CHAPTER V.
MEMORIALS OF THE INDEPENDENT CHURCH AT ASHLEY AND WILBARSTON.
It might appear to be difficult to some of the Nonconformists of the present day to decide, why their forefathers should fix on this village as a place where they should carry on the stated ministrations of the Gospel, and form a Church on Congregational principles. The population of the village is too small to present a suitable sphere in itself for a Dissenting congregation, while the Episcopal Church has the patronage of the State and receives her emoluments. It was probably regarded by those engaged in its formation as presenting a central spot, where the Nonconformists who resided in surrounding villages might conveniently assemble. Hence, during its early history the hearers travelled from a number of places in the vicinity. One of the stated hearers, who died at an advanced age a few years ago, and who had been connected with the place from his earliest days, informed the writer that he remembered hearers coming from thirteen villages to attend under the ministry of the Gospel at Ashley. Since that period Chapels have been erected in several of those villages, in which stated services are conducted; and this, as a matter of course, diminishes the number of travellers to the old places.
The history of the Independent Church at Ashley is connected, during the first 60 or 70 years of its existence, with that of Market Harborough. It was formed under the labours of the same minister, about the same time (1673), and continued under the charge of the same pastors until some time after the death of Mr. David Some. For the character and labours of its first pastors (Mr. Matthew Clark and his son, succeeded by Mr. Some, who had Doddridge as an assistant for a time), the reader is referred to the preceding memorials of the Church at Harborough. The record of members of the Church, preserved in the handwriting of Mr. Some, shows that Church-meetings were held at Ashley, members admitted there, the Lord's Supper administered; proving that it was regarded as a distinct Christian society, under the pastoral charge of the minister of the Church at Harborough. After Doddridge came to reside at Harborough, and became assistant to Mr. Some, he took his turn in preaching at Ashley. Tradition says, that on one occasion he baptized nine children at the house of a respectable farmer at Weston, about a mile from Ashley, whose family were long connected with the place, and at whose house the minister frequently, in those days, dined on the Sabbath. From Doddridge's own pen we learn that some of his published sermons to young people were preached at Ashley, for he dedicates them to the young people in the congregations at Northampton, Harborough, Kibworth, Hinchley, and Ashley, as the places where they had been preached. The following note is appended to the sermon entitled 'The Orphan's Hope,' from Psalm xxvii. 10: "When my father and mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up":—"This sermon was preached at Ashley, in Northamptonshire, March 6th, 1725, to some young persons whose father, mother, and sister had all died of the small-pox a few days before." In the introduction to the discourse he observes—
There are few precepts of the Gospel which will appear more easy to a humane and generous mind than those in which we are required to weep with them that weep; and surely there are few circumstances of private life which will more readily command our mournful sympathy than those of that afflicted family, to the poor remains of which you will naturally, on the first hearing of these words, direct your thoughts, and perhaps your eyes too—the circumstances of a family which God hath broken with breach upon breach—of those distressed children whose father and mother have forsaken them almost at once, and who have since been visited with another stroke, which if alone had been very grievous, and when added to such a weight of former sorrows is, I fear, almost insupportable. I believe all of you who are acquainted with the case sincerely pity them, and wish their relief; but I am under some peculiar obligations to desire and attempt it, not only on account of my public character, but as I know the heart of an orphan, having myself been deprived of both my parents at an age at which it might reasonably be supposed a child should be most sensible of such a loss. I cannot recollect any Scripture which was then more comfortable, as I think none could have been more suitable, to me, than that which is now before us.
He touchingly and beautifully addresses the orphan family towards the close of the discourse.
It must have been eight or ten years after the death of Mr. Some, which took place in 1737, before the Church at Ashley had a pastor placed over it separate from the Church at Harborough, for the first pastor here appears to have been a Mr. John West, who had been a student at Northampton in Doddridge's academy; for though we have no account preserved of the period when he commenced or when he closed his ministry, yet we find that he entered the academy at Northampton in the year 1740. If immediately on the close of his studies he became the pastor of the Church at Ashley, according to the usual term this would not take place until 1745 or 1746; and as we find another pastor chosen within eleven or twelve years from this time, and have no further account of Mr. West, it is probable that he closed his life and his ministry at a comparatively early age.
