Records of the York United Reform Churches and their predecessors

Records of New Lendal Congregational Church, [1798]-1997; records of Salem Congregational Chapel, York, 1816-1963; records of York Presbyterian Church, Priory Street (later St Columba’s), 1873-1997.
Unlisted material.

In March 1995 New Lendal Church united with York's other United Reform Church, St Columba's in Priory Street, to form a joint congregation, worshipping in Priory Street.

The archive comprises the records of multiple churches, often in a successive record series. The records of New Lendal Congregational Church, 1816-1972, and the United Reform Church of New Lendal, 1972-1995, form a single archive (UR/LEN); as do the records of Salem Congregational Chapel, 1839-[1962] (UR/SAL). The records of St Columba's Presbyterian Church (previously known as York Presbyterian Church, Priory Street), 1873-1972, the United Reform Church of St Columba, 1972-1995, and the United Reform Church of St Columba with New Lendal, 1995-present, all form a single archive (UR/PST).

Records are open to the public, subject to the overriding provisions of relevant legislation, including data protection laws. 24 hours' notice is required to access photographic material.

The archive was transferred to the Borthwick Institute in 1997. Further additions were made to the archive in 2003 and 2010.

In March 1995 New Lendal Church united with York's other United Reform Church, St Columba's in Priory Street, to form a joint congregation, worshipping in Priory Street.

A typescript finding aid, to file level, is available for consultation in the searchroom of the Borthwick Institute. This includes all material received up to and including 2003. Later material has not yet been listed, please contact the Institute for more information.

Created by S. A. Shearn, 24.01.17.

A reprographics service is available to researchers subject to the access restrictions outlined above. Copying will not be undertaken if there is any risk of damage to the document. Copies are supplied in accordance with the Borthwick Institute for Archives' terms and conditions for the supply of copies, and under provisions of any relevant copyright legislation. Permission to reproduce images of documents in the custody of the Borthwick Institute must be sought.

The records of Lendal, New Lendal and Salem were collected together by the Rev. Pace, minister of New Lendal, soon after his appointment, in 1962. He showed great tenacity in his attempts to find these documents (after several attempts, he ran the Salem records to ground in an old tin trunk owned by the Yorkshire Congregational Union) and at the church Annual General Meeting in 1962 he was able to report great success in his attempts to locate the early records of the congregations, and to obtain the permission of the members to deposit these in the York City Archives. This was done on 7 October 1962, together with a list made by Rev. Pace himself. Further deposits were made on 24 June 1963 and in January 1969.
In 1997, the records were transferred to the Borthwick Institute of Historical Research, to be united with a recent deposit there of the records of St Columba's United Reform Church.

Further accruals are expected.

The records of congregationalist minister, Reverend James Parsons, are also deposited at the Borthwick Institute.

Published

GB193