Congregational Chapel

Cam Congregational Church in the village of Upper Cam near the market town of Dursley, Gloucestershire. Founded in 1662, and originally known as Cam Independent Meeting, it was the first Nonconformist chapel in the area. It is a Grade II Listed Building in Cam, Gloucestershire, England.

Cam Independent Chapel for example was built in 1702 on land donated by the clothier William Hicks. Records from 1776-1972 are held by Gloucestershire Archives. They include: certificates of registry of deaths 1882-1972; minutes 1903-1934; accounts 1776-1921 and pew rent books 1791-1944; Sunday School minutes 1892-1914, accounts 1891-1908 and attendance registers 1913-1922; papers concerning the history of the church, including account of its history from the 17th to 19th centuries (1933), and notes on the organ, including a photograph (2005). It also contains records of Dursley Water Street Charity School: accounts 1758-1887; trustees' minutes 1822-1873. In June 2008, Cotswold Community Church members joined with Cam Congregational Church and the chapel was later renamed 3C Community Church.

From 1662 to 2008 there have been twenty two ordained ministers at Cam Congregational Church. The first minister was appointed in 1702 was Joseph Twemlow, who was born in Cheshire in 1673. The first record of his pastorate was to baptize Hannah Harper on 7 June 1702. He also opened a school in his own house in 1715 for teaching poor children of Protestant Dissenters in the Dursley area in Water Street, where it provided education for local children for the next hundred and seventy two years. After this it became the Twemlow Trust, giving grants to children and young people to help with their education and training. Retiring in 1738 and died on 22 August 1740 aged 67 and is buried in the churchyard. Nicholas Martyn became the next pastor in 1738, and received the annual sum of £40. In 1745, he was succeeded by Hornblower, who was ordained in 1745 and whose ministry ended in 1766. The next minister was Rev Perry Bartlett from 1767. Bartlett stayed until 1771 when he was succeeded by William Billingsley in 1772, but Billingsley died of tuberculosis in 1776. Rev John Thomas became pastor and s

Data from Wikidata (CC0). Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).