In the north-eastern part of the county of Northampton there are two Home Missionary Stations. In the first of these the agent statedly preaches at King's Cliffe and Nassington, having a Chapel at Castor also under his superintendence.
The Church that has been formed at King's Cliffe originated in the efforts of the General Baptists about thirty years back. The Rev. Mr. Payne, who belonged to that denomination, and was minister of Baradon, Rutlandshire, preached the Gospel here, and had a Chapel erected. But Mr. Payne shortly after left the neighbourhood; and after repeated efforts by Baptist ministers, with but little success, the place was resigned into the hands of the Independents.
The Northamptonshire Association of Independent Churches took the place under their direction for a time, in connexion with Nassington, and the Rev. J. Matthews and the Rev. J. Dann laboured in these places, having their residence chiefly at the latter village. A Church was formed at Nassington on the8th of April, 1835; and the present Chapel was opened for public worship on the 21st of May, 1839, when the Rev. B. Hobson, of Welford, and the Rev. E. T. Prust, of Northampton, preached.
In the year 1841 the station was taken into connexion with the Home Missionary Society. In March, 1844, the Rev. G. Amos, one of the Society's agents, was sent on probation, and accepted as the minister of the two Churches. On the 24th of June in that year his ordination took place, in the Chapel at Nassington: the ministers who engaged were the Rev. Messrs. Islip, of Stamford, Gammage, of Ketton, Goode, of Peterborough, Newth, of Oundle, Smith, of Wymondham. In October of that year Mr. Amos commenced his residence at King's Cliffe.
The ground on which the Chapel was first erected here being private property, and as no satisfactory arrangements for its purchase could be made, it was at length determined to give it up, and to build a new one. The present Independent Chapel in King's Cliffe was built in the year 1846; the opening services were held on the 29th of September. The Rev. J. Richardson, of Tottenham Court Chapel, London, preached two sermons on the occasion; and on the following Sabbath sermons were preached by the Rev. J. Matthews, of Shepton, Norfolk, the Rev. A. Newth, of Oundle, and the Rev. W. Robinson, of Kettering. A school-room was built in 1847, and opened for a Day-school in October of that year. The cost of the Chapel and the school-room was about £500. Of this sum, there now remains a debt of about £150. At Castor a neat Chapel was erected in 1848; the Rev. T. Toller, of Kettering, and the Rev. E. T. Prust, of Northampton, preached when it wasopened for divine worship. There are thirty-seven members in the Church at King's Cliffe, and forty in the Church at Nassington—total, seventy-seven. The Sabbath-school in the former place has one hundred and thirty children, and the Sabbath-school in the latter place, seventy—total, two hundred.
This place is extra parochial, the property of Sir Culling Eardley Eardley, Bart., situated six miles north of Peterborough. The Gospel was introduced here about twenty years ago, by the Wesleyan Methodists; the preaching services were then conducted in a room of the house now occupied by the minister. In 1836 Sir Culling built a neat and spacious building, which is used both as a daily school-room and Chapel. For several years the preaching services were conducted by the master. A congregation having been thus collected, and Sunday-schools opened, it was considered to be a promising sphere for regular ministerial labour; and accordingly, in 1843, Mr. D. Blellock was stationed here as a Home Missionary. After the removal of Mr. Blellock in 1846, Mr. Alexander Yuill was settled here, who, after a few months of acceptable and useful labour, fell asleep in Jesus. In January, 1849, Mr. J. B. Bishop, the present pastor, was invited to settle over the congregation worshipping in this place and in Peakirk. Through Mr. Bishop's instrumentality a Christian Church was formed, March 30th, 1849, numbering thirteen members. The following places are connected with this station, viz.: Peakirk, Crowland (Lincolnshire),Glinton, and New Borough. There are now twenty-seven Church members, seventy-five Sabbath-school children, and one Day-school.
In the year 1844, a neat and commodious village Chapel, capable of seating near two hundred hearers, was erected here, at a cost of more than £300; and this year (1852) school-rooms have been added, which have cost nearly £100. It is supplied generally in the afternoon and evening of the Sabbath, and there is in connexion with it a Sabbath-school containing nearly one hundred children.
The following statements will show the amount of money that has been expended on the Chapels, School-rooms, Ministers' Houses, &c., in connexion with the Independent denomination in Northamptonshire, during little more than the last quarter of a century.
