1817 to mid 1960's | The Current Building | Key Dates | Ministers

Do you know any additional history of Belper Baptist Church? If you do, please e-mail it to us.

Click here to e-mail us

1817 to the mid 1960s

The Beginnings

The Baptist cause at Belper was introduced in 1817 by the friends at Duffield, and continued as a branch of Duffield until 1823. It was the result of a church meeting when someone asked "Can we not begin preaching at Belper?"

There was at that time a single Baptist Fellowship, whose members came from several districts, of which Duffield and Cow House Lane were the chief, the meetings being held at both these places. These friends engaged a room at the "George and Dragon" Belper and on August 24^th 1817 it was opened for public worship by Brother Ingram, who acted as their minister.

This widely scattered Church provided the local supplies, and all members were entered upon the one common roll, the first from Belper being a Mr Abbot who joined in September 1817. The geographical area of membership became so wide that at this time the Church voluntarily divided in two, the one cause embracing Wirksworth, Shottle and Cow House Lane; and the other Duffield, Windley, Milford and Belper.

An appeal for a Chapel and Burying Ground at Belper was launched the next year. Eventually sanction was given by the Association for this cause, and a Chapel was erected in Belper – the land given by a Mr Hardy. Thereafter, meetings and communion alternated between Duffield and Belper. No opening date is recorded, but the first anniversary was on March 19^th 1820. The progress at Belper was so favourable that the Minister came to reside in Belper at the request of the church.

Mr Ingram left for Heptonstall Slack in 1821 and was succeeded by Mr Smedley at a stipend of £30 per year. In the following year, the church resolved upon a further division, this time becoming separate causes at Duffield and Belper. Thus Belper itself became an independent cause.