NONCONFORMITY.

In 1584 Bernard Brocas, father of Pexall Brocas, (fn. 82) was fined for not attending the parish church. (fn. 83) Elizabeth Waters was fined several times for the same offence between 1593 and 1597, (fn. 84) but this is the last evidence of opposition to the established church until the 19th century. In 1801 the parish was said to have no papists and no dissenters. (fn. 85)

In 1831 Independent prayer meetings began to be held on Sunday afternoons in a private house. Five years later an Independent chapel was opened. In 1961 this stood on the Ickenham High Road in front of Ickenham Green. It is built of brick, plastered externally, and the windows are pointed in rough imitation of the Gothic style. Throughout the 19th century the congregation had no minister, and the Ickenham chapel was served from Providence Chapel at Uxbridge. (fn. 86) From the time the Ickenham chapel was built a Sunday school was held in an attached schoolroom, which was enlarged in 1921. (fn. 87) The first minister was appointed in 1927. (fn. 88) The old chapel was then becoming too small and in 1928 a site for a new building on Swakeleys Road was bought. (fn. 89) From 1930 until the new church was opened in 1936 (fn. 90) services were held in the village hall. (fn. 91) The old chapel in the High Road was sold in 1937, (fn. 92) and later became a scrap-merchant's store.

After 1947 Spiritualist meetings were held in a temporary building in Swakeleys Road. (fn. 93)

Footnotes