Congregational Chapel (URC)
See also non-conformity and sunday schools.
A congregation was first formed in 1810.
This photo (left) was taken in 1970. Ena Carter had written on the back (in soft pencil), ‘House in Alley (al. Chapel Lane) in use as a CHAPEL in 1839/40.’ She indicated its location on this sketch (right) of a map taken from the deeds of Crown farm.
Origins of the URC present Chapel
Stowupland United Reform Chapel was built in 1850 although there had been an active non-conformist congregation in the parish for many years probably worshipping in Stowmarket Chapel. Indeed, an Independent Sunday school had been in existence probably from at least 1810 thought to have been held at Pendle Cottage.
The origins of the present building go back to a building in 1831 on a slightly different site and a man named William Harbour.
William Harbour was born in Wortham in 1796. By 1841 he was living in Heywood Diss with his wife Martha who died in 1845 and in 1849 he re-married to a Rhoda Booty. In 1851 they were still in Diss, and he is described as a grocer who had also been involved in farming, but he was in financial difficulties. In 1850 he put up a portion of his effects for auction and was said to have left his farm. In 1853 he was declared a bankrupt and spent some time in Norwich gaol. His property in Diss his property being put up for auction. At a debtors court in 1854 he is described as late of Diss grocer, draper & general shopkeeper, farmer. His fortune must have improved as in 1861 he was in Winfarthing Norfolk still a grocer. He also seems to have been active in the Methodist cause in this area as In 1839 “Revd William Harbour from Mendlesham bought a parcel of land at the side of the land that was to become Chapel Road in Old Newton and built a chapel with clay lump. In the tithe apportionment of he is listed as the occupier of the chapel with cottages at Mendlesham.
He had earlier founded a chapel here in Stowupland. This Chapel was fairly short lived however, it first appears in 1831 when William Harbour took possession of a property called Scoltons described as “All those two messuages (now wasted) …. with 1 rood of copyhold land ….. and also, that meeting house or dissenting chapel lately erected and built by the said William Harbour of Diss dissenting minister upon aforesaid hereditaments. In 1846 Harbour mortgaged the property for £100 to Thomas Prentice. Prentice was a member of the Stowmarket family prominent in various businesses in the town and active supporters of the Independent chapel there (later Congregationalist). It is possible that Methodist worship had ceased at this time and Prentice now used the chapel for the Independent congregation.
As we saw Harbour had money problems by the early 1850s and when he finally surrendered Scoltons in 1853 he was said to be “now a prisoner in gaol for debt”.
This chapel was probably very small and Thomas Prentice being able to fund a larger building built a chapel on the present site which was opened on 27th September 1850. This was not on the site of the old Methodist chapel which was in Chapel Lane but on the present site which had belonged to a John Dent and was exchanged with him for Scoltons.
This brief history is based on documents held at Suffolk Archives being notes by Thomas Carter and a summary of deeds and put together by Neil Langridge (2023).
In the 1850’s Thos Prentice was a minister at the Stowupland Chapel. According to the Eccles. Census of 1851 – an Independent Chapel was erected with 170 free sittings there was an average of 135.
Obituary from Bury and Norwich Post – Wednesday 21 July 1852
The death of Mr. Thomas Prentice, announced in our obituary, is an event that demands more than ordinary notice. As an old inhabitant of the town, a member of a highly-respected family, and the head of an important commercial establishment, it is not remarkable that the announcement of his death should be heard with deep concern. He was attacked with paralysis last Sunday week, and has, since that time, lingered in a state of almost entire unconsciousness till he expired on Monday morning. Since his attack, a deep gloom has prevailed throughout our town, in consequence of the high estimation in which Mr. Prentice was held by all classes, on account of his sincere piety, his energetic labours for the temporal and spiritual good of his fellowman, his kindness to the poor, and constant readiness to promote in every way the welfare and improvement of the town. Perhaps it may be said with truth, that our town has never before sustained so severe loss.
Mr T. Prentice was reported to have collapsed at his chapel in Earl Stonham, a meeting house for the Plymouth Brethren, its location is unknown at the present time.
A report in The Illustrated London News, 24th July 1852.
“A couple of Sundays ago, as Mr Thos Prentice was preaching in his own chapel at Stonham, nr Stowmarket, immediately after he had delivered the passage of scripture from which he intended to address his audience, he fell down speechless, & has ever since remained in an unconscious state“
Ena Carter added her own note N.B. plaque in Earl Stonham Plymouth Brethern Chapel.
Our Congregational Chapel as it appeared in 1930 and below in 1970. It was originally built in the early 19th century so one of the earliest buildings for public meetings in Stowupland.
We are grateful to local resident, Joyce Garrod, for sharing this photo of her mother’s outing to Tuddenham Hall in the mid 1930’s. Why they are going we don’t know but they are carrying a large Union Jack and Tuddenham Hall was the residence of Mr Henry Fairfax Harwood who owned the Stowupland Hall Estate.
