Transcript of the registers of the Independent chapel in Spicer St., St Albans,

The Independent congregation in St Albans held meetings in a cotton mill near the town and subsequently in a barn in Sweet Briar Lane from at least 1794. An Independent Chapel was subsequently erected by subscription in Spicer Street and opened in June 1812.

Sunday School buildings were erected in the 1860s with further premises built in 1888 and a mission room was opened at Bricket Wood in 1884.

Increasing membership lead to the decision to erect another Independent Chapel affiliated to the Congregational Church in St Albans. Trinity Congregational Church was opened in 1903 and for some years the two churches worked closely together. In 1925, however, Spicer Street regained its independence of Trinity, although the Bricket Wood Mission Church remained with Trinity.

In 1965 Spicer Street withdrew from the Congregational Union with which it had been affiliated and became associated with the Evangelical Free Church.

The notable historian of nonconformity in this county, William Urwick, author of Nonconformity in Hertfordshire (1884), was minister of Spicer Street Independent Chapel from 1880-1894.

Source: Access to Archives
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=046-ne4&cid=0&kw=spicer%20street#0

Both registers held at Herts Archives & LIbrary Service (HALS)

Jon Mein
11/10/2010