From The Minster And Church Life In Warminster by the Reverend Henry Robert Whytehead, published in 1911:
The small Chapel of St. Laurence, situated in the very centre of the town, has a more prominent position than the Minster. The eminent archaeologist, Canon Jackson, says it was originally built and endowed by the family of Hewitt, temp. Edward III of England. The people of the town had always added to the endowments sufficient money to support a Chaplain, and regular services were held at St. Laurence till the time of Edward VI. The reason of this being that, even in those early days, the Parish Church was standing some half mile away from the bulk of the inhabitants. A small burial yard was attached to the Chapel, and human remains have been found as lately as the last century.
The endowment lands were confiscated in the evil times of the mis-government of England, by the Council of the boy King Edward VI. They passed through sundry hands, and were finally recovered, and transferred to Feoffees in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. At the time of the confiscation the Commissioners reported that Warminster “was well peopled, and especially with youth. A place very meet to have a Free Schole: towards the erection of which, if it might please the King’s Highness to gyve the said lands, the inhabitants would buy so much more, as should make it up to Ten Pounds per annum: which if it might take effect, will do much good in all that country.” However the Council turned a deaf ear to this appeal. The people themselves had prayed that the Council would spare St. Laurence, as “the saide towne of Warminster was a very good market town (Daniell’s History of Warminster, p. 208), and a great parish, wherein be 800 people which receive the blessed communion.” But nothing came of this petition either. The tower was kept for public convenience, simply because it had the bell, which was found useful, and on which the curfew was rung. The Chapel was left in a ruined state, and the little graveyard was gradually covered with buildings.
Since the Feoffees have had possession of St. Laurence, the endowments have been used for maintaining the building, and for the sufficient repair of the chapel, tower, bell, and clock; and for the ringing of the curfew at 8 o’clock. The arch of the W. door of the tower dates from Henry VII; the greater part of this tower has however been renewed again and again, the last date being in 1898, after the upper stages had been totally destroyed by lightning about midnight, on December 15th, 1897.
It had been left to the Reverend Arthur Fane to effect the latest general restoration of St. Laurence, in 1855. The houses, crowded together over the graveyard were then removed, and the Chapel opened out to the street; the roof and battlements were raised, and windows added, and St. Laurence was re-opened on January 22nd, 1857, by the Bishop, with a celebration of the Holy Sacrament. The total cost of this work was £1,000.
The present silver altar plate is the personal property of the Vicar of Warminster for the time being. Since 1855 St. Laurence has been regularly used for daily services, and Celebrations on Saints’ days and Holy days. With regard to the above mentioned petition of the inhabitants (temp. Edward VI), it is interesting to know that nearly 1,000 people in Warminster received the Blessed Sacrament on Easter Day, in the year 1911.