In the 18th century the Dissenter movement spread throughout the Midlands and came to Market Bosworth in the latter part of the century. Firstly, there are records of the Methodist movement beginning to worship in a building ,probably a house, in Station Road. Maps showing the site of a chapel indicate that the thatched cottage, at present known as Alesbrook Cottage, may have been where the first meetings were held. Maps dated as late as 1885 show a chapel on the site but further dates as to its closure are yet to be investigated. In the 1790s two other denominations, known as the Independents and the Baptists, began meeting in local houses. The Baptist group were supported at this time by Thomas Cook (of Travel Company fame) and by Samuel Deacon (the Baptist leader from Barton in the Beans) They met in local houses but soon became strong enough to contemplate building a church of their own and in 1794 built at the rear of some cottages in Station Road. This building remains but has been converted into outhouses for the cottages. For the opening ceremony of the church a Mr.(later to become Rev. ) J.P.Mursell came from Leicester to preach at both the morning and afternoon services. He was renowned as one of the great men of the Midlands Baptist movement. None of the members would undertake to entertain him for lunch or during the time between services. It was decided that he should go to the local Dixie Arms Inn for this. On telling him of the arrangement Mr. Mursell refused to go saying that there was no room at the Inn for Jesus and there was certainly no room for him either. After much deliberation the landlord agreed to supply the meal to a house where Mr Mursell had gone.
The Independents also began to build their church shortly afterwards and in 1799 this was opened for its mission.
One of the founders of the early Baptist Church was a William Bassett who was the steward and butler in the service of Sir Willoughby Dixie. However in about 1787 he left and took up a farm at Coton nearby and became a successful farmer.
Whilst at the hall he was a sincere churchman, but he said that the preaching which he had become accustomed to was a lifeless statement of moral platitudes. There was nothing in it to give understanding or arouse the sleeping conscience, or awaken the affection of the soul.
One question he sought the answer to was,"What must I do to be saved". Neither from the pulpit nor from the desk of the Established church could he find the answer.
He decided, after much deliberation,to attend the Methodist Church and made his acquaintance with some hesitancy. So afraid was he of the Establishment that at first he used back ways and the cover of hedges to attend, unseen except by his fellow worshippers.
After a while he grew in faith and confidence and openly joined the Methodist Society and became a class leader for over three years. The Baptist movement was then under way and after sharing time with some of the followers he resolved that Believers Baptism was an ordinance of Christ and a Christian duty. He was baptised in 1795 and remained in fellowship with the church for the rest of his life. On his death in 1810 aged sixty three it was reported that he left a blank in the church that could not easily be filled, and an example worthy of imitation by all.
Joseph Goadby was another notable member of the Church in the early days. His early life was very similar to some of the characters in Dickens books. His mother died when he was only four and his father remarried to a woman who had no time for him or his two sisters. His father was an easy going man who showed some outward reverence to the bible, the church and the observance of Sunday as a day of rest. He was however too fond of the company found at the public house and in consequence the welfare and care of his children was non existent. Joseph was a clever boy and gained a scholarship to the Free Grammar School. Here he made considerable progress in Latin, playing the Violin and was the leader of the choir and at symphonies at the Parish church. When he was seventeen he mixed with the local ruffians and due to his leadership qualities became the leader of the gang, carrying out much evil and lawlessness. In 1793 however, he was stopped in this ruinous way by several dreams which changed his thinking for ever. Each dream brought him nearer to realising that he must begin to go to church and learn more of the message of the Bible. He went to hear several preachers and became more and more involved and realised that at last his life was becoming full of joy. He was the butt of much criticism from his family, his friends and the established church, but he pressed on regardless. He had to endure persecution, being treated by his family as an outcast, but all the time he became stronger in the faith and in consequence more confident. In 1794 party politics ran high at Bosworth as well as elsewhere. Mr Goadby as he was now known in the Baptist circles,was not a man to hide his views but spoke strongly in defence of civil and religious liberty. This did not add to his social comfort and peace in that "very churchified and Torified place," as he often described it.
It was at this time that the Independents began to build their church too; but they seemed very timid about the matter, and were in fear of the Rector and the Squire. Although he was an out and out Baptist he took it upon himself to fund raise for the Independents in order that work would continue. He set off on a begging mission to Warwick. Birmingham and London and together with funds from local sources the church was built in Park Street. It was further extended in 1811 and was reportedly capable of seating 200 worshippers (This figure was outrageously exaggerated in order to upstage the other churches more modest estimates of their capacity). At the turn of the century it was closed and converted into a house, but was demolished and replaced by maisonettes in the early 1960s.
In 1796 Mr Goadby became a circuit Lay preacher and in 1797 became a Minister at Melbourne and Packington and was also the driving force for several other churches being formed in that area.
At Bosworth the Baptist Church building became inadequate for it's needs and in 1848 a new church was built on Barton Road. Early descriptions of the church state that it had seating for one hundred worshippers (Another exaggeration to impress ). The sanctuary was lit by a gas chandelier and there was a raised pulpit at the front. The walls were lined with wood panelling to the height of four feet and the front door led onto the pavement . At the rear was a small vestry. The heating was supplied by two stoves in the sanctuary and a coal fire in the vestry and the lighting was by gas. It was built on land which was owned by the Squire and was the front garden of the Estate carpenter's cottage. Apparently no price was paid for the land but it was leased at a yearly fee of five shillings a year. In 1933 the Estate was taken into receivership by Barclays Bank, and the church was put up for sale as part of the assets. It was purchased at this time by the Church Trustees and continued to function as a church until 1935/36. The Estate Carpenter's cottage was purchased by another buyer and then became known as Chapel House.
After closure the Church was then left abandoned and gradually fell into disrepair. In 1939 it was requisitioned to become a storage depot for war time purposes and was used as a night watchman's reporting station and a store for Council property. After the war it was once again abandoned until 1951 when it was re-opened as a church, but not before a total restoration programme which began in 1949. Re-roofing, plastering, flooring, windows and brickwork were all replaced and electrical wiring and heating were installed.
In 1946, and this is where history began to repeat itself, a Mr Frank Bailey moved to Market Bosworth from Radlett in Hertfordshire and, being a Baptist, felt the need for a local church to worship in. There being no non conformist church in the town and just a few Baptists, Methodists, and Congregationalists living in here, he set about beginning meetings for worship. Initially they met at his home and laid the foundation plans and decided upon a house to house survey to assess the viability of beginning a church. In 1947 a service was arranged in an upper room over the Central Cafe in the Market Place and over fifty people attended.The church became established very quickly and thrived. So much so that the room became inadequate and a more permanent home needed to be found. After discussions with the various denominations it was decided that the church should become a Free Church, that is a united church with a constitution which gave recognition to the different aspects of non conformity. For administrative purposes it became a member of the East Midlands Baptist Association although it receives support from all the non conformist denominations. The derelict Church in Barton Road seemed the best alternative for a permanent home and so it was renovated and re opened as the Free Church in September 1951.
From that time to the present the building has been maintained and made suitable for the needs of a modern church. Pews, which had already been removed, have been replaced by comfortable chairs, the pulpit by a stage which carries a lectern, the organ/piano and a Communion table. A balcony has also been added to increase the capacity further. The purchase, and conversion into meeting rooms, of Chapel House in 1990 and the subsequent building of the new annexe will ensure that we can keep up to date with the needs of the community and continue to bring the Christian faith to Market Bosworth for the foreseeable future.