£s.d.Northhampton—Castle Hill—New School-rooms and improvements in the Chapel, 1825-18521,40000King Street—New School-rooms33665Commercial Street—New Chapel, galleries and organ, new School-rooms, 1829-18513,80000Rowell—Improvements in the Chapel, 185280000Kettering—New School-rooms and improvements in the Chapel, 1849.1,40000Harborough—New Chapel and new School-room, 1844-18503,23000Ashley—Improvements in the Chapel and Minister's House, 1827-183240000Wellingborough—Cheese Lane—New School-rooms, 185030000Salem Chapel—New School-rooms, 185030000Weedon Beck—New School-room, improvements in the Chapel23500Long Buckby—Chapel enlarged, new School-room, 1819-182535000Potterspury—New School-rooms208170Potterspury—Yardley Gobion, new Chapel368410½Yardley Hastings—New School-rooms40000Brigstock—Minister's House, improvements in the Chapel456129Yelvertoft—Chapel enlarged, new School-rooms22600Wollaston—New vestry, improvements in the Chapel, Minister's House64543Carried forward£14,85653½
£s.d.Brought forward14,85653½Peterborough—New School-room, galleries in the Chapel, 1834-184835000Towcester—New Chapel and School-rooms, 18461,134310Old—Improvements in the Chapel and premises, 18526000Brackley—New Chapel, 183665000Paulerspury—New Chapel, vestry, galleries, and School-rooms, 1826-1850606120King's Cliffe—New Chapel and School-room50000Nassington—New Chapel30000Castor—New Chapel26000Middleton—New Chapel, 1844; School-room, 185240000Broughton—New Chapel10000£19,217111½
Communicants.Children.Northampton, Castle Hill150300Northampton, King's Street7295Northampton, Commercial Street160400Rowell130320Kettering200280Harborough163260Ashley and Wilbarston5660Welford80130Creaton6080Daventry94190Wellingborough, Cheese Lane70190Wellingborough, West End3784Wellingborough, Salem100200Oundle70120Weedon Beck80125Long Buckby50100Potterspury65130Yardley Hastings116260Kilsby and Crick60at Crick 35————Carried forward1,8133,359
Communicants.Children.Brought forward1,8133,359Brigstock60110Weldon and Corby2775Yelvertoft80130Wollaston41about 50Peterborough120200Towcester50110Old2625Everdon30Brackley3350Byfield3330Paulerspury72159King's Cliffe and Nassington71200Borough Fen2775Middleton100————2,4534,703
There is a Society in connexion with the Independent Churches, bearing the title of "The Provident Society for the Relief of Aged and Afflicted Ministers and their Families in the County of Northampton and its Connexions."
This Society was established in the year 1811: its funds at the present time amount to about £6,400, and they are receiving a small increase by annual collections and subscriptions, the interest of the funds being applied to the relief of the claimants.
In the year 1817, about six years after its establishment, the first claims were made; since that time, the sum of nearly £5,000 has been distributed to ministers and to the families of ministers who were members. The importance of this Society is amply proved by the extent of relief that claimants have received from its funds. Its management is conducted entirely free of expense, and it will be capable of rendering efficient aid to all its members who, in accordance with its rules, present their case for assistance at the annual meetings of its members.
The following list contains the names of the villages in the County that are supplied with Sabbath evening services, chiefly by the Independent Churches. Some of the villages have an afternoon service on the Sabbath, and some of them an occasional service on a week evening. The list is not to be regarded as quite complete. In some instances, the Independents unite with other denominations in supplying the villages in their vicinity.
Alderton.Loddington.Barby.Mears Ashby.Bowden, Great.Middleton.Bozeat.Newborough.Broughton.Orlingbury.Cold Ashby.Oxendon.Cransley.Peakirk.Doddington.Rockingham.Draughton.Scaldwell.East Haddon.South Kilworth.Farndon.Sutton Bassett.Finedon.Swinford.Floor.Tansor.Geddington.Thorpe.Glapthorne.Weston by Welland.Glinton.Welham.Grafton Regis.Warkton.Great Oakley.Wilby.Lubenham.Yardley Gobion.
