Lawley: Nonconformity

NONCONFORMITY.

It seems to have been the Darbys who introduced their employees at Newdale to the Society of Friends. Buildings there were licensed for Quaker meetings in 1762 (fn. 1) but it may have been 1768 before a regular meeting was established. (fn. 2) In 1798 attendance was 24, mainly the Reynolds family and their senior employees. (fn. 3) A new meeting house at Newdale was built c. 1814 (fn. 4) but closed in 1843 when the meeting united with that at Coalbrookdale. (fn. 5)

J. W. Fletcher, the Methodist vicar of Madeley 1760-85, preached at Horsehay, (fn. 6) which by 1813 was a Wesleyan preaching place associated with Little Wenlock. (fn. 7) A brick chapel was built c. 1816 (fn. 8) at Spring Village, near Horsehay. On Census Sunday 1851 100 attended in the morning and 150 in the evening. (fn. 9) It closed in 1968 and the congregation joined the former Primitive society at Moreton's Coppice. (fn. 10) A Wesleyan society was formed at Lawley Bank in 1798 (fn. 11) and a chapel, presumably Wesleyan, was built c. 1818 (fn. 12) on the south side of the road from Lawley (later Station Road) near the junction with Milners Lane. (fn. 13) About 1840 the congregation moved to a new chapel nearby, just in Dawley parish. (fn. 14) By 1882 there was a Sunday school on the old site. (fn. 15) There was regular Wesleyan preaching at Newdale by 1813. (fn. 16) A society was active there in the 1840s, (fn. 17) and by 1881 used borrowed premises (fn. 18) as a chapel. (fn. 19) It expired in 1924 (fn. 20) when only four members remained. (fn. 21) A Wesleyan society was formed at Lawley Furnaces c. 1840. (fn. 22) In 1881 there were regular services there in a borrowed room (fn. 23) but the society expired c. 1892. (fn. 24)

A New Connexion society formed at Lawley Bank c. 1837 and opened a chapel in 1839 (fn. 25) on the east side of Milners Lane. (fn. 26) On Census Sunday 1851 100 attended in the morning and 130 in the evening. (fn. 27) Called Mount Gilead by 1875, (fn. 28) the chapel closed c. 1911, (fn. 29) became a Baptist Sunday school, (fn. 30) and was demolished in 1938. (fn. 31)

There were Primitive societies at Lawley Common, Newdale, Lawley Bank, and Lawley between 1838 and 1842. (fn. 32) Lawley Bank was active in 1845, when the 'chapel' was repaired. (fn. 33) At Lawley village in 1862 there were hopes of building a chapel; (fn. 34) they were not realized but the society still existed in 1890. (fn. 35)