Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Influential Congregation Members (1767 - 1835)
John Marshall
John Marshall had familial links with the chapel, being baptized inside on the 17th of August 1765 and his father Jeremiah was also a prominent member of the church. John became a Member of Parliament for the Yorkshire constituency in 1826, was a founder of the Leeds Philosophical and Literacy Society, and became a warden and trustee at Mill Hill in 1810.
He gave up his pew in 1837 because he could not find time for the church due to his other commitments, but he did give a £50 donation and contributed £500 in 1844 to help with the creation of the new Chapel building.
The Bischoff Family
The Bischoff family were a merchant family that specialised in the wool trade. Their main house was Bischoff house on Hartley Hill. They were founding members of the Leeds Chamber of Commerce in 1785 and invested in new machinery to help establish Leeds as the centre of the wool trade in Britain.
The Kitson Family
James Kitson was one of the most prominent locomotive industrialists in Leeds. He had humble origins, being born to an inn keeper, and limited traditional education. After the death of his father, he took over the family inn and then joined the Leeds Mechanics’ Institute where he trained in mechanics and mathematics. His son, also named James, would follow suit but would also become a Liberal Party politician and would be knighted and then given a peerage and a seat in the House of Lords, where he would be known as Lord Airedale.
The Lupton Family
The Lupton family were incredibly influential, in particular William Lupton and his son William II. William was the chief dresser to Sir Henry Ibbetson and would have been considered one of the highest paid within the industry. William II followed a similar path, working within the cloth industry. He created the firm William Lupton and Co, a cloth company, in 1773. He also sat on the committee for the Cloth-Hall, which acted as a regulatory body for the cloth industry within Leeds.
The Oates Family
The Oates Family were prominent members of Leeds society. They were landowners, merchants, lawyers and members of Mill Hill congregation. Some lived in Meanwood Park in a house named Meanwoodside house that was built by Edward Oates in 1834. Other influential members include Joseph Henry Oates who was baptised at Mill Hill Chapel and owned premises on Albion Street in Leeds as part of conglomeration of merchants and lived in Carr House, in Meanwood.
Bibliography
- Image
- Unknown Artist. (nd.) Mill Hill Unitarian Chapel. [Wood Block] [Online] [Accessed 11 December 2023].
- Secondary
- Bradford, E. They Lived in Leeds: Frank Oates (1840-1875). The Thoresby Society. [Online] [Accessed 13 November 2023].
- Bradford, E. They Lived in Leeds: James Kitson (1807-1885). The Thoresby Society. [Online] [Accessed 10 December 2023].
- Fales, S. (1984) ‘The Nonconformists of Leeds in the Early Victorian Era: A Study in Social Composition’ [PhD]- Bringham Young University. [Accessed 27 November 2023].
- Leeds Chamber of Commerce (nd.) Leeds Chamber of Commerce (Founded 1785). [Online] [Accessed 2 December 2023]
- Lupton, E. B. (nd.) A History of Mill Hill Chapel, Leeds. 1672-1920.
- NHS (nd.) LGI History. [Online] Leeds: Leeds Teaching Hospitals. [Accessed 07 December 2023].
