Station Road, Knowle, Solihull, West Midlands B93 0HN

The following was extracted from “The Collegiate Church of Saints John Baptist, Laurence and Anne of Knowle, Warwickshire”  by Anthony A. Upton, 1966, as well as the short history written by John Sibree.

About eighty years later, William Hood, a Congregational minister from Solihull, made a serious attempt to establish a chapel in Knowle. Hood was unremitting in his labours, having set up meetings in about a dozen villages in this area.  He finally found a meeting place and this schoolroom in the occupation of Maria Griffiths was registered for dissenting worship on 31st March 1828. Shortly afterwards the school closed down and services were abandoned.

Nevertheless, Hood did not give up hope and within a few years secured a plot of land on which a chapel might be erected.In 1834, John Sibree, a noncomformist minister at Coventry, wrote an appeal in the Home Missionary Chronicle for £200 to erect a new chapel in Knowle.

A few days later an anonymous donor sent a cheque for the full amount to the editor of the Chronicle. The donor, who did not know Knowle, was found to be a Mr. Lloyd, of Nelson Square, London. Such appeals and gifts were typical of early 19th century nonconformist piety.

The editor in forwarding the money to Mr. Sibtree wrote “Dear Sir, An esteemed friend, who signs himself “L” has sent to our Office the sum of £200. For the purposes of building a chapel at Knowle.  The generous donor himself wrote as follows “To the Home Missionary Society – Observing in your magazine this month, in page 35, a pathetic statement of the want of a chapel at Knowle, which it is stated can be erected for about Two Hundred Pounds:  I know not the place, but the wants as stated induce me to enclose Two Hundred Pounds for the building, which you will please direct to be done, from a well wisher to the…."

Knowle Independent

Chapel 1

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