The church belonging to this parish standing at too great a distance from the general residence of the inhabitants to be frequented by the aged and infirm, it became necessary to erect places for public worship in a near, and consequently, more convenient situation. It is evident that there have been two chapels in the town of Lowestoft, and both of them erected before the Reformation. One of them was situated at the south end of the town, and was called Good-Cross Chapel. This building was destroyed by the sea, without leaving any traces remaining, whereby might be determined either its dimensions or the exact place of its situation. This chapel was not only situated at the south end of the town, but also as far to the east, probably, as the sea would admit of; for it stood between the ocean and the principal highway leading from Lowestoft to Kirkley. The latest account that can be met with, respecting the time when it was standing, is in the reign of Edward VI. These circumstances appear from the following entry in the Court rolls of the manor of Lowestoft:—“At a general Court Baron with the leet, held in the fourth year of the reign of King Edward the Sixth, Laurance Robson was admitted to parcel of land of the waste of the Lord with a house thereupon built, called Good-Cross Chapel, containing in length sixty feet, in breadth fifty feet, the west head whereof abutts upon the way leading from Lowestoft to Kirkley, on the surrender of Richard —. At a Court held on Wednesday next after the feast of the nativity of St. John, Thomas Welch was admitted on the surrender of the said Laurance Robson.” The offerings made to the holy cross in this chapel, before the dissolution of the monasteries, amounted to about £9 annually for the benefit of the Vicar of the parish.

The other chapel situated near the middle of the town, and after the dissolution, appears not to have been used for many years as a place of worship, but was suffered to fall much into decay. That part of the building which was next the street was converted into a town-house, for the residence of the poor. At the north-east corner was an entrance; where, by ascending a gallery the chapel was entered behind the town house; and also at this entrance was an isle, which led backwards to the farther end of the chapel. The building seems to have been erected upon arches, as there were cells underneath on each side of the isle; and wherein, probably, in the times of Popery, some persons inhabited; for afterwards, one of these cells was the residence of the sexton of the parish. [138] This appears to have been the state of this antient chapel from the time of the dissolution of the monasteries until the year 1570; when the inhabitants, experiencing many inconveniences in not having a place for public worship near the church, made application to Bishop Parkhurst for a license, in order that divine service might be performed in this chapel, which accordingly was granted; but upon this express condition, that the chapel should be decently ornamented and fitted up for that purpose; that no public prayers should be used there than those prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer; and that neither the sacrament of baptism nor Lord’s supper should ever be administered there on any account whatsoever.

To the Parishioners or Lowestoft.

JOHN, by divine permission, Bishop of Norwich. To our beloved in Christ, the parishioners of Lowestoft, in our diocese and jurisdiction, health, grace, and blessing.

Know ye, that for the furtherance of devotion, and for the increase of divine worship; and attentively considering and understanding from certain good and weighty reasons to us explained, that the parish church at Lowestoft aforesaid not being so conveniently situated for hearing divine service as could be wished (especially in the winter season,) you are not able to attend. And that you may be enabled to cause public prayers to be celebrated in a proper chapel, in a fit place, and decently ornamented, within the parish of Lowestoft aforesaid, whenever the parishioners of Lowestoft, or the vicar thereof, conceive that divine service may be less commodiously performed in the said church than in the said chapel, we have granted by these presents LICENSE for celebrating divine service therein; and we have caused this our license to be irrevocable. But provided nevertheless, That no vicar or curate baptize, or administer the sacrament of the Lord’s supper, or cause it to be administered in the place aforesaid, but in the church of your parish. Nor that they cause, nor that you the parishioners presume, to assist therein, in the celebration of either of the said sacraments, in any manner whatsoever. Inhibiting, moreover That no other public prayers be there used, or suffered to be thus used, than what are prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer, set forth by royal authority, and by the consent of the whole Parliament, approved and lawfully enjoined. But if you or any one act contrary hereto, we will, that the authority hereby given to you be void and of no effect. And moreover, you offending in the premises, shall be liable to punishment, lawfully to be inflicted, or imposed at our pleasure.

11th November, 1570.

After the granting of this license, divine service appears to have been performed in this chapel until about the year 1674 or 1676; at which time, probably, from its decayed state, it became wholly unfit for that purpose; and the public weekly prayers, after that time, were read in the town chamber, a room over the town house; and in this manner was divine service performed until the year 1698, when the old chapel, from its very ruinous state, was entirely taken down and rebuilt, in consequence of a subscription opened for that purpose. The old chapel was a thatched building.

