Nonconformists: Nonconformity has long been a tradition in Lyme. After the religious commitment that fortified the people of Lyme in their struggle resisting the Royalist Forces during the Civil War it was in the year of 1653 that there is a first mention of a Baptist Community here. It was in that year that Oliver Cromwell became Lord Protector, that John Bunyan was baptised at the age of 25 and that the Baptists designated themselves as ‘The Assembly of Protestant Dissenters who scrupled the baptising of infants’.
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Loughwood Meeting House: There had been a Baptist Community at the nearby village of Kilmington. They had been harassed by the authorities and had built a small chapel on the Devon Border near Dalwood. This was called the Loughwood Meeting House and it even had an escape route for the minister behind the pulpit.
It was on 15th October 1653 that Baptists in Lyme discussed the formation of their own church. Initially it is thought that they met in each other’s houses one of which was a house and yard in Silver Street bought by Elizabeth Goodman.
First Pastor Executed: One of the earliest pastors was Sampson Larke who was hanged for his part in the Monmouth Rebellion of 1685. Sampson Larke was an old man who served under the Duke of Monmouth as captain of horse. Like all the other condemned men he was transported to the beach to be executed on a hurdle. When his time came he began to speak, but was told ‘he could not expect much time, as there was so much to be done; on which he suddenly concluded, saying, " I will now speak a few words to Him who I am sure will hear me," and commenced his prayer. Shortly after ascending the ladder he was turned off, to the great grief of the townsmen, who had a great respect for him, owing to the uprightness of his character. He left an aged wife to mourn his violent end’. |
The End of Persecution: With the reform of the Tolerance Act in 1689 which abolished compulsory attendance at services in the Church of England the Baptist Community bought a cottage and land on the site of the present church. In 1693 the community was thriving with several of the original founders, including John Goodman, being still alive. On April 12th 1699 John Torr (from Crewkerne) was asked to assume ‘oversight’ over the increasing congregation and in 1708 he was chosen as pastor. On 20th June 1699 the congregation took possession of the land on which the chapel still stands. It was leased from Elizabeth Goodman and consisted of a dwelling house and a garden plot measuring 18 by 24 feet.
Public baptisms were a feature of being a Baptist in Lyme and many confessed their faith before being immersed in the River Lym with the ‘Dipping House’ being on the east bank of the River Lym at the bottom of Woodmead Road on the corner of Windsor Terrace. The place names in the locality keep alive this memory with names such as ‘Jericho’, ‘Bethel’ and ‘Paradise Cottage’. |
John Torr remained as pastor for at least twenty six years when the congregation increased by 86
The Present Building: The present church building (which is now a grade ll listed building) was built of soft local blue lias stone in the middle of the eighteenth century and is plastered over and had its own graveyard. The minutes for 1767 records that ‘three persons were baptised for ye first time in the Baptistery in th Meeting House’. Originally it had ‘horse-box’ pews which were replaced by the current pews in 1881 and the pulpit re-sited to the western end of the church. Also in that year a ‘lecture room’ and ‘classroom’ was added to the side of the church at a cost of £607 16s 3d. The entrance was in the middle of the building facing Silver Street and the gallery was built in the south-east end replacing the balcony which had been on three sides. The pulpit had been in the middle of the wall on the northern side. A vestry was added in 1848 at a cost of £80. The church flourished during the nineteenth century as the membership increased. |
Into the Modern Era: At the start of the twentieth century Lyme was a thriving community. Goods were brought in by sea and transported by horse-drawn wagons up the steep roads of Lyme Regis. Both morning and evening services were well attended and open-air services were held during the summer at the bottom of Broad Street. Sunday School was held on Sunday afternoon as was a women’s Bible Class and a prayer meeting took place every Monday. There was a Wednesday Evening Service followed by Choir Practice and a children’s night on Thursday in the form of ‘Band of Hope’. The young people met on Tuesday or Friday and went into Mill Green in the summer for open-air meetings. The Congregation frequently took the services in other local villages in Charmouth, Morcombelake, Hawkchurch and Harcombe walking to and from them. Mr Pringle also took services at the gypsy camp at Greenway Head and at the Race Meeting at Lambert’s Castle.
In 1912 electric light was installed in the church and during the ministry of Revd H B Case, on 27th April 1927, Harcombe Chapel was sold for £50 to build a Manse in Sherbourne Lane at a cost of £912.
In 1912 electric light was installed in the church and during the ministry of Revd H B Case, on 27th April 1927, Harcombe Chapel was sold for £50 to build a Manse in Sherbourne Lane at a cost of £912.
Two World Wars: The onset of the First World War saw many young men from the congregation on active service. Some never returned and the health of others was ruined. Membership numbers fell as people drifted away from the church. The population of Lyme itself also fell during this period. A new organ was dedicated on April 2nd 1936 after it had been installed at a cost of £444 replacing the one installed in 1866. The Revd W A Edwards became the minister in 1939 as the Second World War started but he died before the end of the year. |
Slow Growth & Expansion: The church membership has remained constant ranging from 62 in 1926 and falling to 46 in 1958 before climbing again to 58 in 1988. The current membership is between 50 to 60.
In 1990 the church bought a small cottage adjoining it to provide two extra small rooms, a piece of land behind the chapel was bought in 1998 and in 2006, after some years of planning, work started to modify and extend the buildings to meet modern needs. |
The entrance was again modified as a driveway was cut through the graveyard. A Church Office was created at the front of the building and the kitchen on the corner of the ‘classroom’ was removed to allow access to land behind. The Classroom was enlarged to include the vestry and a coffee bar created. The small cottage was demolished and a new foyer with toilets and disabled access built. A new modern kitchen was built. The Church was completely redecorated and rewired and a fire alarm installed. Services were held in the small hall for five months enabling this work to take place. Finally in 2008 a new church hall was finished and dedicated ‘To The Glory of God’ on July 2008.