Baptists, Erlestoke
There was a committed Baptist group in Erlestoke in the early 1660s and in 1672 William Aldridge was licensed as a Baptist teacher at the house of Thomas George
A dwelling house and barn of a John Axford was licensed on 23 July 1689 for worship and a house for Baptist worship was given a certificate on 2 July 1698. It belonged to Henry Axford, who was presumably related to John Axford. Another Axford is noted on 10 November 1701, when a house belonging to Isaac Axford was licensed. However, this certificate seems to be for Quaker worship, not Baptist.
John Watts of Westbury was the minister between 1720 and 1731 and walked through the fields to his congregation every Sunday; he later became minister for the Baptist chapel at Bratton. The Baptist cause at Erlestoke seems to have declined as the Whitaker influence at Bratton shifted the emphasis to that village but in the early 19th century the house of William Godwin was licensed on 8 June 1819, for Baptist worship in Erlestoke. It does not appear that a chapel was ever built at Erlestoke and all meetings took place in houses.
A dwelling house and barn of a John Axford was licensed on 23 July 1689 for worship and a house for Baptist worship was given a certificate on 2 July 1698. It belonged to Henry Axford, who was presumably related to John Axford. Another Axford is noted on 10 November 1701, when a house belonging to Isaac Axford was licensed. However, this certificate seems to be for Quaker worship, not Baptist.
John Watts of Westbury was the minister between 1720 and 1731 and walked through the fields to his congregation every Sunday; he later became minister for the Baptist chapel at Bratton. The Baptist cause at Erlestoke seems to have declined as the Whitaker influence at Bratton shifted the emphasis to that village but in the early 19th century the house of William Godwin was licensed on 8 June 1819, for Baptist worship in Erlestoke. It does not appear that a chapel was ever built at Erlestoke and all meetings took place in houses.