The Chapels Society Newsletter is published four times a year in February, May, August and November, containing information about events of interest to members, short articles of original research, and reviews of books and other shorter publications such as individual chapel histories.
Publications List
Sitting in Chapel (The Chapels Society Journal Volume 1) edited by Chris Skidmore. This volume contains essays by Christopher Wakeling, David M Butler, Ian Serjeant, Jeremy Lake and Angela Connelly is based on the papers given at the Sitting in Chapel Conference held in Birmingham in 2012.
Building the Church (The Chapels Society Journal Volume 2) edited by Chris Skidmore. The volume contains essays on James Weir: a Wesleyan Architect (Alan Brooks), The Building of Wesley Memorial Church, Oxford (Martin Wellings), Beautiful Zion: the transformation of Nonconformist identity in a Yorkshire mill town (Kenneth C Jackson) and Garden City Religion: the Free Churches of Letchworth and Welwyn (Clyde Binfield).
All Chapels Great and Small (The Chapels Society Journal Volume 3) edited by Chris Skidmore. The volume contains essays on How to read a chapel (Kate Tiller), Brethren and their buildings (Neil Dickson), ‘Truth and perfection of architecture’: the buildings of the Catholic Apostolic Church (Tim Grass), Christian Science: worship, architecture and building use (Sally Lessiter), Barrack, Citadel, Circus: Salvation Army halls, their development and use (Steven Spencer) and Warehouses, Garages and Pubs: new Church Buildings in Britain, 1980 to the present (Anthony-Paul Cooper & David Goodhew).
NEWLY PUBLISHED (May 2023): Communities of Dissent 1850–1914 (The Chapels Society Journal Volume 4) edited by Chris Skidmore and Kate Tiller. This volume contains essays on Communities of Dissent 1850–1914: The Heyday of Chapel? (Kate Tiller), Building Seion: Chapel and Community in North-West Wales (Frances Richardson), Family and Chapel: Religion, Society and Kinship on Bodmin Moor (Gary Crossley), Earnest Spirituality, a Winning Presence, a Curiously Fascinating Personality: the Life and Work of Revd Gertrude von Petzold (Cynthia Brown), plus full details of the ‘Communities of Dissent’ project undertaken by the Family and Community History Research Society (FACHRS) and an example of one of the studies: A Profile of Woolwich and Plumstead 1850–1939 (Diane Rowland).
Miscellany No. 1, published in 1998 and now out of print. The volume includes contributions from Anthony Rossi, Christopher Stell and N. D. Wilson.
Chapels and Chapel People (Miscellany No. 2) edited by Chris Skidmore and published in 2010. The volume includes contributions from Kate Tiller, Alan Petford, Sarah Hill and Clyde Binfield.
Nonconformist Communion Plate and Other Vessels, by Christopher Stell, a major scholarly work published in 2008 as a companion volume to his four-volume Inventory of Nonconformist chapels and meeting-houses.
Dissent and the Gothic Revival, edited by Bridget Cherry, published in August 2007, arising from a study day organised by the Victorian Society and the Friends of Union Chapel Islington.
Manuscripts and material for publication should be submitted to the Honorary Editor, Mr Matt Davis, 3 Valentine Court, Eaton Gardens, Hove, BN3 3TQ.
Publications, except those which are out of print, can be obtained by downloading and filling in a copy of the appropriate flyer from the links above and sending it with payment by cheque to the address above. Bank transfers to the Society’s account are also possible. For details please contact Mr Davis directly at chapels.publications@gmail.com.