The Act of Union and Anglican places of worship in the early 19th century

The Church of Ireland’s Board of First Fruits embarked on a large-scale church building programme in the early 19th century. The Board of First Fruits was terminated in 1834. The Board’s pursuits coincided for a time with the building activities, begun in 1818, of the Church Building Commission for England. A study of some of the churches constructed with funding from both the Board and the Commission highlights similarities in the development of a preferred form and layout for the Anglican churches of both Ireland and England. The almost simultaneous adoption of this preferred design in both countries indicates a consistency of belief among the church building authorities of both countries as to how an Anglican place of worship should be arranged in the late 1820s.