In his recollections from the early to mid 20th century Leslie Brame recalled the Mother’s Meetings that in his mother would take him to at the Congregational church. He had been born on a very stormy night in October 1914 and as he remembers his mother taking him to the meetings in a pushchair this may have been towards the end of WW1. He recalls the meetings as being very informal, a group of young mothers with their babies gathering together for a chat and singing, such as:
- Let the blessed sunshine in!
- Let the blessed sunshine in!
- Clear the darkened windows, open wide the door!
- let the Sunshine in !
As he grew older he became acquainted with the King James Version of the Bible and he wrote ‘ it was in the language of the people and in my early years I have often heard in the conversation of farmhands and country folk remnants of sixteenth century language. The grammatical usage of thee and thou, wast and wert, ye and thine caused me no difficulty at all’.
Chapel teas were a very social affair with all the chapel ladies pitching in to provide refreshments for up to 150 men, women and children.Jugs of milk and fresh farm butter was provided by Mrs George Carter, ‘churned by herself…other women brought fresh white bread, sandwich fillings such as ham and tongue, cheese, chutney and jam… some women brought baked items like sausage rolls and jam tarts.’ Leslie remembered being responsible for butting the cut rounds of bread, with a whispered instruction from his mother to ‘remember to muck your headlands first’.
Leslie tells us that although ‘matters involving maintenance or additions came under the purview of the Stowmarket Congregational Church Meeting; often matters involving no great expenditure at Stowupland Chapel. a talk between George carter and Will Brame would usually see the job done.’ He adds that one Saturday afternoon with two or three helpers and material supplied by George Carter a bike shed was erected on the side of the chapel. And on another occasion Will ‘brought the varnish and brushes to refresh the paralleling all round the interior of the Chapel, with a stencil and stipple brush to add a suitable motif just above the moulding.‘
Apparently, ‘George Carter took charge of affairs as secretary, treasurer and chairman at the Annual general Meeting. he gave reports on the activities and finances of the Chapel and Sunday School and auxiliary bodies like the Christian Endeavour. There was no discussion and no voting, except unanimous votes of thanks to various people who had contributed to the life of the Chapel community. Not democracy? Who cared? The work got done without fuss!’
AGM’s were usually held on Good Friday afternoons at 2;30. Leslie wrote that in his teens he avoided the accompanying service because of what he described as the purple oratory of the emotional wallowing of the type of appointed preacher. Though he always turned up for the tea. ‘After the tea a plate was passed round for a ‘silver collection’ which meant pennies were not acceptable but three-penny bits were.’
Leslie remembered that in the village chapels around East Suffolk the Harvest Festival ‘in some years was “a moveable feast” in deference to “inclement weather”.’ Some years the words of the hymn might be altered from ‘all is safely gathered in’ to “some” or “most“,’ to take into account the fact that some ‘wheat had had to be left standing in shocks so long in rainy weather that the kernels in their heads were beginning to sprout shoots’ meaning that whilst the straw might be saved for litter in the stables and pigsties the rest had to be ploughed in with the stubble.
The harvest Home ‘was a busy day for the ladies. who spent most of the day decorating the chapel with flowers and fruit. The windows were decorated with Virginia Creepers, ivy, honeysuckle and old man’s beard. Centre front a large table was piled with produce; golden pumpkins, eggs, bright red tomatoes and rosy apples, green cucumbers to cool down the hot colours, a couple of loaves of bread, and a few sacks of potatoes sitting on the floor. On top of everything was a large wheat-sheaf’. George Carter provided a can of milk and a pat of butter but omitted the pile of horse manure.
The URC Chapel more or less as it appears from the A1120 today. Holy Trinity Church stands just a few hundred yards away along the main Road.. They are separated today by houses, The Crown Inn, Stowupland High School and the Village Hall. When they were both first built there were far fewer houses, it was mainly Crown Farm, Crown Inn and a ‘smithy between them.
The front extension was added in the 1970’s at a cost of £5,000. It created a large meeting room, an entrance lobby and a cloakroom. The m.inister was rev Edmund Banyard
At the same time they were raising £250 towards the cost of a new piano.
People associated with the Congregational Chapel
In the 1850’s Thos Prentice was a minister at the Stowupland Chapel
Leslie Alfred Brame, son Mr & Mrs Brame of Church Walk, Stowuplamd . The son of a carpenter Leslie became a missionary traveling to the Far East in the first half of the 20th century.
Rev Miss Phyllis Tee. mid 20th century minister at Stowupland URC. She was born in Canada but came to England when she was one year old.
Miss Ruth Scarfe was organist for 40 years. She died at the age of 69 in 1961.
The Rev Edmund Banyard was the minister in the 1970’s when the front extension was built.