Academy at Mile End,137Addington, Dr. Stephen, pastor at Harborough,135Allen, Mr. Richard, ejected from Norton,268Alsop, Mr., ejected from Wilby,212Amos, Mr. G., Home Missionary,377Anderson, Mr. John, minister at Wollaston,350Andrews, Mr. Thomas, ejected from Wellingborough,212Anecdotes of Mr. Edward Snape,3;Dr. Owen,55;Mr. R. Davis,59;Mr. T. N. Toller,113;Opposition to a Village Service,153;Dr. Gibbons,168;Mr. Mattock,191;Mr. Grant,233;Mr. Clark,252;Mr. Heywood,281;Mr. Raban,294;Mr. Hoppus,298Apperley, Mr. James, pastor at Long Buckby,274Ashley and Wilbarston,146Ashworth, Dr. Caleb, pastor and tutor at Daventry,195Aston, Mr., pastor at Creaton,183Atkinson, Mr., Puritan minister,257Bacon, Mr., pastor at Ashley,149Barber. Mr., pastor at Yelvertoft,342Barnett, Mr. Andrew, pastor at Daventry,189Bedworth, Dissenters from Welford travelled to,162Bell, Mr., pastor at Wellingborough,242Belsham, Mr., pastor and tutor at Daventry,206Bennett, Mr. John, pastor at Northampton,35Bennett, Mr., at Potterspury,277Bettson, Mr. Robert, pastor at Wellingborough,228Bevan, Mr., pastor at Wellingborough,248Beverly, Mr. John, first pastor at Rowell,46Bicknell, Mr. John, pastor at Welford,173Blower, Mr. Samuel, pastor at Northampton,10Bolton, Mr., Puritan minister,117Boyce, Mr. Benjamin, pastor at Kettering,100Boyce, Mrs., her death,105Brackley,369Bradbury, Mr. David, pastor at Wellingborough,215Bradshaw, Mr. S. A., pastor at Weldon,332Braybrook, Mr., pastor at Weedon,264Brigstock, Church at,314Broughton, Church at ,116Browning, Mr. John, pastor at Rowell,49Buckingham, Mr., pastor at Paulerspury,373Buckby Long, Church at,268Bullock, Mr. G., pastor at Ashley,150Bunn, Mr., pastor at Yardley,302Bushnell, Mr., pastor at Potterspury,278Cambden, Mr., pastor at Daventry,190Cartwright, Mr. Thomas, pastor at Buckby,269Carver, Mr. John, pastor at Wellingborough,238Causby, Mr. Stephen, pastor at Towcester,360Cauthorn, Mr. Edward, lecturer at Oundle,255Chadwick, Mr. Joseph, pastor at Oundle,260Church Covenant at Rowell,47;Harborough,126;Northampton,11;Wellingborough,247;Potterspury,279;Brigstock,316Clarke, Mr. Hugh, Puritan minister at Oundle,252Clarke, Mr. Matthew, pastor at Harborough and Ashley,121Clarke, Mr. Matthew, junior,123Coleman, Mr. Thomas, pastor at Ashley,152Commercial Street, Northampton, Church at,42Cooke, Mr., pastor at Oundle,260Creaton, Church at,179Crick, Church at,313Cuzens, Mr., pastor at Crick,313Dale, Mr., pastor at Creaton,180Dann, Mr. J., pastor at Nassington,376Daventry, Church at,186Davis, Mr. John, pastor at Daventry,208Davis, Mr. P., pastor at Wellingborough,247Davis, Mr. R., pastor at Rowell,54Davis, Mr. Robert, pastor at Wellingborough,248Deaconesses chosen in the Church at Rowell,64Denham, Mr. Joshua, pastor at Towcester,359Denny, Mr. R., pastor at Buckby,269Dod, Mr. John, Puritan minister,7Doddridge, Dr. Philip, pastor at Northampton,13Drake, Mr. J., pastor at Yardley,292Edwards, Mr. B. L., pastor at Northampton,39Epitaph on Matthew Clarke, by Dr. Watts,125Evans, Mr. Isaac, pastor at Weedon,266Evans, Mr. F., pastor at Buckby,274Everdon, Church at,367Fawsley, the Puritan press at,7Fenn, Mr. Humfrey, Puritan minister,3Flavell, Mr. Thomas, pastor at Daventry,190Fletcher, Mr. William, Puritan minister,5Fowler, Mr., ejected from Crick,304Floyd, Mr., pastor at Daventry,195Forsyth, Mr., pastor at Oundle,259French, Mr., pastor at Wellingborough,215Fuller, Mr., pastor at John Kettering,106Gallsworthy, Mr., pastor at Rowell,78Gardiner, Mr. Thos., pastor at Kilsby,142Gardner, Mr. Isaac, pastor at Potterspury,288Gear, Mr., pastor