INDEPENDENT CHAPEL.-This building is situate at the upper end of Barton-street. It was originally erected and endowed by the Presbyterians, though no particulars of its early history can now be obtained; when the Rev. Henry Welsford, the present respected minister of this chapel, was chosen to the pastoral office, in 1819, not a single document of any interest, relating either to its foundation, its ministers, or its congregation, could be discovered.

The Presbyterian dissenters, from a diminution of their numbers, had become unable to support a pastor of their own denomination; they therefore, about half a century ago, permitted the congregation of Independents to unite with them. From that period to the present, the Presbyterians have gradually diminished in numbers, while the Independents have greatly increased; and at this time, the members of this congregation strictly conform to the government and worship adopted by the Independents.

In 1820, this chapel was newly pewed, and rendered more commodious and comfortable; but being found, a few years afterwards, too small for the congregation, it was, at an expense of about £.900, enlarged, by extending the building towards the street, and erecting a spacious gallery. It was re-opened on the 31st of Aug. 1828, on which occasion £.50 was collected at the doors, after sermons by the Rev. Wm. Thorp, of Bristol; and upwards of £500 was contributed by the inhabitants of the town and neighbourhood.

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Some branches of the family of the late Dr. Philip Dodridge^[337] are interred in the burial ground at the back of this chapel.^[338]

BAPTIST CHAPEL.-The particular Baptists^[339] have a neat and convenient place of worship, near the bottom of Barton-street, which was erected by subscription in the year 1805. The Baptists had a considerable congregation here as early as 1655. Their original meeting-house was in an alley in the Church-street, nearly opposite the abbey church, where they have now a small chapel, a burial ground, and some dwelling-houses, the rents of which are appropriated to the use of the poor belonging to the society. The Rev. Daniel Trotman, the

present worthy minister, has regularly fulfilled the duties of the pastoral office since the year 1803.

FRIENDS' MEETING-HOUSE.-The Society of Friends have had, almost from the days of George Fox, their founder, a place of worship in Tewkesbury,^[340] or in its immediate neighbourhood.^[341] The present meeting-house was built in the year 1804, partly by subscription among the resident members, and partly by a contribution from the quarterly meetings; it is a very neat and substantial structure, capable of holding several hundred persons. It stands near the centre of the Barton-street, and attached thereto is a small burial ground, but their principal place of interment^[342] is in St. Mary's-lane, where also their old meeting-house stood. The Friends, in the counties of Gloucester and Wilts, are associated: they hold one quarterly meeting at Tewkesbury, on the last Tuesday in September; one at Cirencester, in December; one at Melksham, in March and one at Frenchay, near Bristol, in June, annually.

WESLEYAN CHAPEL.-In the Tolzey-lane stands a commodious chapel, erected by the Wesleyan Methodists, which was first opened for divine worship on the 16th of October 1814, by Dr. Adam Clarke. A chapel, on a more limited scale, had occupied the same site for many years previously.

JEWS' SYNAGOGUE.-The Jews have now no place of worship here, though it appears that there was formerly a synagogue in St. Marys-lane.^[343] Sir Robert Atkyns^[344] says, that there was, in his time, no Jew dwelling in Gloucestershire, and that the only Jewess who resided in the county lived at Tewkesbury. Purchas, in his "Pilgrimages," relates a story, from which we may infer that some of this race of people lived here many centuries since. He says, that, about the year 1259, a Jew fell into a common sewer at Tewkesbury, on a Saturday, and refused to permit any one to help him out on that day, lest he should profane his sabbath. Upon this being told to Richard de Clare the second, who was then proprietor of the lordship, he commanded that no one should assist in extricating him on Sunday, resolving to make this ceremonious Israelite observe the Christian sabbath with the same solemnity as he had kept his own; and he expired from the filth and stench before Monday. This tale is likewise related by Fabian, in his "Chronicle of England and France"^[345] and also, with some variation, in an early printed book, entitled, "An Historical Dictionary of remarkable Persons": in the latter work, the Jew's name is stated to have been Solomon, and the following verses were made on his singular death:

"Tende manus, Solomon, ego te de steroore tollam
"Sabbata nostra colo, de stercore surgere nolo.
"Sabbata nostra quidem, Solomon, celebrabis ibidem."

Some remains of an ancient stone building exist near the entrance into St. Mary's-lane, but there is no record or tradition

to guide us in ascertaining when or for what purpose it was erected. The portions of the fabric which are now discernible, would lead to the conclusion that it was designed for a place of religious worship; and hence some have conjectured that it was the chapel of Theocus. That the humble edifice, which was erected by this pious recluse, might have stood near this spot, is highly probable; and perhaps for a long period subsequent to the completion of Fitz-Hamon's noble structure, a chapel remained there for the use of the inhabitants of the town. If this opinion be admitted, the building must have fallen into decay prior to the dissolution of the monastery; for, when Leland wrote his Itinerary, "ther was no other paroche chirch yn the town but the weste ende of the abbay chirche".^[346] Some persons imagine it to be the remains of the Jew's synagogue, but that is by no means probable.