Wiltshire Tour - Part 2

Wesley and the Moravian's in Wiltshire.

After spending the morning in the office following chairing the Church Council last night (who said I was on holiday I hear you say!!) a newspaper report in the Wiltshire Gazette and Herald this week fuelled my quest to visit two Moravian Churches this afternoon and a visit to Monks Chapel and an Abbey.

The Moravian Church

The Moravians were originally called the Bohemian Brethren. They had their roots in the Hussite Schism in Bohemia in the fifteenth century. They became a piest movement in the eighteenth century with Count Nicholaus Ludwig von Zizendorf resident in England in 1749-55. The Moravian's retained a form of the episcopate and the Moravian Episcopal Church was recognised by an Act of Parliament in 1749. The worldwide influence of the 18th century Moravian missionaries was extraordinary. One notable example is the impact they had on John Wesley, leading directly to his conversion experience. Wesley's Journal, covering the years 1736-1738, is full of comments of his observations of and encounters with the Moravians (often calling them "the Germans"). A few selections give insight into the characters and spirit of the Moravian movement and its impression on Wesley.

Sunday, January 25, 1736

John Wesley on board a ship bound for America observes the Moravians in the midst of life-threatening storms.

At seven I went to the Germans. I had long before observed the great seriousness of their behaviour. Of their humility they had given a continual proof, by performing those servile offices for the other passengers, which none of the English would undertake; for which they desired, and would receive no pay, saying, "it was good for their proud hearts," and "their loving Saviour had done more for them." And every day had given them occasion of showing a meekness which no injury could move. If they were pushed, struck, or thrown down, they rose again and went away; but no complaint was found in their mouth. There was now an opportunity of trying whether they were delivered from the Spirit of fear, as well as from that of pride, anger, and revenge. In the midst of the psalm wherewith their service began, the sea broke over, split the main-sail in pieces, covered the ship, and poured in between the decks, as if the great deep had already swallowed us up. A terrible screaming began among the English. The Germans calmly sung on. I asked one of them afterwards, "Was you not afraid?" He answered, "I thank God, no." I asked, "But were not your women and children afraid?" He replied, mildly, "No; our women and children are not afraid to die."
From them I went to their crying, trembling neighbours, and pointed out to them the difference in the hour of trial, between him that feareth God, and him that feareth him not. At twelve the wind fell. This was the most glorious day which I have hitherto seen.

Tuesday, February 24, 1736

In Savannah, Georgia

At our return the next day, (Mr. Quincy being then in the house wherein we afterwards were,) Mr. Delamotte and I took up our lodging with the Germans (the Moravians). We had now an opportunity, day by day, of observing their whole behaviour. For we were in one room with them from morning to night, unless for the little time I spent in walking. They were always employed, always cheerful themselves, and in good humour with one another; they had put away all anger and strife, and wrath, and bitterness, and clamour, and evil-speaking; they walked worthy of the vocation wherewith they were called, and adorned the Gospel of our Lord in all things.

Saturday, February 28, 1736

In Savannah, Georgia

They met to consult concerning the affairs of their Church; Mr. Spangenberg being shortly to go to Pennsylvania, and Bishop Nitschman to return to Germany. After several hours spent in conference and prayer, they proceeded to the election and ordination of a Bishop. The great simplicity, as well as solemnity, of the whole, almost made me forget the seventeen hundred years between, and imagine myself in one of those assemblies where form and state were not; but Paul the tent-maker, or Peter the fisherman, presided; yet with the demonstration of the Spirit and of power.
Peter Bohler established a Moravian Society in Fetter Lane in 1738 where he exercised a great influence on John Wesley.

Saturday, March 4, 1738

I found my brother at Oxford, recovering from his pleurisy; and with him Peter Boehler; by whom (in the hand of the great God) I was, on Sunday, the 5th, clearly convinced of unbelief, of the want of that faith whereby alone we are saved.
Immediately it struck into my mind, "Leave off preaching. How can you preach to others, who have not faith yourself?" I asked Boehler, whether he thought I should leave it off or not. He answered "By no means." I asked, "But what can I preach?" He said, "Preach faith till you have it; and then, because you have it, you will preach faith

Wednesday and Thursday, May 3-4, 1738

London, England

My brother had a long and particular conversation with Peter Boehler. And it now pleased God to open his eyes; so that he also saw clearly what was the nature of that one true living faith, whereby alone, "through grace, we are saved."

Moravian Church, East Tytherton

Manse, Chapel, School Room

Wesley visited the German Moravian Society in Herrnhut in 1738 and inspired by their "service for The Cup of Covenant" when they renewed their unity and commitment to the service of Christ. Adapted it into the Methodist "Covenant" Service. However Wesley broke the connection in 1740. Just after this John Cennick who in 1737 had a religious conversion became one of John Wesley's first lay preachers. Cennick who had been appointed as a teacher of a school for colliers' children at Kingswood when disputes arose between Wesley and another senior Wesleyan preacher George Whitfield. Their followers separated into two groups. John Cennick began to doubt the infallibility of his teachers and became a disciple of Count Zinzendorf.


By 1745 he became a Moravian and built the Clergyman's House, the Chapel and a boarding school for young ladies in East Tytherton who were taught music and sewing etc. Separated by the garden was the sisters' house, occupied entirely by females employed in work. The chief amusement was music. A new home for the single sisters was built 1785-6 and in 1792-3 the former Chapel and manse were rebuilt. The present buildings were built in 1792-4 and are of red brick with ashlar dressings and stone slate roofs. The Chapel is single storey and two 2 storey houses are attached at each end. There is a small timber bell cote at the east end of the manse. The buildings to the left are in Flemish Bond brickwork and to the right are English Bond. The Chapel was founded in 1792-3. The church cottage appears to be the girls' school, added in 1793-4 and extended or altered later. The Church still retains its' original organ and gallery inside. Through his work in the village John Cennick became one of the founders of the Moravian Church in England and by the time of Cennick death, at the age of 36 he had established over 40 churches.

