A congregation was established and a chapel built in the 1770's
under the patronage of Selina, Countess of Huntingdon (and later
maintained by her 'Connexion'). Nevertheless, this chapel, on the
south side of Westgate, closed c1797. It was reopened c1804 and was
supplied with Ministers from Hoxton Academy, the old established
theological college for Dissenters, especially those known as
"Independents". They believed in the 'independence' or autonomy of
each congregation, but by the 1830's the term 'Congregationalism'
was beginning to replace the older name. The chapel in Westgate was
enlarged in 1832, and replaced entirely by a new one on the
opposite side of the street in 1859. This became a member of the
URC when the Congregational and Presbyterian churches nationally
joined together in October 1972
The Westgate Church suffered a setback in January 1861 when some
of the congregation seceded, and established the Trinity
Congregational Church ('Trinity' presumably indicating their main
focus). This church, too, became a member of the URC in 1972, but
its former mission chapel in St Martin's Street transferred to the
newly formed Congregational Federation.
Castor Congregational Church
- Register of Christenings/Births 1867-1963.
Held at Northamptonshire Record Office.
Westgate Congregational Church, Peterborough
- 1809/1810 and 1831-1837: baptism registers.
Held at Peterborough Central Library on microfilm [originals at
the National Archives].
Westgate United Reformed Church, Peterborough
- 1859-1984 : records including minutes and church books
(Reference: 1984/394, 1984/426).
- 1810, 1832-1837: Registers of Christenings/Births.
- 1966-1987: Registers of Marriages.
Held at Northamptonshire Record Office.
Held at the National Archives.
Printed sources:
- Memorials of the Independent Churches in
Northamptonshire by T Coleman (John Snow, 1853).
- Album of the Northamptonshire Congregational Churches
edited by T Stephens (Northants Printing & Publishing Co.,
1894).
- Westgate Church, Peterborough: a brief history
1780-1980 [for the] bi-centenary celebration / [By G
Eyre]. (The Church, 1980).
- A brief history of Westgate Church, Peterborough by R Edwards.
(The Church, 2000).
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