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Chapels.
When Charles the Second's celebrated "Indulgence" was published 15th March, 1672, Arnold was one of the 12 places in the County where a congregational place of meeting and the teacher of the congregation was approved and registered.—Victoria County History, Notts., vol. 2, p. 74.
Wesleyans. Three pious women in 1800, formed the nucleus of the first Society, meeting in a house in Cross Lane. Their names were Betty Stones, Mary Smith and Sarah Smith. The meetings were afterwards removed to the house of Mr. Murphy, a framesmith, at the top of Bond Street. The Rev. Wm. Bramwell, a famous Methodist preacher having charge of the Nottingham Circuit, went to attend one of the prayer meetings, and to see the work. He procured a house for preaching which may have been the one named. In 1803 there were thirty-two members.
A chapel was built in 1806, which was enlarged in 1828, and a far superior one was built in 1901, at a cost of £2500, with seating accommodation for 300, and a schoolroom for 250, and accessory rooms. Mr. Saml. Robinson gave the site and £100in memory of his mother, who was a Methodist.
A preacher with great pathos and power for thirty-one years was Mr. Wm. Simpson, of Redhill, who died in 1859.
Cross Street. This chapel was built in 1825 by the Particular Baptist Church at George Street, Nottingham. Previous to the erection of the chapel its founders met in a barn in what was then called Meeting House Yard. There is extant a Bible with this inscription:—"The gift of the teachers of Arnold Old Meeting House Sunday School, as a token of approbation of Ann Rawson's past conduct. Arnold, Nov. 20th, 1814." The type is very small. Ann Rawson's father, Richard Rawson, was Master of the Free School; her daughter, Mrs. Crouch, nee Sarah Showell, has the Bible in her possession.
The chapel was sold about 1850 (?) to the Scotch Baptists, of Park Street, Nottingham, and Mr. Thomas Bayley (of Lenton) laboured there many years, driving over to preach: when he died he left the premises free from debt. They were subsequently enlarged by the erection of a school room, and in 1909 the chapel was pulled down and re-built at a cost of £900, the accommodation being (with a small gallery) for 250 persons, in addition to two school or class rooms, and other buildings in the rear.
In the history of Friar Lane Baptist Church, Nottingham, there are many references to Arnold. Thus: "1808, March 28th, Friend Butler brought a message from our friends at Arnold requesting some of our friends would go over to assist them in carrying on a prayer meeting on Lord's Day morning;" and the following year Friend Saml. Ward was requested "to exercise his gifts before the church with a view to go to Arnold if approved; and it was the unanimous request of the church that Friend Barber should go to Arnold in turn with Friend Ward, to speak to that people, hoping his labours may be rendered a blessing to them." This Samuel Ward was a lace manufacturer, who became a Baptist minister at Woodborough with Calverton. He had eight sons and six daughters. He died in 1860, "an evangelical and acceptable preacher." The "Friend Barber" referred to was a grocer and tallow chandler. He was Sheriff of Nottingham 1804, Alderman, and Mayor 1817, 1825, and 1831, in which last year the Castle was burnt down. He died in 1833. In 1811 our "Friend Godfrey was requested to go to Arnold occasionally, to assist in carrying on the worship of God there." He seems to have been of an Arnold family, and when anything delicate or disagreeable in church matters had to be done, "Friend Godfrey" was deputed to see to it. He died in 1820, after a membership of 46 years. John Rogers who afterwards became an Alderman, was another worker. He was a teacher in the Sunday School.— (see page 126). The energy of the early teachers from Nottingham is thus commended. "They have gone into the streets and lanes of the village, and from house to house, in search of the youth who were perishing for lack of knowledge, who had no friends to teach them, and whose guardians were probably as ignorant as themselves of the blessings derived from instruction." p. 263.
For many years William Smith walked over to Arnold on the Sunday to teach in the Sunday School. He was elected one of the first Deacons of the Derby Road Baptist Church in 1847, and held office until his death in 1871.
Baptist Chapel, Front Street. This cause was first originated at Daybrook in the house of a family named Brown. They removed thence to the Wool Rooms, leading up to Chestnut House. In 1845 they built a chapel, with a schoolroom in the rear which could, by the removal of a partition be used on special occasions as a part of the chapel, and Mr. John Dawson became their minister. There was a small graveyard to the south of the building. The work was connected with the church in Stoney Street, Nottingham, until 1849, when it was formed into a separate church with 80 members.
Among those who took an active part in the cause may be named Joseph Spencer, and little William Richardson, who for a life-time acted as a voluntary and unwearied visiting overseer. John Sharman, as Secretary, was mainly instrumental in removing the debt on the first building, and in the erection of the much superior building in 1883-4.