Moravian Church, Oxford Street, Malmesbury

John Cennick

In 1742 John Cennick started a religious society in Malmesbury and invited the Moravian Brethren to take charge of the congregation in 1745.Amazingly, this community in Malmesbury is one of the few to survive in the UK. This view of the chapel is in fact the old school-room, and was until recently used and shared by the Society of Friends, but is now up for sale.

Cennick started other societies in north Wiltshire but these faded after his death in 1755 and only the Malmesbury group continued. A chapel was built in 1770 and a schoolroom added in 1860. The congregation left its chapel in the mid 1990s but continue to hold services with the Society of Friends nearby.

A quick visit whilst we are in Malmesbury to the Abbey - For some reason Anne won't let me go to the Abbey Gardens something to do with the "naked gardeners" who only wear their "Birthday" suits whilst working in the grounds!!

Malmesbury Abbey

Dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Paul.Malmesbury Abbey was one of the few English houses with a continual history from the 7th century through to the Dissolution of the Monasteries
There is always time for a cuppa - so after a slice of cake and a cup of tea we move on to a "Dissenter Chapel"

Monks Chapel, near Corsham

Monks Chapel has remained a place of Christian Worship since it was built by the Quakers in 1662. Situated just over five miles from the Town of Chippenham, it was built in response to the Five Mile Act passed by Parliament. I am surprised I have never visited it before

At that time King Charles II was on the throne, and his Parliament took it upon themselves to revise the English Prayer Book. As a consequence Ministers were required to use "fixed forms of service" and give their agreement and consent to the New Book of Common Prayer.

As a result thousands of Ministers across the Country left the established Church, or were evicted from their posts for rejecting the new rulings on their beliefs and freedom to worship.

Later that year Parliament passed the Five Mile Act. This meant Ministers had to take an oath and promise that they would not interfere or try to change the Government of the Church. Any Ministers refusing to take the oath were barred from entering any Town or Borough, and had to stay a minimum of five miles outside of the Towns boundary.

The Act of Toleration was passed in 1689 and later on in 1690 the Independents came to own Monks Chapel.

In 1662 the Parliament of King Charles II revised the English Prayer Book and required ministers to use fixed forms of service and consent to the new Book of Common Prayer. Some 2000 ministers felt obliged to leave the Established Church and many more "Dissenters1" were ejected from their livings because they would not accept this new ruling on belief and worship.
In this same year the Five Mile Act was also passed by Parliament, and that required all ministers to take an oath that they would not at any time seek to alter the government of the church. Those who refused to do so were not allowed to come within five miles of any town or borough.


The Quakers built Monks Chapel in 1662 outside the five mile radius of the Borough Town, Chippenham, to conform to the Act. In 1689 the Act of Toleration was passed and Dissenters were permitted to hold services in licensed meeting houses and to maintain their own preachers (if they would subscribe to certain oaths) in England and Wales. But until 1828 such preachers remained subject to the Test Act, which required all civil and military officers to be communicants of the Church of England, and to take oaths of supremacy and allegiance. Though this act was aimed primarily at Roman Catholics, it nevertheless excluded Dissenters[1] as well. Many non conformists fled to America from Britain during the 18th century.The Liberal Democrat party can trace its origins to these religious dissenters, who supported the Whig politicians in the 18th and 19th centuries in their push for greater civil and religious rights.

In 1690 the Independents came to own Monks when the Vicar of nearby Castle Combe had a Son called Benjamin Flowers, who refused to accept the revised English Prayer Book, and was turfed out of his post in Cardiff, South Wales. He came home and made Corsham a centre for Independent Worship and Preaching. The United Reformed Church still own and cherish the Chapel and regular services are held on Sunday afternoon's. In the early days, people gathering for worship spent the day at Monks, bringing their mid-day meal and heating it at the fireplace which served also to warm the chapel. This fireplace has now been closed in but the chimney can still be seen. From the high pulpit the preacher had a good view of the surrounding countryside and he could make his way to safety if the chapel was raided by troublemakers.
[1] Dissenter refers to a number of Protestant denominations -- Presbyterians, Baptists, Quakers, Congregationalists, and others -- which, because they refused to take the Anglican communion or to conform to the tenets of the restored Church of England in 1662, were subjected to persecution under various acts passed by the Cavalier Parliament between 1661 and 1665.

Lacock Abbey

Our final stop of the day was a visit to one of my favourite places Lacock, just 3 miles from Chippenham, a village owned by the National Trust. Lacock Abbey was dedicated to St Mary and St Bernard, and was founded in 1229 by the widowed Lady Ela the Countess of Salisbury, who laid the abbey's first stone 16 April 1232, in the reign of King Henry III Her late husband was an illegitimate son of King Henry II. The abbey was founded in Snail's Meadow and the first of the nuns were veiled in 1232. The Abbey prospered throughout the Middle Ages. The rich farmlands which it had received from Ela ensured it a sizeable income from wool,
Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the mid-16th century, Henry VIII sold it to Sir William William Sharington who converted it into a house starting in 1539 by demolishing the abbey church.

The house eventually passed to the Talbot family. It is most often associated with amateur scientist and inventor William Henry Fox Talbot who in 1835 made what may be the earliest surviving photographic camera negative - a view of the oriel window in the south gallery of the Abbey.

Lacock village has been the venue for many film makers, The Cranford Chronicles, was filmed here as was some of the shots in the Harry Potter movie, Larkrise to Candleford and Lost in Austen.