The re-building of this chapel was undertaken under the care and management of Captain Andrew Leake, [139] and Dr. Joseph Leake: and was brought (together with corn-cross and town chamber) into nearly the same state in which they appeared in 1698 at the expense of about £350.

The ADDRESS to the INHABITANTS of LOWESTOFT, Respecting the Re-building of Lowestoft Chapel.

Forasmuch as I have observed the great danger which may ensue from the weakness and decay of the chapel and town house at Lowestoft, in the county of Suffolk, with many other inconveniences attending the same. And considering the state of the inhabitants of the town at this time to be a proper season for undertaking and re-building of the said chapel. Being therefore devoted, not only to employ my time in the management and carrying on so good a work, but also to solicit a free and liberal contribution towards effecting the same, which I doubt not but every honest gentleman will promote, by his generous assistance therein; an account of which receipts shall always be shewn to such as desire it, for their satisfaction, by reason of the many complaints of the mismanagement of former collections. And if any person do, or shall suspect my failure in my answering the sum collected, and deposited in my hands, I do hereby promise to engage to give treble security that the monies collected shall be laid out to the use above mentioned.

As witness my hand, 7th of June, 1698.

Andrew Leake.

The amount collected by Captain Andrew Leake was £152 0s. 6d.; by Dr. Joseph Peake £193 14s. l¾d. The expenditure was £347 13s. 7d., being £1 18s. 11¼d. in excess of the receipts, and this sum was generously discharged by Dr. Peake, in the presence of James Wilde, Henry Ward, John Wilde, John Peake, John Barker, jun., John Jex, John Barker, Matthew Arnold, Joseph Smithson. The chapel, although much superior to the former building, was, nevertheless, but an indifferent structure. The pews were of deal, the pulpit and desk stood on the south side; and a gallery on the east, west and north sides. In the middle of the building was hung a vast brass chandelier, the gift of Mr. Martin Brown, formerly a merchant at Rotterdam, but was a native of Lowestoft.

The font belonging to this chapel stood originally on the north side of it, opposite the desk and pulpit. In 1763 it was removed to the south-east end of the chapel; and in 1773, when the north end of the corn cross was inclosed for the purpose of a vestry, the font was again removed to the north-east end of the building. Although baptism was not permitted to be administered in the old chapel, yet it was always performed in this chapel from the time it was erected. Elizabeth, the daughter of Samuel Darkin, was baptised here on the 29th December, 1699, and was the first baptised in the chapel. The font was the gift of Mr. John Jex, merchant of this town. It is not clear from what place the font was brought. The town book, belonging to this parish, says it came from Easton Bavent; but the late John Jex of this town, used to declare that it was brought from Gisleham, and was digged up by accident on the lands in that parish, belonging to the above John Jex, merchant, his father. Probably the latter is the fact, as Mr. Jex had lands at Gisleham, but none at Easton Bavent. However, be that as it will, Mr. Jex was undoubtedly the benefactor.

Prayers were read at this chapel every Wednesday, Friday, and holidays throughout the year. On Sundays, divine service was always performed here in the morning, except when the sacrament was administered, when it was always at the church. Sometimes, in very bad weather, the service was at the chapel on Sundays, both parts of the day.

It is not improbable, but that before the reformation there was another chapel in the town besides those two already mentioned. This chapel (if there ever really was such a place appropriated to sacred purposes) was situated on the west side of High street, about thirty yards to the north of Swan Lane. It was an old Gothic building, faced with black flint; was about sixteen feet in height, and twelve in breadth; and had the appearance of a very antient building. What tends to strengthen the conjecture of its being a place originally designed for sacred uses is, that the Rev. Tanner, who was vicar of the parish (and who published his brother’s “Notitia Monastica,” and consequently was a competent judge of those matters) used to say, that if ever there was a religious house in this town, it was situated opposite to this building. If so, probably this building was the chapel belonging to that religions society. The buildings supposed to have been originally a religious foundation, carry with them, some resemblance of an institution of that nature. They are divided by a passage (which was entered by a large door-space, in the Gothic style), having spacious rooms on each side, whose venerable appearance demonstrates their having been formed neither after a modern nor a mean original.