My ancestors married at the "Baptist Chapel Fair Ground, Wakefield" on 31 Jan 1870, according to the "rites and ceremonies of the Baptists by certificate by me Henry Hardin Minister". John Whitaker, Registrar, was a witness in addition to the friend and relative of the couple. The groom's sister married at the same place, ie the "Baptist Chapel Fair Ground, Wakefield", on 10 Jun 1867.
I see an entry in the "Yorkshire Returns of the 1851 Census of Religious Worship" online for the "Baptist Chapel, Top of Fairground, Wakefield. erected 1844." On the other hand, the Wikipedia entry for Wakefield says "the Baptists opened a chapel in George Street in 1844." White's 1837 Directory for Yorkshire West Riding says that "the Fair Ground, where the fortnight Cattle fairs are held, is a spacious area on the west side of Wakefield."
My questions follow. Is the Fairground the same place as the Baptist Chapel in George Street, and did the Baptists continue to use the old name for the location of their Chapel? If not, why were couples being married at the Fairground as late as 1870, when there must have been a Chapel where the ceremony could be held? Can anyone point to the location of the Fairground on a modern map, if it is not the same place as the Baptist Chapel in George St.
Many thanks, Jean
