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Lincolnshire HER

Name:Former Providence Chapel, Boston Road, Sleaford
HER Number:MLI91734
Type of record:Building

Summary

Former Particular Baptist Chapel built in 1808. Now in use as a private residence.

Grid Reference:TF 069 456
Map Sheet:TF04NE
Parish:SLEAFORD, NORTH KESTEVEN, LINCOLNSHIRE

Full description

Former Baptist chapel off Boston Road, named as Providence Chapel. The chapel was founded and opened by the prominent Calvinist preacher William Huntington in 1808, and was capable of seating 250 people. The building is situated in a courtyard which is approached through a passage from the north side of Boston Road, entered through a triangular-headed gateway in a brick wall. It is roughly square-shaped in plan, and constructed of red brick (now covered by white-painted render), with a hipped roof covered by modern concrete tiles. The building was visited in 2009, at which point it was in use as a private residence named Hamiton Place. One original sash window with margin lights survived in the rear elevation. Otherwise there are two bays of segmental-headed windows on the side elevations though the windows have been replaced. The front elevation has three bays with a gabled porch, with chamfered angles, and paired square-headed doors. The adjoining gabled annexe contains the original immersion baptismal tank which survives hidden beneath the modern kitchen sink. Two fireplaces survive internally.
A prominent former preacher at the chapel was Edward Samuel, an exile from Poland who converted to Christianity from his family's Jewish faith on his arrival to England. He moved to Sleaford in 1862 and began ministering at the chapel from 1863 until 1881, at which point he moved with most of his congregation to a new purpose-built chapel on Eastgate (see MLI91734). The building continued to be used by at least some of the former congregation, which historic Ordnance Survey mapping would suggest were joined by a group of General Baptists. The congregation always seems to have struggled for members though, and the decision was taken to close the chapel and sell the building at auction in August 1915, with the building being converted to residential use shortly after. (1}{2}{3}{4}{5}{6}{7}


<1> Lincolnshire County Council, 2004-2009, GIS layer depicting locations and survival of nonconformist chapels, 65337 (Digital Archive). SLI9638.

<2> William White, 1856, History, Gazetteer and Directory of Lincolnshire (Second Edition), p.436 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI886.

<3> Rev. Edward Trollope, 1872, Sleaford and the Wapentakes of Flaxwell and Aswardhurn in the County of Lincoln, p.168 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI920.

<4> Fawcett, T., 1902, A History of the Free Churches of Sleaford from 1662 to 1902, p.20 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI12354.

<5> R.W. Ambler, 1979, Lincolnshire Returns of the Census of Religious Worship, 1851, pp.60-1, no.310 (Bibliographic Reference). SLI7745.

<6> Ordnance Survey, 1886-1891, 25 Inch County Series Map - First Edition, TF 04 NE (Map). SLI10020.

<7> 1915, 'Property Sales' in the Sleaford Gazette, 28/08/1915, p.5 (Article in Serial). SLI17632.

Monument Types

  • PARTICULAR BAPTIST CHAPEL (Post Medieval - 1808 AD to 1881 AD?)
  • GENERAL BAPTIST CHAPEL (Post Medieval to First World War - 1881 AD to 1915 AD)
  • HOUSE (First World War to 21st Century - 1915 AD to 2050 AD)

Associated Events

  • Site Visit to the Former Providence Chapel, Boston Road, Sleaford

Protected Status

  • Conservation Area

Sources and further reading

<1>Digital Archive: Lincolnshire County Council. 2004-2009. GIS layer depicting locations and survival of nonconformist chapels. 65337.
<2>Bibliographic Reference: William White. 1856. History, Gazetteer and Directory of Lincolnshire (Second Edition). p.436.
<3>Bibliographic Reference: Rev. Edward Trollope. 1872. Sleaford and the Wapentakes of Flaxwell and Aswardhurn in the County of Lincoln. p.168.
<4>Bibliographic Reference: Fawcett, T.. 1902. A History of the Free Churches of Sleaford from 1662 to 1902. p.20.
<5>Bibliographic Reference: R.W. Ambler. 1979. Lincolnshire Returns of the Census of Religious Worship, 1851. pp.60-1, no.310.
<6>Map: Ordnance Survey. 1886-1891. 25 Inch County Series Map - First Edition. 1:2500. TF 04 NE.
<7>Article in Serial: 1915. 'Property Sales' in the Sleaford Gazette. 28/08/1915, p.5.