at Harborough,142Geddington,116Gibson, Mr., pastor at Yelvertoft,340Gilbert, Mr. R., pastor at Northampton,29Gill, Mr. G., pastor at Harborough,139Gill, Mr. Walter, pastor at Welford,177Glascott, Mr., pastor at Peterborough,352Goodrich, Mr. D. Oundle,258Grant, Mr., pastor at Wellingborough,231Gravestock, Mr. J., pastor at Old,364Gregson, Mr. M., pastor at Rowell,75Gronow, Mr. J., pastor at Weedon,264Griffiths, Mr. D., pastor at Buckby,272Griffin, Mr., pastor at Brigstock,318Goode, Mr., pastor at Potterspury,284Hall, Mr., pastor at Crick,313Halford, Mr., assistant to Mr. Some,133Harborough Market, Church at,119Harris, Mr., pastor at Peterborough,353Harrison, Mr. M., pastor at Potterspury,275Harwood, Mr., pastor at Kilsby,312Hawkins, Mr., pastor at Towcester,359Hennell, Mr. D., pastor at Wollaston,347Heywood, Mr., pastor at Potterspury,278Hillyard, Mr., pastor at Brigstock,317Hitchin, Mr., pastor at Towcester,359Hextal, Mr., pastor at Northampton,37Hobson, Mr. B., pastor at Welford,174Hogg, Mr. R., pastor at Oundle,259Hook, Mr., ejected from Creaton,179Hoppus, Mr. J., pastor at Yardley,297Horsey, Mr. J., pastor at Northampton,30Howe, Mr., pastor at Weedon,263Hunt, Mr. J., pastor at Northampton,12Hyatt, Mr. C., pastor at Northampton,34Ironmonger, Mr., pastor at Creaton,180Isaac, Mr., pastor at Peterborough,354Islip, Mr. Thomas, pastor at Yelvertoft,341Jackson, Mr., pastor at Buckby,268Jackson, Mr. S., pastor at Old,362Jacomb, Mr. R., pastor at Wellingborough,215James, Mr. T., pastor at Yelvertoft,342Jelly, Mr., pastor at Daventry,190Jeanes, Mr., pastor at Peterborough,354Jocelyne, Mr., at Creaton,184Johns, Mr. E., pastor at Welford,173Jones, Mr. Thomas, pastor at Kilsby,312Jones, Mr. Jas. Rees, pastor at Kilsby,313Kettering, Church at,80Kilsby and Crick, Church at,304King, Mr. Samuel, pastor at Welford,166King, Mr. Joseph, pastor at Oundle,257King's Street Chapel, Northampton,37Knight, Mr., pastor at Yelvertoft,338Knightley, Sir Richard, favours the Puritan,6Letters from Mr. Browning, when in prison,51Letter of dismission from Rowell,57Letter of Mr. Maidwell,82Letter of Mr. Saunders,96Letter of Mr. Shuttlewood,157Lewis, Mr. J., ejected from Northampton,9Longfield, Mr. J., pastor at Oundle,259Lord, Mr. Thomas, pastor at Brigstock,324Lowry, Mr. Thomas, ejected from Harborough,120Maidwell, Mr. T., pastor at Kettering,81Mandeno, Mr., pastor at Creaton,185Martin, Mr. G., ejected from Weedon,262Martin, Mr., pastor at Creaton,185Mason, Mr., pastor Daventry,190Matthews, Mr. E., ejected from Wollaston,344Matthews, Mr. J., at King's Cliffe,376Mattock, Mr., pastor at Daventry,191Meacock, Mr., pastor Everdon,367Meeting House threatened,89Merbury, Mr. F., Puritan minister,2Milway, Mr. Thos., pastor at Kettering,84Milway, Mr. Thos., junior, pastor at Kettering,87Mitchel, Mr., Brigstock,319Modern Question,68Moody, Mr. T., pastor at Old,365Moffatt, Mr., pastor at Weldon,332Morgan, Mr., pastor at Kilsby,312Morrell, Mr., pastor at Potterspury,287Moseley, Mr., pastor at Buckby,272Negus, Mr. S., lecturer at Oundle,255Nettleship, Mr. G., pastor at Yelvertoft,342Newth, Mr. A., pastor at Oundle,261Newell, Mr. G., pastor at Potterspury,275Nicholson, Mr. G., pastor at Northampton,42Norris, Mr., pastor at Welford,162Northampton, Churches at,1Northend, Mr., pastor at Welford,173Notcutt, Mr. W., pastor at Ashley,151Offord, Mr., pastor at Weedon,264Old, Church at,361Orton, Mr., pastor at Wellingborough,215Oundle, Church at,250Paget, Mr. Eusebius, Puritan minister,250Palmer, Mr. Wm., pastor at Peterborough,355Paterson, Mr., pastor at