The Lewis Family and Silver Street Baptist Church

Josiah Lewis and his family were active members of the Silver Street Baptist Church in Taunton, Somerset through out their lives.

The records for the Silver Street Baptist Church are not available online so I visited the Somerset Heritage Centre in Taunton, Somerset, England - https://www.swheritage.org.uk/somerset-archives - to refer to the records that they have and obtained a photograph licence to take images of the relevant entries.

The first mention of Josiah with his wife name given as Eleanor is in the notes from the meeting held on April 9 1874 [1]. It states:

"Transfers sent for Josiah and Eleanor Lewis of North Street from the Baptist Church of Wincanton."

They are mentioned again in the following month's meeting on May 7 1874 [2]  as follows:

"Transfers received from Baptist Church of Wincanton for Josiah and Eleanor Lewis"

They are listed on the 1878 Church List [3] with the following information given:

"107 - Lewis, Josiah - 57 60 Alma Street, Received on April 9th 1874 by Letter"

"108 - Lewis, Eleanor - 57 60 Alma Street, Received on April 9th 1874 by Letter"

They are listed again on the List of Members as revised February 1880 [4] with the following information provided:

"94 - Lewis, Josiah - 60 Alma Street The Crescent, Received on April 9th 1874 by Letter"

"95  - Lewis, Eleanor - 60 Alma Street The Crescent, Received on April 9th 1874 by Letter"

On the List of Members revised in February 1887 with additions [5], the following members of the Lewis Family are listed:

"68 - Lewis, Josiah - Silver Street, Received on April 9 1874 by Letter"

"69 - Lewis, Eleanor - Silver Street, Received on April 9 1874 by Letter"

"208 - Lewis, Helena - The Crescent, Received on May 16 1886 by Baptism"

"209 - Lewis, Annie - The Crescent, Received on May 16 1886 by Baptism"

"396 - Lewis, Edith - 2 The Crescent, Received on April 15 1894 by Baptism"

There is a further Revised List of Members copied from the Church Manual in May 1895 [6]. The following members of the Lewis family are listed along with someone who was living at the same address:

"Lewis, Josiah, 2 The Crescent, Received on April 9 1874 by Letter"

"Lewis, Ellen N (Mrs), 2 The Crescent, Received on April 9 1874 by Letter"

"Lewis, Ellen, 2 The Crescent, Received on May 16 1886 by Baptism"

"Lewis, Annie, 2 The Crescent, Received on May 16 1886 by Baptism"

"Lewis, Edith, 2 The Crescent, Received on April 15 1894 by Baptism"

Also listed in the 1895 list at the same address as the Lewis Family [7]:

"Oaten, Teresa (Mrs), 2 The Crescent, Received on June 4 1891 by Baptism"

According to a newspaper article in The Chard and Ilminster News on Saturday 3 October 1903, Josiah Lewis was a part of the Silver Street Baptist Sunday School and attended a Mass Meeting in Taunton [8].

(c) The British Library Board - All Rights Reserved

It has been really interesting to research this aspect of the Lewis family and maybe one day I will investigate more on the Silver Street Baptist Church in Taunton as I was able to source two books, 'Taunton Silver Street - A Baptist Chapel and its Town - the Early Years 1814-1851' and 'Taunton Silver Street - A Baptist Chapel and its Town - The Confident Years 1851-1914' both written by Ian Kember.

Next time, I will looking at a new family who was living at 1 The Crescent at the time of the 1881 census as there was no listed as living there during the 1891 census.

[1] Somerset Heritage Centre; Taunton, Somerset, England; Taunton Baptist Church Silver Street Baptist Records 1814 - 2012; Reference Number: D\N\tau.b/4/2/2 - Church meeting minutes. 1853-1879

[2] Somerset Heritage Centre; Taunton, Somerset, England; Taunton Baptist Church Silver Street Baptist Records 1814 - 2012; Reference Number: D\N\tau.b/4/2/2 - Church meeting minutes. 1853-1879

[3] Somerset Heritage Centre; Taunton, Somerset, England; Taunton Baptist Church Silver Street Baptist Records 1814 - 2012; Reference Number: D\N\tau.b/4/2/2 - Church meeting minutes. 1853-1879

[4] Somerset Heritage Centre; Taunton, Somerset, England; Taunton Baptist Church Silver Street Baptist Records 1814 - 2012; Reference Number: D\N\tau.b/4/2/3 - Church meeting minutes. 1880-1897

[5] Somerset Heritage Centre; Taunton, Somerset, England; Taunton Baptist Church Silver Street Baptist Records 1814 - 2012; Reference Number: D\N\tau.b/4/2/3 - Church meeting minutes. 1880-1897

[6] Somerset Heritage Centre; Taunton, Somerset, England; Taunton Baptist Church Silver Street Baptist Records 1814 - 2012; Reference Number: D\N\tau.b/4/2/3 - Church meeting minutes. 1880-1897

[7] Somerset Heritage Centre; Taunton, Somerset, England; Taunton Baptist Church Silver Street Baptist Records 1814 - 2012; Reference Number: D\N\tau.b/4/2/3 - Church meeting minutes. 1880-1897

[8] Britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk, Chard and Ilminster News, Saturday 10 October 1903 - Image (c) The British Library Board - All Rights Reserved.