Shrewsbury Unitarian Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Shrewsbury Unitarian Church |
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Façade
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| 52°42′26″N 2°45′12″W / 52.7073°N 2.7533°W | |
| OS grid reference | SJ4912 |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Unitarian |
| History | |
| Founded | 1662 |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II listed |
The Shrewsbury Unitarian Church is a historic building located on High Street in Shrewsbury, England. It is a Grade II listed building, which means it is considered very important and protected. This church, also known as a meeting house, has a long and interesting history.
It was first established in 1662. Two ministers, the Reverend Francis Tallents and the Reverend John Bryan, started it. They were "dissenters," meaning they had different religious beliefs from the main Church of England at the time. They had been removed from other churches in Shrewsbury.
Contents
A Long History
The original church building faced a tough challenge in 1715. It was destroyed by a group of people who supported the Jacobite cause. However, the community quickly rebuilt it in the very same year. This showed how important the church was to its members.
The entire building was rebuilt again between 1839 and 1840. A local architect named John Carline, Jnr designed the new structure. The money for this rebuilding project came from the government of King George the First.
A town map from 1882 shows that the church once had a small courtyard. This courtyard was removed later when High Street was made wider. At that time, the church could seat about 350 people. In 1885, the church got its current stone front. Another local architect, A.B. Deakin, designed this new facade.
Famous Visitors
Over the years, some very famous people have had connections to Shrewsbury Unitarian Church.
Samuel Coleridge's Short Stay
In 1798, the famous poet Samuel Coleridge became a minister at the church. He was paid £120 a year for this role. A young man named William Hazlitt, who was 19 at the time, wrote about Coleridge's first sermon. Coleridge arrived in Shrewsbury on a Saturday evening, January 13. He preached his first sermon the next day, January 14. He gave two more sermons on January 21 and 28.
Coleridge's time in Shrewsbury was very short, lasting just over two weeks. He left on January 29 to go to Cote House near Bristol. He was offered £150 a year by Thomas Wedgwood to stop being a minister and focus on writing poetry and studying philosophy.
Charles Darwin's Childhood Church
The famous scientist Charles Darwin also attended this church. He worshipped there until he was eight years old. His mother passed away in 1817, which was when he stopped attending.
External Links
- Website
