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A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 6 Part 3, Bramber Rape (North-Eastern Part) Including Crawley New Town. Originally published by Victoria County History, London, 1987.
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NONCONFORMITY.
One recusant was recorded in the 1580s. (fn. 1) In the 1660s at least six parishioners were Quakers, some of them refusing to pay rates and tithes and to have their children baptized; (fn. 2) in 1667-8 Quakers met at John Steere's house in the parish. (fn. 3) Two Baptists were also mentioned in 1662. (fn. 4) In 1676 there were 16 dissenters in the parish, (fn. 5) and in 1724 three Quakers and five Baptists. (fn. 6) The schoolmaster in 1762 was a nonconformist. (fn. 7)
A building was registered for worship by Independents, who included a shopkeeper and a miller, in 1820, (fn. 8) and another, Carylls Farm, in 1853, registration of the latter being cancelled in 1866. (fn. 9) A cottage was being used for a weekly Congregational service on Sundays in 1887. (fn. 10) Stammerham Farm in the west end of the parish was registered for worship by an unnamed sect in 1840. (fn. 11) The brick Methodist chapel at Faygate was built in 1885 by T. A. Denny of Beedingwood in Lower Beeding. (fn. 12) At first Sunday morning services were attended by 30 or 40 people, and in 1940 the building could seat 100. (fn. 13) There was apparently never a resident minister. (fn. 14) By 1962, when Methodist services ceased, congregations had declined to two or three. (fn. 15) The building had previously also been used for Church of England services, and later became an Anglican church. (fn. 16)