History

The Western Unitarian District lays claim to being the first of its kind outside London. It began in the 1790s when a number of churches joined together to publish tracts and share books on the Unitarian Faith. This was a risk, because until 1813 it was criminal blasphemy to deny the Doctrine of the Trinity. Most Unitarian Churches began as Presbyterian or Baptist, and were known as Dissenters because they did not commit to the mainstream view of Christ. They also needed to retain their chapels, which were under threat of being handed over to the original denomination because they had adopted the Unitarian title. This was resolved after court battles in 1844.

Between the 1790s and the 1840s there were a number of county associations in the South West, such as Somerset and Dorset or Devon and Cornwall, and meetings would take place annually with a guest preacher. The overarching group, however, was the Western Union with its book supply. The need for that waned when regular booksellers began to stock Unitarian literature, and the Union metamorphosed in 1846 to an organisation that had similar aims to the present District. It supported ministry, helped empty chapels to grow new congregations, and fostered links between churches. This was assisted by ease of travel as the railways spread throughout the six counties of the West: Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Somerset, Dorset, Devon, and Cornwall.

During the 20th century a number of chapels closed, which reflects the downturn in churchgoing across Christian Britain. Exeter, once famed for the Exeter Academy that trained Presbyterian Ministers in the 18th Century, and became notorious for ejecting ministers who dissented from the Doctrine of the Trinity at the Exeter Assembly of 1719, now has no Unitarian congregation. Nevertheless, Taunton – which hosted the first Annual Meeting of the Western Union in 1846 – has just provided its latest President. The centre of gravity may shift, but it still holds us together.

A more detailed history of the District, written by a professional archivist and historian, is available on request via the Contact Form.

An introduction to the History of Unitarianism in the UK is available from Amazon:

The Unitarians: A Short History eBook : Smith, Leonard: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store