Our History

The story of the Baptist Church in Moulton begins as far back as 1676, when a religious census recorded twenty‑nine Non‑Conformists in the village. These early believers likely gathered for worship in the home of John Chown, a weaver who had moved to Moulton from Spratton in 1652. His son later continued these meetings and obtained a licence in 1696 under the Toleration Act of 1689.

Through the early 1700s, the church was served by William Stranger and later his son Thomas. After Thomas’s death in 1768, the Baptist presence in Moulton began to wane—until the arrival of William Carey in 1785.

Carey became Minister on 2 November 1786 and served the church until moving to Leicester in 1789. He went on to play a key role in founding the Baptist Missionary Society in 1792 and left for India the following year, where he lived and worked in Serampore until his death in 1834.

During Carey's time in Moulton, the Chapel was rebuilt and enlarged to a 30‑foot‑square building. It was expanded again in 1870 to the size it is today.

We also host a small museum dedicated to the life and work of William Carey.
To visit, please contact us at least one week in advance to arrange an appointment. We look forward to welcoming you.