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"The first event that created a little diversity in the two parishes, and probably elsewhere in the dales, on religious subjects was the Act of Uniformity which passed into law on the 17th May and was enforced on the 24th of August, or St. Bartholomew's Day, 1662, by which 2000 Presbyterian and Independent Ministers lost their preferments and were ejected from their livings just before the Michaelmas tithes were paid. The Rev. John Fell, who at that time was Vicar of Alston, was an Episcopalian, or one of the conforming ministers; but the Rev. Nathaniel Burnard was a Non-conformist, and, in consequence, was ejected from the Brampton Vicarage. According to Calamy, " Burnard retired to the desert places in Austin-Moor, and there took a farm, which he managed carefully for the subsistence of his family; on the Lord's Day preaching in his own house, afterwards at Burneston in public, where he was connived at. At length, Providence favouring Sir W. Blacket in his lead mines, he fixed him there to preach to his miners, with an allowance of £30 per annum. He had great success among those ignorant creatures and did much good. But when the mines failed, being again at a loss, he came up to London, and from thence went for some time to a congregation at Harwich. But age coming upon him, he at length came to London again, and subsisted upon the charity of well disposed Christians, till death gave him quietus."
In the above extract it is not expressly stated that Burnard took a farm in Garrigill, though that is highly probable. His preaching would be less likely to be interfered with there than at Alston, and the result was to introduce Dissenters into Garrigill but not into the town of Alston. It is also stated that he preached in his own house. If this statement of Calamy's is correct, it could not possibly have been in the Chapel cottage represented in Mr. Dickinson's photograph of which an autotype is given in Mr. Whitehead's paper: for it has never been a farm house, nor have there ever been any farm buildings connected with it. The Conventicle Act was passed on the 17th of May, 1664, and its enforcement would prevent Mr. Burnard from preaching in his own house or in a chapel to more than five persons. Charles' proclamation on the 15th and 16th March, 1672, of a declaration of liberty of conscience to dissenters was a step in order to pave the way for the introduction of Roman Catholic worship into the country. Notwithstanding the opposition of Parliament it would produce a considerable effect and probably occasioned a less rigorous enforcement of the penal laws.. Perhaps his preaching at Burnestone, which was connived at, was ventured upon after Charles' proclamation, some nine years after he left Brampton.
It appears from Calamy's statement that Burnard left Garrigill either for East or West Allendale and remained there until the mines became poor. From another source we have a tradition that there was much poverty among the miners of Allendale during the latter part of the 17th century. It is therefore probable that Burnard left Allendale for London about the year 1690.
Mr. Burnard was succeeded at Garrigill by the Rev. Thomas Dawes, who, according to the Congregational Magazine " preached, in times of persecution, at different houses in the neighbourhood, and towards the close of his life in a newly-erected meeting-house at Garrigill." The meeting-house could only have been erected after the Toleration Act was passed on the 19th April, 1689. By this Act all Dissenting places of worship had to be licensed. It is the cottage chapel' which Mr. Whitehead has mistaken for Burnard's farm-house residence. It has evidently been raised a little when it was converted into a cottage about the latter part of the last century. The engraving opposite is an attempt to restore it (from Mr. Dickinson's photograph) to its original appearance. It was probably covered with " ling heather thatch," as there are some reasons to suppose many of the cottage houses and buildings were in the seventeenth century. Mr. Dawes was succeeded by four ministers, whose names I have not been able to obtain.
In 1749 the Red Wing Estate was purchased for the Dissenters. The deed of trust is dated the 1st of May of that year, in which " it is declared that the Redwing Estate was purchased by and conveyed to Joseph Emerson upon trust for the congregation of Protestant Dissenters dwelling within the limits and boundaries of Alston Moor, who from time to time and statedly assemble for the performance of Divine Worship at their meeting-house or place of worship at Loaning Head or Upper Dodberry in Alston Moor aforesaid." This deed further states that the Rev. James Richey was then the minister. The present chapel was built on this estate in 1754. After the Loaning Head Chapel was abandoned it was probably used as a mine shop for a few years by Ralph Watson and Company.
Mr. John Dickinson, one of the Garrigill Independents was appointed moor master in 1790. He was one of the principal persons who established the Independents in Alston town. Their first meetings were held in a large room at the Alston factory. According to Whellan, the first chapel was built in 1804, which date receives support from manuscript notes written by the late John Millican, Sen., Nenthead. In 1804, Mr. Millican was Mr. William Todd's book-keeper in the factory. The present chapel "was built about 1811, and the deed of conveyance of the ground and chapel is dated l0th May of that year." It was greatly enlarged and improved in 1845.
The Rev. James Richey "appears to have been succeeded by the Rev. Timothy Nelson, who continued to be the minister at Redwing until the latter part of the year 1800, for in a letter dated 2nd October of that year to Mr. Jos. Dickinson, of Loveladyshield, he states that he is about to resign the pastoral charge of the congregation." The following is a list of the Congregational Ministers at Alston and Garrigill :-
William Morris, 1800 to 1815; Jonathan Harpur, 1815 to 1858; R. E. Long, 1858 to 1860 ; J. Harker, 1861 to 1871 ; G. Wood, 1872 to 1873; F. Lamb, 1874 to 1877; W. Harris, 1877, the present minister."
