1840. This new and commodious Congregational Chapel was built and
opened for Divine Worship in 1841, under the pastorship of that
excellent minister the Rev. James Dawson, who held that increasingly
arduous appointment for a period of forty years. The yearly increasing
numbers of the members of this Christian Church, after Mr. Dawson
had been thoroughly engrafted into his truly earnest and evangelical
work, made it necessary that three enlargements of the old chapel were
required; for, as the minister's popularity increased, his chapel
became so inconveniently filled that the heads of the connexion took
sweet council together, and determined upon erecting a much larger
chapel, more suited to their requirements. The present chapel contains
about 1,200 sittings, and there is an excellent Sunday school connected
with this respectable body of worshippers, instructing in spiritual
grace upwards of 400 children. Mr. Dawson only lived three years after
the opening of the new chapel to enjoy the spiritual fruits of a long
life of affectionate zeal and energy on behalf of those immortal souls
committed to his charge. This handsome brick structure cost £3,500,
raised by the congregation, and happily is quite free from incumbrance.
It is in the recollection of some of the oldest inhabitants that the
establishment of this sanctuary arose in consequence of a split or
religious disagreement occurring amongst the Unitarian congregation in
Wolverhampton Street at that period, which ended in the secession of
many of its communion. The Rev. G. M. Fox, B.A., is the present most
indefatigable minister.