Presbyterism in Derby in 1700s

[frances1966]

I have a relative called John Bakewell who apparently was a Presbyterian minister. (so the family story goes) I know he was married at Mackworth in 1742 but appart from that I can find nothing more out about him. Could anyone could suggest chapels he might have preached in? ( I should have imagine in the derby/mackworth/allestree area as most of his children seemed to have stayed in this area) or where I could find out more info about Presbyterism in Derbyshire at this time.

[Gardener]

http://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/leisure/record_office/our_collection/
If you scroll down that page you will find  alist of non-conformist holdings at Derbyshire records office. The time period you want is before the Presbyterians got properly organised so you may need to look around a bit to see what chapels were running then.
Since John married ina parish church and his first child was baptised in one too then he may have become non-conformist later on.
Hope this helps a little

[frances1966]

>and his first child was baptised in one too then he may have >become non-conformist later on.

Thanks very much for you help and suggestions.. just wondered how you knew about his  first child? I don't have any baptism info on his children.

[Gardener]

The IGI has a bpt entry for Esther Bakewell 19 Feb 1743 St Edmunds, Allestree, parents John and Esther. Perhaps the other children were not baptised C of E.

[frances1966]

Thanks a lot for that!
I think I can now assume that John Bakewell was based at Allestree. I can see that there was a non comformist chapel there in the 1800s (that was later moved to Burton rd) Now I need to work out if there was a chapel there in the 1700s.
Thanks again fo your help.

[Gardener]

here's another link
http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DBY/DARG/NCRegisters.html

I suppose Duffield is a possibility as it seems to have had a Presbyterian chapel holding records from 1750 onwards. It is a bit to the north of Allestree.

[omskirk]

The problem with Presbyterians is that they were'nt allowed to marry in their own churches till about 1750s but that date could be wrong, they could baptise their children privately at home but records were kept in the ministers private notebook which was his property so lots of presbyterian children are not recorded in the official records, sorry to add to your difficulties.

[frances1966]

Thanks for that info, what an amazing picture of your 4x great grandmother, was it something passed down through your family?
I have the names of the children already through their maternal grandfathers will. I'm really trying to find info on their father, as I think I mentioned before I have a brief family history written down by an old aunt in 1929 in it she states: "......His daughter (Esther Sadler) married the Rev John Bakewell of Bakewell Derbyshire a Presbyterian minister…a relative of  Sir John De Bakewell....."

(I have been able to prove most of what this aunt wrote down as correct so far)


I haven't been able to find a John Bakewell born in Bakewell in the IGI. It looks to me that they were probably based in Allestree where his wifes Esther Sadlers family lived. I wonder if could have preached without a chapel? perhaps if they babtized thier children at home they also worshiped at home? Also wondering if there was any training involved (ie college records) to become a presbytrian minister.

many thanks
Frances Castle
http://www.smallmoonvalley.com/sherwin

[omskirk]

Dear Frances,
                      The Presbyterians were clamped down on in the 1700s so had to practice their religion in "secret" and a lot of this did go on in private houses, as for training, I would'nt know, I have some in my family in the 1700s and I had the devil of a job finding them, but I got lucky in that the minister's books were deposited at Nottingham University but you may not be so lucky Derbyshire Archives at Matlock will have a list of "Churches" tel 01629 585347 good luck.