Chapel Lane Presbyterian/Unitarian, Bradford

 

This Presbyterian, and later Unitarian Chapel, was in the centre of Bradford on Toad Lane/Chapel Lane. Before the extension to the Town Hall was built, Chapel Lane ran from Bridge Street to the bottom of Manchester Road. We do not know when the congregation switched to Unitarianism but when the registers were surrendered in 1837 the Chapel was described as the “formerly Toad Lane Chapel Presbyterian.” A large Gothic style building was erected in 1869 and demolished in 1969.

The following is from ‘The Unitarian Chapels of Yorkshire’ by Charles Hargrove which was published in around 1903:

“The cause was founded by the Rev. Jonas Waterhouse, M.A., who was evicted from the Bradford Parish Church on the enforcement of the Act of Uniformity in 1662. For ten years he and his people met secretly for worship in solitary places in the neighbourhood. In 1672 a room was licensed for worship in Horton Hall, in the occupation of the Sharp family, one of whom, the Rev. Thomas Sharp, M.A., was minister of Mill Hill Chapel from 1677 to 1693. The congregation removed to a chapel erected at Little Horton, in 1689, and thence to the first chapel in Chapel Lane, in 1719. The present chapel was opened on June 3rd, 1869, the preacher being the Rev. Charles Wicksteed,

B.A.”