In the year 1757, Mr. Samuel Bacon was chosen pastor of the Church at Ashley, in which office he continued for 32 years. The residence of Mr. Bacon's family was Sutton-in-Ashfield; he studied for the ministry at the academy at Mile End, when Dr. Conder and Mr., afterward Dr., Gibbons were the tutors.
It is supposed that Ashley was Mr. Bacon's only charge; during his ministry here his residence was at Wilbarston. No particulars have been preserved of his character or ministry, the success of his labours, or the state of the Church while he was pastor. He appears to have been highly esteemed, and was spoken of by his friends as one of the most lovely, amiable men they ever knew. Mr. Bacon was one of the first trustees for the Meeting House at Weldon and the property connected with it, and one of the monthly lecturers there for a number of years, frequently conducting also the extra service they obtained on a Sabbath evening in addition to the monthly lecture. At Corby also Mr. Bacon had some engagements of a similar nature. We find his name inserted in the account of the ordination of Mr. J. Fuller, at Kettering, in 1772. He died rather suddenly, February 6th, 1789, and was buried in the Meeting House, beneath the pulpit, where Mrs. Bacon was also interred, and Mrs. Talbot, one of his three daughters.
In the same year that Mr. Bacon died, Mr. George Bullock was invited to become the pastor, and entered on his stated ministry; residing, like his predecessor, at Wilbarston. He was a student at Mile End when Dr. Addington was tutor, and we have heard that he was a favourite student of the Doctor's; one memorial of this we have seen. There is in the hands of a daughter of Mr. Bullock a neat pocket Bible, in two volumes, published in 1640, that evidently was used by Dr. Addington when he preached in the villages in the vicinity of Market Harborough, having on the fly-leaves the texts of the sermons noted down very neatly, with the places where they were preached, and the time of the service; also four hymns selected from the Olney Hymns by Newton and Cowper, suitable to sing at the services, written in shorthand, according to the system of Jeremiah Rich, improved by Doddridge. This Bible was given by his tutor to Mr. Bullock, as the following memorandum, written in each volume by Mr. Bullock, testifies:—
George Bullock.
The gift of my very dear, highly honoured, much esteemed friend and tutor, the Rev. S. Addington, D.D., No 5, Grove House, Mile End, London, November 6th, 1788.
About four years after Mr. Bullock commenced his ministry at Ashley, a building was purchased and fitted up at Wilbarston for a Meeting House. Occasional services in a licensed room had for some time been held; and the attendance increasing, it was thought desirable to have a larger place and more regular services. This Meeting House was opened in the year 1793, and from that time it was connected with Ashley, to have one service by the pastor every Sabbath morning or afternoon alternately, and occasionally a Sabbath evening lecture; so that he became the minister of both congregations, regularly travelling from one place to the other to conduct these services.
In the early part of Mr. Bullock's ministry at Ashley there was some considerable increase in the congregation and the Church; but this did not continue to the close of his course. After labouring for about twenty years, in the month of January, 1809, he was seized with a paralytic affection, which laid him aside entirely from all public service. He resigned his charge, seeing no prospect of restoration, in March, 1810; and in the year 1811 he died, at the age of 48 years, and was interred in the Meeting House at Wilbarston, where a tablet is erected to his memory.
After this Mr. William Notcutt was invited to the pastoral office, and was ordained June 6th, 1811.
Mr. Notcutt preached at both places in the manner of his predecessor, and during some part of his ministry took monthly services at Slawston and Hallaton; but now there is a stated pastor, who preaches regularly at both these places. During the ministry of Mr. Notcutt a vestry was added to the Meeting House at Wilbarston for week-evening services and for the Sabbath-school. In the year 1820 the Meeting House was enlarged, at an expense of about £200. The ministry of Mr. Notcutt continued here about 15 years, and in that time about 50 members were added to the Church. In March, 1826, he resigned his charge, and removed to Ipswich, where he is still labouring as pastor of the Independent Church in Tacket Street.
