Building record 469 - Baptist Chapel, Hill Cliffe, Appleton.

Baptist Chapel, Hill Cliffe, Appleton.Alleged to have existed at the time of the reformation.'Probably the oldest Baptist Church in the United Kingdom'(1).Beamont refutes this early dating (2). Field at Hull Cliffe leased by non-conformists in 1661 & by 1663 was in use as a cemetery for Anabaptists.A deed of 1663 refers to the conversion of a house & buildings on the land for their use.This was the first site of meeting after the grant of indulgence in 1671-2.The chapel was rebuilt in 1694 & 1830 & enlarged in 1841.A house for the minister adjoining the chapel was built in 1735 & rebuilt in 1847.The oldest gravestones date back to 1664, but there are some with earlier forged dates (3). Said to exist at the time of the Reformation. First minister died in 1594. Cromwell supposedly worshipped here. Chapel suffered severe persecution under the Stuarts & an underground refuge was built during the Civil War (4). Illustration of chapel in 17th century & ref to rebuilding of chapel in 19th century (4). Present chapel modern. No evidence of earlier building (5).
John Wigan, doyen of early Baptist activity in the vicinity of Manchester, may have been founder, aquired the site in 1663.
Monuments in the graveyard read:
[1] Maria Heslopp, 1664/5
[2] Elizabeth Pycroft, 1714 (defaced c.1905 to show 1522) (6).

<1> Stokes W, 1855, History of Midland Association of Baptist Churches, /163-4 (Book). SCH1428.

<2> Beamont W, 1877, An Account of the Cheshire township of Appleton since the Norman Conquest, /37-41+47-8 (Book). SCH3837.

<3> Beamont W, 1887, A Retrospect of Warrington, /38 (Book). SCH108.

<4> Chester Archaeological Society, Journal of the Chester Archaeological Society, Kendrick J 1885 3/292-6 (Journal/Periodical). SCH1595.

<5> Ordnance Survey, 1870-1982, Ordnance Survey Archaeological Record Card, SJ68NW52/1960 (Index). SCH2487.

<6> Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England (RCHME), 1994, An Inventory of Non-Conformist Chapels and Meeting Houses in the North of England, Cheshire Number 8 (Book). SCH4548.