(Alston Moor - Its pastoral people, its mines and miners : William Wallace 1890)
#1 Register of Baptisms and Burials of Redwing Chapel and Alston Chapel 1763 - 1830 transcribed by John Walton Robinson and Edwin Dodds 1909
#2 Information from the 1988 IGI for Cumberland
#3 Information from IGI online August 2002
#4 Information from Michael Wardell's website containing details of the Vipond s
#5 A list of funerals at the Chapel of Redwing 1782 - 1802
A list of funerals at Redwing Meeting
House, Garrigill 1821 - 1836
A list of funerals at the Independent
Chapel, Alston 1821 - 1837
Microfilm of the above viewed at
Carlisle record office - no Swind(a)les found
#6 A list of Births and Baptisms in Alston Moor in the
course of the Ministry of Revd Timothy Nelson who officiated at Redwing in
Garrigill from August 1763 until April 1801 (No Swind(a)le found)
.....Wm Norris Alston and
Garrigill 1801-1808, 1808-1814
.....Jonathan Harper 1815-1816
Dissenting Protestants (United
Congregation) at Redwing in the Chapelry of Garrigill and at Alston in the
Parish of Alston
| 1768 Feb 23 | Thomas, s. of | Jacob and Ann Vipond | #3 |
| 1769 Jul 2 | Hannah, d. of | Jacob and Ann Vipond | #3 |
| 1771 Mar 15 | Betty, d. of | Jacob and Ann Vipond | #3 |
| 1772 Oct 15 | Jane, d. of | Jacob and Ann Vipond | #3 |
| 1774 Apr 17 | Ann, d. of | Jacob and Ann Vipond | #3 |
| 1776 Jun 16 | Mary, d. of | Jacob and Ann Vipond | #3 |
| 1778 Mar 15 | John, s. of | Jacob and Ann Vipond | #3 |
| 1780 Feb 3 | Susan, d. of | Jacob and Ann Vipond | #3 |
| 1783 Apr 20 | Sarah, d. of | Jacob and Ann Vipond | #3 |
| 1786 Apr 2 | Jacob, s. of | Jacob and Ann Vipond | #3 |
| 1818 Oct 9 | Craig, s. of | Francis & Margaret Swindle (late Craig) of Bochim, Allendale, Northumberland Born March 28 1815. Lead Ore-smelter | #1, #2, #6 |
| 1820 March 20 | Edward, s.of | William Greenwell and Sarah Bell | #2 |
| 1820 Sep 9 | Barbara, d. of | Frank & Margaret Swindle (late Craig) of Bochim, Allendale, Northumberland Born March 29 1820 Miner | #1, #6 |
| 1821 Jun 9 | Jane, d.o. |
William Greenwell and Sarah Bell of High Nentberry, Blacksmith born 1820 Nov 15 in Alston |
#2, #6 |
| 1822 Dec 25 | Isabella, d.o. |
William Watson and Hannah Parmeley of Howburn, miner born 1822 Oct 9 in the Chapelry of Garrigill |
#6 |
| {1823 | Mary, d. o. | William Watson - NOT FOUND} | |
| 1824 Aug 30 | Elizabeth, d.o. |
William Watson and Isabella Lee of East Skelgill, miner born 16 Aug 1824 in Alston |
#6 |
| 1824 Oct 10 |
Susannah, d. of Susan |
John & Mary Swindle (late Stout) Garrigill Gate, Miner Born Octr 10, 1824 | #1 #2, #6 |
| 1825 Feb 25 | Elizabeth, d.o. |
William Watson and Hannah Parmerly of Howburn, Lead Ore Miner born 17 Jan 1825 in Alston |
#6 |
| 1825 Jul 29 | Jane, d. of | Francis & Margt Swindle (late Craig), Bochim, Allendale, Northumd Miner Born June 14 1824 | #1, #2, #6 |
| 1826 Jun 20 | Margaret, d.o. | William Greenwell and Sarah Bell | #2 |
| 1827 Jul 15 | George, s. of | George & Mary Swindle (late Archer), Middlehouse, Garrigill, Lead Ore Miner Born June 17 1826 | #1, #2, #6 |
| 1829 Feb 1 | John, s. of | John & Mary Swindle (late Stout), Middlehouses Miner Born Dec 25 1828 | #1, #2, #6 |
| 1829 Feb 1 | Wm, s. of | George & Mary Swindle (late Archer), Middlehouses Miner Born May 29 1828 | #1, #2, #6 |
| 1829 Aug 25 | Joseph, s. of |
Francis&
Mary Swindle
(late Henderson), Nenthead Lead Ore Smelter
Born |
#1, #2, #6 |
| 1832 Jan 01 | Susan, d.o. |
George
Swindle and
Mary Archer of
Middlehouses Lead Ore Miner born 22 Nov 1831 |
#2, #6 |
| 1832 Jan 01 | Tamar, d.o. |
John Swindle and
Mary Stout of
Middlehouses, Lead Ore Miner born 12 May 1831 |
#2, #6 |
| 1834 Apr13 | Susan, d.o. |
John Swindle and
Mary Stout of
Middlehouses, Lead Ore Miner born 8 Nov 1833 |
#2, #6 |
| 1834 Aug 15 | Peggy, d.o |
Francis Swindle
and Mary
Henderson of Nenthead, Smelter born 27 Feb 1830 |
#2, #6 |
| 1834 Aug 15 | Jane, d.o. |
Francis Swindle and
Mary
Henderson of Nenthead, Smelter born 21 Sep 1833 |
#2, #6 |
| 1836 Sep 17 | Francis, s.o. |
Francis Swindle
and Mary
Henderson of Nenthead, Smelter born 25 May 1836 |
#2, #6 |
| 1836 Oct 22 | Mary, d.o. |
John Swindle and
Mary Stout of
Middlehouses born 25 December 1835 |
#2, #6 |
| 1836 Sep 17 | Ann, d. o. |
William Proud and Margaret Swindle at Nenthead, Lead Ore Smelter born 31 July 1835 |
#6 |
Burials
| 1789 Apr 8 | Jacob Vipond of Craig Shield | #4 | |