Listed Building record MDR13023 - Melbourne Baptist Church, Chapel Street, Melbourne

Melbourne Baptist Church, Chapel Street, Melbourne, built in 1750. 'The General Baptists have a handsome chapel in Melbourne that seats 700 persons [1857].' (1) There is a General Baptist Chapel situated here on the 1st edition 25" OS map of c. 1880. (2) 'The General Baptist Chapel was erected in 1750 and enlarged in 1832. It will accommodate about 700 persons.' (3) 'The General Baptist congregation originated in Melbourne in 1747, when the church at Barton in the Beans in Leicestershire first sent itinerant preachers. Like its parent church, Melbourne was originally Independent, but both societies were General Baptist by 1760, when the daughter churches of Barton became autonomous. In 1770, Melbourne was one of the founders of the General Baptist New Connexion. The first chapel was built in 1749-50, with various enlargements in the late 18th and 19th centuries. It is said to have been 'virtually rebuilt' and enlarged in 1832. The walls are of stone with later brickwork, rendered at the front and south side. The roof is slate covered. The east front is gabled, with the lower openings alone remaining recognisable as work of 1750 (or possibly 1768). The side wall to the north, where exposed behind the adjacent buildings, has 18th century masonry to the lower half. The interior was entirely refitted in 1832 and later. It has a gallery around three sides.' (4) From the National Heritage List for England: 'SK 38/3925 PARISH OF MELBOURNE CHAPEL STREET 6/57 (West Side) Melbourne Baptist Church II Baptist church. 1750, enlarged 1832, with minor later alterations. Rendered brick, simulated to look like ashlar, with painted stone dressings and rusticated rendered quoins. Slate roof with stone coped gables on plain kneelers. Three bays by three bays with lower bay to west. Main elevation to east is gabled and has a plain first floor sill band and a similar band at eaves level. To ground floor there is a central C18 Venetian window with narrow central light, now blocked, and side lights with fixed C20 windows filled with coloured glass, each with keystones to top. To top of the central light there is an attractive C19 lamp bracket. To either side there are C18 doorcases with raised fillets to the outer edges and raised keystones, each doorcase has a panelled door. Above there are three fixed pane windows below rusticated wedge lintels with keystones. Above again in the gable there is a central stone plaque on plain consoles, inscribed 'General Baptist Chapel, Erected 1750, enlarged 1832'. Just above this is a small moulded circular window. South elevation has two fixed pane windows to ground floor and three similar windows above with rusticated wedge lintels plus keystones. Rear elevation has a lower brick chancel bay with a segment headed doorcase to north and a semi-circular headed window above, plus a similar window to the west wall. Interior has a panelled gallery on wooden columns to three sides and a wide moulded depressed segmental arch into the western bay with banded pilasters to either side from the gallery level upwards. The ceiling is panelled and has an early C19 rose to centre. Nave has simple early C19 box pews. Western bay has an ornate late C19 railing to front and to the pulpit, also with ornate organ behind. There are several wall memorials, including three C18 ones to the east wall. There is one marble and slate memorial with a flat obelisk top to Robert Shevyn who died 1791 and two slate memorials, both with urns to tops, one to Francis Smith who died 1796 and one to Robert Sheffield who died in 1797. The north wall has a slate and white marble memorial to John Pegg who died in 1826, by J Robinson of Derby, and a similar one to John Earp who died in 1836, by J Yates of Leicester. There is another similar, unsigned one, to Thomas Perkins and his daughter Elizabeth, who died in 1792 and 1854. South wall has a coloured marble war memorial and two slate and white marble memorials, one to John Scott who died in 1846, by Bagnall, and one to John Earp who died 1883, signed by Robinson of Derby. Listing NGR: SK3862925372.' (5)