Primitive Methodist. The worshippers met in a barn belonging to Mr. Peck, until the chapel was built in 1829. It was enlarged in 1887, and additional land has since been purchased for a further extension.
Daybrook Baptist. This cause originated in 1844 by persons connected with Broad Street Chapel, Nottingham, and others from New Basford. They met for prayer in the house of Mrs. Nixon, a hawker of smallwares, and subsequently in a house in a yard to the west of the road, where they conducted a Sunday School. The most active of the workers going back to 1847 were Jas. Baldwin, Rupert Baldwin, Thomas Hill, Robert Seals, Wm. Goodliffe, Wm. Brailsford, Jane Hollingsworth, and others. When holding outdoor meetings they were pelted with sods and rotten eggs; the windows of the room were frequently broken, for up to that date Daybrook had been utterly neglected as regards regular spiritual work. William Goodliffe and Octavius Baldwin were on alternate Sundays superintendents of the Sunday school, and James Marlow, with ten or twelve teachers, walked each Sunday from Nottingham, taking their food with them. William Goodliffe continued the work for 20 years. Miss Hollingworth became Mrs. Wood, and is (1913) still living. She was baptized in 1844, and holds a testimonial, signed by Wm. Goodliffe on behalf of the teachers, on the occasion of her marriage in 1858, testifying to her indefatigable services for many years. Wm. Wheatley succeeded O. Baldwin, and continued for 23 years. Charles Gill and his wife (who became blind) were good workers about 1865, especially in Band of Hope work. "Friend" Dove, as he was always called, and Wm. Makin, were excellent workers; both of them died many years ago.
In 1859 a chapel and schoolroom were built. Liberal help was given by Broad Street church and afterwards by Mansfield Road church. A grant of £50a year for three years was made for the support of a minister, one of whom was the Rev. J. Wolfenden (now D.D.), of Morecambe.
In 1912 new buildings were erected at a cost approaching £3000, the accommodation being for 420 persons, with school room provision for 350 children, there being seven accessory rooms. A donation of £375 was made by the Mansfield Road chapel trustees out of the proceeds of thejsale of their premises to the Nottm. Mechanics Institution. In a circular issued in 1912 it was stated that the congregation was over 200, and young people's classes and Sunday school over 300.
Red Hill Baptist. This schoolroom, used as a chapel, was built in 1889, under the influence of the Daybrook cause, at a cost of £347. It will seat 150 people. The spiritual work for the benefit of the young had commenced five years before. At the present time there are 30 members of the church and 100 children on the Sunday school books.
Ebenezer Chapel. The members of the Wesleyan body who in 1849—1852 separated from the Bond Street cause owing to con-nexional differences of church government, formed themselves into a congregation assembling in a building formed out of Mr. Worralls' barn. They afterwards joined the Methodist New Connexion, and in 1865 erected Ebenezer Chapel, the foundation stone of which was laid by Samuel Morley, Esq. A public clock was erected in 1866 at a cost of £60,which was raised by public subscription. The Methodist New Connexion amalgamated in 1907 with the Methodist Free Church and Bible Christians, under the name of The United Methodist Church. The chapel premises were improved and extended in 1910 at a cost of £500. The land adjoining has been acquired as a site for a Sunday School.
The Congregationalists met for some years in a stockinger's shop on the east side of the Calverton Road, and the late Dr. Paton sent two students of the Congregational College every Sunday to establish and continue the work. In 1871 they built a chapel on the western side of the road, which was subsequently enlarged. They have purchased land for removal to a more central position.
The Gospel Mission was established in 1894, the meetings being then held in the unused factory belonging to Mr. R. Lacey, and afterwards in High Street Board School, the present building being opened in 1898. They are associated with the Wesleyan Reform Union.
Sunday Schools. The statistics of the Nottingham Sunday School Union show that the returns from Arnold of Sunday Schools in connection with the Union were;—
1860 |
6 Schools. |
92 Teachers. |
614 Scholars. |
1885 |
6 " |
161 " |
967 " |
1910 |
9 " |
259 " |
1789 " |
1913 |
9 " |
249 " |
1804 " |
Front Street Baptists |
45 " |
303 " |
|
Cross Street " |
|
19 " |
144 " |
Daybrook " |
|
30 " |
309 " |
Red Hill " |
|
9 " |
87 " |
Congregational |
|
21 " |
171 " |
Wesleyan |
|
29 " |
170 " |
United Methodist |
|
33 " |
223 " |
Primitive |
|
28 " |
205 " |
Gospel Mission |
|
28 " |
192 " |
Bands of Hope. The Nottingham and Notts. Band of Hope Union reports Bands of Hope at Cross Street, Wesleyan, Ebenezer, Front Street Baptist, Primitive Methodist, Congregational, Daybrook, and Red Hill.