodism, 40
95 L.J.R.O., B/v/6/Meerbrook, 1805, 1809.
96 P.R.O., HO 129/372/3/1; S.R.O., D. 3457/1/5
97 Leek Libr,. Johnson scrapbk. i (2), D/13/15; S.R.O., D. 3156/1/1/24.
98 G.R.O. Worship Reg. no 15414.
99 Above Alstonefield; Heathylee, nonconf.
- L.J.R.O., B/V/1/33 and 45
MEERBROOK CHAPEL FROM THE WEST
MAIN DOOR OF CHAPEL
MEERBROOK CHAPEL FROM THE REAR