History of Haddenham Baptist Church

The history of the fellowship of Haddenham Baptist Church dates back to 1653, being received into membership of the Abingdon association in 1655. Members probably met in people’s homes as there is no mention of a dedicated building.

After the death of Cromwell there was a noticeable decline in the non-conformist tradition but they resumed their meetings about 1689. It was at this time that the house of Matthew Dagnall was registered for worship. It is noted that Peter Tyler, a forebear of the builder of the present meeting house attended those meetings.

In 1717 John Dagnall, who used his house for worship, was given 5 shillings by Joseph Collett, minister of Cote Baptist church, towards a meeting house for religious worship by the protestant dissenters called Particular Baptists. A house was built on the site of the present chapel and handed over to John Dagnall as trustee.

There was a decline in religious activity and in 1773 the meeting house was in ruins, finally being pulled down in 1775, it then lay derelict for the next 34 years.

1783 saw a revival mainly due to the preaching of Reverend John Simmonds from Wigan.

A convert of that early church in Haddenham was Richard Oliver, who inherited a cottage which he registered for Baptist worship. A young Peter Tyler, who also was a friend and constant listener of Reverend Peter Scott of Aston Sandford, and possibly the grandson of Peter Tyler former member of the original fellowship attended the church at this time.

By 1807 it was clear the fellowship needed larger premises and fortuitously an aunt left Peter some money which he used, with his brother John, to build the meeting house on the present site at a cost of £360. It took 2 years to complete and was officially opened on 1st November 1809.

In 1812 Haddenham Baptist Church joined the Buckinghamshire association of churches. In 1821 a schoolroom was added as the church had grown to 35 members, and had a Sunday school of ninety children. The present larger schoolroom was built about 1900.

The burial ground, to the east of the meeting house was gifted to the church by Mr Willliam Duncombe in 1832 ’for burying non conformists’.