Daventry,206Penry, Mr., Puritan minister,4Perne, Mr. Andre, minister,211Perry, Mr., pastor at Wollaston,345Peterborough, Church at,352Phares, Mr., pastor at Weedon,264Philip, Mr. John, pastor at Weldon,331Phillips, Mr. Maurice, pastor at Brigstock,318Pickering, Mr. R., pastor at Brigstock,319Pinkerton, Mr., pastor at Weedon,266Porter, Mr., pastor at Northampton,39Porter, Mr. Thos., pastor at Kilsby,312Potterspury, Church at,275Poulter, Mr. J. F., pastor at Wellingborough,225Prandlove. Mr., Puritan minister,6Prout, Mr. E., pastor at Oundle,261Preston, Dr. John, a Puritan minister,5Prust, Mr. E. T., pastor at Northampton,43Puritans preach at Kettering,81Raban, Mr. T., pastor at Yardley,292Redsbury, Mr. R., ejected from Oundle,253Renals, Mr. J., pastor at Wellingborough,243Renfrew, Mr., pastor at Weedon,264Robertson, Mr. James, pastor at Wellingborough,220Robins, Mr., pastor and tutor at Daventry,198Robins, Mr., character of, by Mr. Toller,201Robinson, Mr. I., pastor at Potterspury,277Rowell, Church at,46Rowlet, Mr., ejected from Sudbury,213Rowlatt, Wm., Esq,333Sanderson, Mr. J., pastor at Rowell,70Saunders, Mr. Julius, pastor at Bedworth,161Saunders, Thomas, pastor at Kettering,90Saunders, Thomas, character of, by Mr. Some,91Scott, Mr. Walter, pastor at Rowell,76Severn, Mr. W., pastor at Welford,172Shepherd, Mr. Thos., pastor at Northampton,11Shepherd, Mr., pastor at Oundle,256Shuttlewood, Mr. John, pastor at Welford,155Simpson, A. C., Dr., pastor at Oundle,261Slye, Mr. J., pastor at Potterspury,289Snape, Mr. Edward, Puritan minister,2Some, Mr. David, pastor at Harborough,127Some, Mr. David, junior,127Spence, Mr. John, pastor at Old,365Spencer, Mr. Thomas, pastor at Kilsby,312Spong, Mr., pastor at Yardley,302Stirmey, Mr., pastor at Everdon,368Stone, Mr. Edward, Puritan minister,357Stone, Mr. Thomas, Puritan minister,115Strange, Mr. Thomas, pastor at Kilsby,306Strange, Mrs. Thomas,311Summers, Mr. H., pastor at Wellingborough,216Taylor, Mr. S., pastor at Potterspury,278Taylor, Mr. G., pastor at Wellingborough,223Terry, Mr. Wm., pastor at Kettering,86Thomas, Mr., pastor at Wellingborough,215Thomas, Mr. Thos., pastor at Wellingborough,248Thomas, Mr. Thos., pastor at Weldon,332Thorpe, Mr., ejected from Barby,305Thresher, Mr., pastor at Peterborough,353Todman, Mr. William, pastor at Yardley,302Toller, Mr. H., pastor at Harborough,143Toller, Mr. T. N., pastor at Kettering,107Toller, Mr. T., pastor at Kettering,114Towcester, Church at,357Tyte, Mr. C. C., pastor at Wellingborough,245Unitarian letter of separation,33Vaughan, Mr. I., pastor at Brigstock,323Vowell, Mr. G., pastor at Potterspury,287Walker, Mr. W., pastor at Buckby,269Wake, Mr. A., Puritan minister,5Warburton, Mr., pastor at Creaton,182Washbourn, Mr. D., pastor at Wellingborough,216Watson, Mr. G., pastor at Daventry,207Weedon Beck, Church at,262Weldon and Corby,327Welford, Church at,155Wellingborough, Churches in,210West, Mr. J., pastor at Ashley,148White, Mr. E., pastor at Potterspury,287Whitefoot, Mr., pastor at Potterspury,287Whitehead, Mr. J., pastor at Creaton,182Whittenbury, Mr., pastor at Daventry,208Wilby,210Wild, Dr. Robert, pastor at Oundle,254Wild, Mr. W., pastor at Harborough,143Williams, Mr., pastor at Creaton,184Wills, Mr. H., ejected from Loddington,213Wills, Mr. John, pastor at Kettering,86Wilson, Mr. Thomas,42Wollaston, Church at,344Wood, Mr., pastor at Creaton,182Wood, Mr. J., pastor at Rowell,75Woodward, Mr., pastor at Northampton,41Worth, Mr., ejected from Kilsby,304Wright, Mr., pastor at Oundle,259Yardley Hastings, Church at,291Yelvertoft, Church at,335