The Presbyterians recently purchased St. Peter’s Hall, in Theatre Street, as a place of worship. The hall contains about 700 sittings, which are generally all occupied. The Rev. W. A. Mc Allan was ordained minister in 1867, and he preaches with great success to large congregations.
Wesleyans. The Revs. John and Charles Wesley paid their first visit to this city in 1754, but their followers had no settled place of worship here till 1769, when they built a small chapel in Cherry Lane, where the late Dr. Adam Clarke was stationed in 1783, and began to display that vast genius which afterwards astonished the religious world. The Wesleyan Methodists have two chapels, one a very spacious edifice in Lady Lane, and the other, just finished, in Ber Street.
The United Methodist Free Church has two chapels. That in Calvert Street was erected by the Wesleyan Methodists in 1810, and is a large brick edifice with about 1200 sittings, and two houses for the ministers. The other is in Crook’s Place, Heigham, and was opened in 1839, and contains 800 sittings.
The Primitive Methodists have chapels on St. Catherine’s Plain, Cowgate Street, and Dereham Road. The first named, called Lakenham Chapel, was built in 1835, and contains 600 sittings. The second, in Cowgate Street, was built about 20 years since, and contains 300 sittings. The third, on Dereham Road, was built in 1864, on the site of a smaller one, at a cost of £1316, raised by subscription. Sunday schools are connected with all these chapels.
The Unitarians occupy the Octagon Chapel, St. George’s, a handsome building, of the shape implied by its name. It is surmounted by a dome, supported by eight Corinthian pillars. It was erected in 1756, on the site of the old Presbyterian Meeting-house. Dr. John Taylor, and Dr. Enfield (compiler of the Speaker) preached in this chapel. Rev. D. H. Smyth is the minister.
The Society of Friends have a meeting-house in Upper Goat Lane, a fine white-brick structure, with Doric portico, and lighted by a dome lantern.
The Roman Catholics have two chapels. In the last century there was a chapel connected with the palace of the Duke of Norfolk on the site of the present Museum, but it was lost when that property was sold by him. The Roman Catholics raised a subscription and built their present chapel in St. John’s Maddermarket in 1794. It is merely a plain building, but the altar is very handsome. It contains sittings for about 600 people. The services here are carried out with great solemnity, and with a strict adherence to the ritual of the Church of Rome. There is generally a large congregation at divine service. The Rev. Canon Dalton is the officiating priest. He resides near the chapel in a very ancient building that was occupied by the City Sheriff in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. The chapel in Willow Lane, called the Chapel of the Apostles, is a handsome building, erected in 1828. The windows are of stained glass, and the interior decorations are very striking. This chapel is served by Fathers of the Society of Jesus, commonly called Jesuits. It is the custom of that order to change the officiating clergy every few years. The Rev. Mr. Lane of the order was a contemporary of the Rev. Mr. Beaumont, the first priest of St. John’s chapel, during the greater part, if not all, of that gentleman’s lengthened ministry of 62 years, and died about the same time. The congregation is generally larger than at St. John’s Chapel.
Free Christian Church. The Dutch Church, in St. Andrew’s Hall, originally the Conventual Church of the Black Friars, was granted to the Walloon congregation; but they now have service only once a year, when a sermon is preached in Dutch and afterwards in English. During the rest of the year the place is used by the Free Christian Church—Rev. J. Crompton, minister.
The French Church, Queen Street—originally the parochial church of St. Mary Parva, and afterwards a cloth exchange—was granted, in 1637, to the French Protestant refugees. It is now occupied by the receivers of the doctrines enunciated by Emanuel Swedenborg. Mr. E. D. Rogers, leader.
The Jews—who were formerly very numerous in this city—have a handsome synagogue in St. Faith’s Lane, erected in 1849, at a cost of £1600. Rev. S. Caro, minister.