On Sunday 30 March 1851, two censuses were taken. One was the census of the entire population, and the other was the Ecclesiastical Census. This was the only census of religious attendance in England and Wales ever taken by the state; it has never been repeated.
The results were analysed by the civil servant, Horace Mann (1823-1917) and his report was published in January 1854.
It is not possible to calculate from the returns the number of people who attended worship that day. Instead, the census returns show how many attendances there were at each service (morning, afternoon and evening).
Many people will have attended more than one service and it was quite common for people to attend the service of one denomination in the morning and another in the afternoon or evening.
The census was entirely voluntary, and not every church, chapel and meeting house sent in a return. Some vicars felt that the state had no business making such an enquiry, and refused to complete the forms.
The total population was nearly 18 million. 7,261,032 attendances were recorded.
It had been estimated that about 5 million people would be unable to attend a service because they were too young, were sick or were engaged in public employment, so there was a good deal of dismay when it was discovered that in fact well over half the population did not attend any form of religious worship. The Church of England was shocked to learn that about half of those who did attend services in England and Wales went to a Nonconformist meeting.
Nonconformism was stronger than many had suspected. Dissenters had a long lead over the Church of England in the East and North Ridings, in Lincolnshire and Bedfordshire; they were ahead in Huntingdonshire; and were nearly level in Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire and Norfolk [cf History of the Methodist Church in Great Britain (pub 1978) General editors: Rupert Davies, A. Raymond George, Gordon Rupp].
From the 1790s there had been complaints that the clergy were utterly losing their influence in the countryside, and the 1851 census confirmed that this was true in some areas.
The figures caused a great deal of concern at the time – the report commenting that
The form completed by the person making the return can be seen here and further details of the census can be found here.
a sadly formidable proportion of the English people are habitual neglecters of the public ordinances of religion.The churches argued that the census should have been taken at Easter or Christmas, which would have produced much higher figures. On the returns for the Cleveland area where comments were made or average figures for preceding months given, the minister generally claimed that attendance was down on the Sunday of the census.
The form completed by the person making the return can be seen here and further details of the census can be found here.
Great Ayton
All Saints, the ancient Parish Church of Ayton in Cleveland
Free Sittings 240 + Other Sittings 100 = Total Sittings 340
Number attending Divine Service on Sunday 30 March 1851
Morning: 138 General congregation + 46 Sunday scholars =184
No afternoon service
Evening: 155
Joseph Ibbetson, incumbent curate
He notes: “The attendance on the 30th, was decidedly below the average for the last 3 months”
Chapel of St Mary’s, Nunthorpe
an ancient chapel within the parish of Ayton, but under different patronage
Free Sittings 50 + Other Sittings 50 = 100
No morning or evening service
Afternoon: 50
Joseph Ibbetson, perpetual curate
The Friends’ Meeting House, Great Ayton
1135 sq feet, no gallery
Capable of seating 300 people
Morning: 106
Afternoon: 96
No evening meeting
John Richardson, Langbargh near Great Ayton
Primitive Methodist Chapel, Ayton
Built 1822
Free Sittings: 60
Other Sittings: 84
Morning: 56
Afternoon: 60
Evening: 36
Edward Wright, Society Steward
Independent Chapel, Ayton
Free Sittings: 30
Other Sittings: 150
Free space or standing room: 30
Morning: 30
Afternoon: school
Evening: 40
Average attendance of Sunday scholars in past months: 20
James Donaldson, Steward
Wesleyan Methodist (Old Connection) Chapel, Ayton
Built about 1808
Free Sittings: 70
Other Sittings: 102
No free space or standing room
Morning: 21 Sunday scholars
Afternoon: 62 General congregation + 23 Sunday scholars = 85
Evening: 48
John Kilvington, Chapel Steward
Mr Kilvington notes: “This No. rather under the average”, but does not complete the average number of attendants during preceding months
Stokesley
St Peter’s, the ancient parish church of Stokesley
Endowments:
Tithe £1206 (minus the reduction of the last tithe rent [illeg])
Glebe 170
Pew rents none
Fees 12.0.0 [note illeg]
Easter offerings about 3.0.0
Free Sittings: 300
Other Sittings: 600
= 900
Morning: 237 General congregation + 83 Sunday Scholars = 320
Afternoon: 11 General congregation + 83 Sunday scholars = 94
Evening:185
Average number of attendants:
Morning: from 300 to 400
Afternoon: always small
Evening: from 300 to 400
Charles Cator, Rector
Mr Cator notes: “I do not think the congregation was on Sunday the 30th March an average congregation. Three Houses in the Town having the windows closed on account of deaths. There were besides two funerals at which were present 173 persons, and the persons attending funerals seldom attend the public worship on those occasions, besides that there are very many sick at the present time. The afternoon service is attended chiefly by persons attending Baptisms and by the School Children who are catechized publicly.”
Easby Chapel of Ease, late a Methodist chapel
Licensed in 1842, “by the late Archbishop of York, on a lease granted to the Rector of Stokesley at the annual rent of £8, which lease will expire next year viz in 1852”
Erected by the late W Campion, who did reside at Easby, for the Wesleyan Methodists
Free Sittings: 70
Total Sittings: 70
No evening service; alternate afternoon and morning services
Afternoon: 20
Average number of attendants:
Morning: 25
Afternoon: 35
Charles Cator, Rector
Mr Cator notes: “It is a very small hamlet, about three miles from the Parish Church and the congregations vary very much with the state of the weather”
Bethel Chapel (Independent), Stokesley
Built 1809
Free Sittings: 24
Other Sittings: 50
Free space or standing room: 30
No morning service
Afternoon: 70
Evening: 40
Average number of attendants during 6 months:
Afternoon: 80
Evening: 50
No Sunday School attendance recorded
Dan William Evans, Minister
Primitive Methodist Chapel, Stokesley
Built 1835
Free Sittings: 50
Other Sittings: 150
Free space or standing room: 80
Morning: 24 Sunday scholars
Afternoon: 35 General congregation + 14 Sunday scholars = 59
Evening: 85
Average number of attendants during 12 months:
Morning: 30 Sunday scholars
Afternoon: 43 General congregation + 30 Sunday school = 73
Evening: 65 General congregation
Edward Burras, Minister
Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Stokesley
Built 1812
Free Sittings: 256
Other Sittings: 256
Morning: 80 General congregation + 33 Sunday scholars = 113
Afternoon: 45 Sunday scholars
Evening: 137 General congregation
John Haigh, Wesleyan Minister
Easby Wesleyan Methodist Chapel
Built 1842
Free Sittings: 36
Other Sittings: 46
No morning service
Morning: 30
Evening: 20
No Sunday School attendance recorded
George Weatherill, Member
Hutton Rudby
Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Hutton
Built 1759
Free Sittings: 150
Other Sittings: 113
No morning service
Afternoon: 70 General congregation + 37 Sunday scholars = 107
Evening: 41
Average number of attendants:
Afternoon: 100 General congregation + 40 Sunday scholars = 140
Evening: 60
John Smith, Steward
Mr Smith notes: “Size of Chapel 12 yards by 10 yards within”
Primitive Methodist Chapel, Hutton
Built 1821
Free Sittings: 122
Other Sittings: 76
Free space or standing room: 60
No morning or afternoon service
Evening: 150
Average number of attendants during 12 months: 180
William Eden, Steward
The Rev R J Barlow does not seem to have completed the Census forms for the parish churches and attendant chapelries.
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