After this removal, there was an unsettled interval of about five years. For a short time the two congregations separated, and tried to have a minister for each, when a Mr. Bromiley was at Ashley and Mr. Hill at Wilbarston. While Mr. Bromiley was at Ashley the Meeting House underwent some alterations—was new pewed, and the inside considerably improved; but it still remains, as to the appearance of the building, in the state of one of the oldest Nonconformist village Meeting Houses, with its thatched roof without, and its uncovered beams within; and it may stand for years to come as a venerable relic of the olden times. The first trust deed of the present Meeting House is dated 1706.
After a short trial of separation, it was thought to be best to re-unite the two places; and in the year 1831 the present minister, Mr. Thomas Coleman, who had previously been pastor of the Independent Church at Wollaston, was unanimously invited to take the charge of both congregations, and he has conducted the services at both places for 21 years.
At this time it was thought desirable that the residence of the minister should be at Ashley, as most in the centre of the connexion; a dwelling-house was therefore prepared, adjoining the Meeting House, as the residence of the minister for the time being; ground was purchased for the building, a garden, and a small burying place behind the Meeting. The alteration of the Meeting, the purchase of the ground, the building, &c., must have cost more than £400, which has been entirely paid off. There are about 17 acres of land that have been purchased with moneys left to the interest by different persons, which are put in trust for the benefit of the minister for the time being. There are now standing, as members of the Church, about 56 persons; the Sabbath-schools contain about 60 children. There are occasional services conducted in three villages in the vicinity, where there are rooms licensed for public worship.
If we took pleasure in dwelling on opposition encountered, we could record instances which would reflect dishonour on the opposers, while in the result the goodness of God and the power of the Gospel were manifested. Nor might it be thought unsuitable to place amidst these 'Memorials' a statement of the following facts, while names are concealed:—That a new rector, appointed to one of these villages, seemed determined to distinguish himself by opposing the occasional services that had been held in a licensed house for twenty years. He summoned his parishioners to meet in the Church; told them his design to put a stop to the preaching in the house; announced it as a very improper thing to have preaching in a house, and in a room where people lived; and when reminded of the Saviour's promise, that "wherever two or three are gathered together in his name," replied, "Ah, that might be all very true in those days, when there were no churches built nor clergymen appointed; but it did not apply now." Having gained the great man of the village on his side, nothing would do but they must have a notice drawn up and served on the occupiers of the cottage where the service was held, that they must leave it, if they did not give up the preaching; and this was persisted in; though a noble Earl who had property in the village, to whom the pastor sent a statement of the case, expressed his decided wish that the service should be continued in its usual course,—and when after considerable effort another room, more commodious, was obtained, gave a handsome donation towards fitting it up for the service, and expressed his fervent wish that the Lord would give his gracious blessing to the services that might be held there. In the varied circumstances connected with this case, there was a striking display—on the one side of the narrowness and oppression engendered by the spirit of bigotry, and on the other of the liberality and kindness of enlightened Christianity. A few years have passed since then, and the occasional services are still continued.
A voluntary Christian society, situated like this at Ashley, in the course of such a long period, having now existed for 175 years, must have undergone many changes. The erection of new places of worship in localities where its hearers and members in the early period of its history used to reside, has at length confined its connexions to four or five villages in its immediate vicinity, and they are of small population, and several of the old Dissenting families have been removed from them. Being simply an agricultural district, without trade or manufactures, there is no prospect of much increase. As young persons rise into life they remove to other places for employment, and some of the most active and useful have been thus lost to the place that gave them birth: but still a small Church remains to bear its testimony to the great principles of the Gospel, and to the truth and faithfulness of God; and it may yet extend and prosper, by united believing prayer and earnest effort, under the blessing of the great God of Zion.