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Ancestors who wished to be a little bit different by worshiping in any of the alternative religions present their descendants with a problem when they try to push their research back before 1837 and the start of Civil registration. Researchers should consult the relevant specialist publications if they suspect their relatives had moved away from the established Church of England. Many resources for these churches no longer exist or are only to be found in libraries specialising in holding the records for a particular religion.

The Early Dissenters

In common with most rural communities there was not a lot of dissention (to the established church) in Copeland as revealed by the Protestation Returns of 1641 and the enquiries / surveys made by the Bishop of his clergy from time to time.

Such enquiries can be summarised as follows:
There were small numbers of Roman Catholic families in the Copeland district & there were Quaker communities centred on the Cockermouth - Pardshaw area. There was also an early Quaker community in the upper Eskdale / Ulpha district at Woodend on Birker Moor that had its own walled burial ground nearby on the fell side - there was a second burial ground elsewhere in the Duddon valley. This community had its origins in the 1652 visit of George Fox of Swarthmoor near Ulverston.

There was a growing Methodist following in Whitehaven & district after John Wesleys visit of 1749

The Baptists had a following in the south of Copeland in the fell areas between Ulpha & Eskdale associated with the congregation at Hawkeshead Hill. A member of this group, John Wilson & his daughter Susannah both of Low in Ulpha, converted one of the farm outbuildings to a chapel in 1808. The Baptist records, where they exist, have the problem that the members of this church were not baptised until they were adult.

There is a dissenting chapel in Bootle, the Lady Huntingdons connection, that was paid for by Joseph Whitridge (of London) and opened in 1780. It is still open today as a Evangelical Chapel..

The Impact of Migration

As the larger towns such as Whitehaven developed then the number of religions multiplied which were often brought in by the migrant workers.

Irish migrants had come to Whitehaven on the boats used to carry coal to Ireland from the Whitehaven coal pits. Originally they came for the summer harvest season and then returned home but when the potato famine occurred circa 1840 this changed to large scale migration into Whitehaven and then onwards from there.

This movement was true of other places - with a large increase in Catholics associated with the Irish immigrants working in iron mining & manufacture in the Cleator district. Similarly there were substantial Methodist & Bible Christian communities associated with the miners coming from Cornwall & Devon into the Millom district to work in both the Eskdale & Hodbarrow Iron mines.

The list shown below includes those Churches of which I am aware. There must be others.

References:

1. History of Cumbria Methodism, John Burgess, 1980, Titus Wilson
2. Quaker Meeting Houses of the Lake Counties, David M. Butler, 1978, Friends Historical Soc.; ISBN 0.85245.127.x
3. My ancestors were Methodists, William Leary, Society Genealogists Pubs.
4. My ancestors were Quakers, Milligan & Thomas, Society Genealogists Pubs.
5. My ancestors were Congregationalists, David Clifford, Society Genealogists Pubs.
6. Basic facts about tracing your Catholic Ancestry in England, Michael Gandy

Presbyterian Congregational (Irish based)
Society of Friends Meeting house
Catholic - Blessed Virgin started in
Catholic - St.Gregory & St.Patrick - Quay St.
Catholic - St.Begh’s - Coach Rd.
Catholic - St.Mary’s - Kells
Catholic - St.Benidict’s - Mirehouse
Primitive Methodist (Mount Pleasant)
Independent Chapel (Lady Huntingdons)
Wesleyan Methodist Chapel
Wesleyan Association Chapel
Baptist Chapels (last rebuild)
Town Mission
Congregational Chapel
Plymouth Brethren
Christian Brethren
Seamen’s Mission
Hogarth Mission
Kirk Mission
Colliery Mission
There were several other Mission Churches

Workington’s Dissenting Churches

Catholic - Our Lady & St.Michael
Presbyterian Chapel
Independent Chapel
Baptist Chapel
Church of Christ
Congregational
Exclusive Brethren
Free Episcopal Church of England
Plymouth Brethren
Primitive Methodist
Wesleyan Methodist - William St.
Wesleyan Methodist - Westfield
Wesleyan Methodist - Barepot
Welsh Presbyterian
Duke St. Mission

Cleator’s Dissenting Churches

Cleator St.Bega RC
Cleator St.Marys RC

Kiln Brow Methodist
Wesleyan Methodist Chapel
Primitive Methodist - 3rd.Chapel
Primitive Methodist - 4th.Chapel
Wath Brow Mission Church

There have been Congregational and
Presbyterian Chapels in addition to the above

Cockermouth’s Dissenting Churches

St.Joseph RC
Friends Meeting House
Congregational Chapel
Congregational Chapel - rebuilt
Primitive Methodist Chapel
Wesleyan Methodist Chapel

Egremont’s Dissenting Churches
Egremont St.Mary RC
Bigrigg United Methodist Chapel
Egremont Wesleyan Chapel
Egremont United Methodist Chapel

Frizington’s Dissenting Churches
St.Joseph RC
Primitive Methodist Chapel
Wesleyan Methodist Chapel
Christian Brethren Gospel Hall

Harrington’s Dissenting Churches
St.Mary RC
Wesleyan Chapel
Primitive Methodist Chapel
Presbyterian Chapel
Plymouth Brethren

Millom’s Dissenting Churches
Millom - RC
Millom - RC Our Lady & St.James
Primitive Methodist Chapel
Wesleyan Methodist Chapel
Baptist chapel
there were also Bible Christian & Welsh
Calvanist chapels in the town

Other Dissenting Churches
Bootle - Congregational chapel -
(Lady Huntingdons Connection)
Dean - Ullock Wesleyan Chapel
Dean - Pardshaw Wesleyan Chapel
Dean - Pardshaw Hall Friends Meeting
Distington Wesleyan Chapel
Distington - Primitive Methodist Chapel
Eaglesfield - Wesleyan Methodist Chapel
Eskdale - Wesleyan Methodist
Eskdale - Bible Christian
Gosforth - Wesleyan Methodist
Irton with Santon - Methodist Chapel
Lamplugh - Kelton Primitive Methodist Chapel
Moresby - Primitive Methodist Chapel
Parton - Congregational Chapel
Parton - United Methodist Chapel
Parton - Christian Brethren
St.Bees - United Methodist Chapel
Seascale - Wesleyan Chapel