CHAPTER XIX.
MEMORIALS OF THE INDEPENDENT CHURCH AT WOLLASTON.
The Independent Church in the village of Wollaston is of rather recent formation. Not more than sixty-four years have passed since the professing Christians residing in this place who dissented from the Established Church were formed into a regular independent Christian society; but in looking back to the early days of Nonconformity, we find a Mr. Edmund Matthews, a man of good learning, sound judgment, and serious piety, who had been the vicar of Wollaston, resigning the living, refusing to submit to the terms imposed by the Act of Uniformity, coming out from the Church, and taking his place among the noble band of Nonconformist worthies. It was a considerable sacrifice that he had to make, for truth and a good conscience. "Cut off from his former means of support, he lived privately at Wellingborough, and practised as a medical man, but was often reduced to great straits. When things were at the lowest, he would commit his wife and seven children to the care of Providence; and God mercifully appeared for them. He was laid on the bed of affliction, and saw his end approaching, with the prospect of leaving his family unprovided for. There came a messenger from two of his relations, one a draper and the other a minister, bidding him be easy about his wife and children, for the one would clothe them all, and the other provide them with food;" and to show how well they were disposed of, it is stated "that his wife afterwards practised medicine, and sent two of her sons to the University, while the eldest daughter married a knight." Mr. Matthews was a man full of compassion and genuine charity; exemplary for faith, meekness, patience, resignation to the will of God, and reliance on the promises. He had great comfort in death.
It does not appear that Mr. Matthews made any attempt to raise a congregation or to carry on his ministry after his ejectment; but as there were Nonconformist ministers who in this early period took opportunities to preach the Gospel at Wellingborough, which is within four miles of Wollaston, those who separated from the Established Church in the latter place would travel to the former to attend those services, and would become connected with the Independent Churches that were early formed there, while they endeavoured to obtain occasional services in the village where they resided.
It was soon after the middle of the last century that the present Chapel was built, viz., in 1752; but it was not until the year 1788 that the Church was formed and the first pastor settled. In that year Mr. Perry, of Lavendon Mill, near Olney, was invited to take the pastoral charge over them. He was the intimate friend and had been the fellow-labourer of Mr. Raban, who was pastor of the Church at Yardley Hastings. They had been connected with the Established Church at Olney; both of them had engaged in delivering exhortations at meetings for social prayer and for the mutual improvement of their fellow Christians who belonged to the Church. These engagements were the means of introducing them to further service, so that they both became pastors of Independent Churches in these villages, which were but a short distance from their former abode.
In the records of the Church at West End, Wellingborough, it is stated that "at a Church-meeting held October 5th, 1778, Mr. Perry, of Lavendon Mill, who had for some time before exercised his gifts among Dissenters, though at that time in connexion with the Church of England as by law established, having testified his desire to join this Church with a view to his being sent out to the ministry in an orderly way, he came, and gave an account of his call to speak the word, the reasons that induced him to approve of the order of Congregational Churches, and his reasons for desiring to join with this Church. He was proposed to the Church to join next Church-meeting." In a month from this time another meeting was held, when "Mr. Perry gave in his experience to great satisfaction, and then, according to former appointment, preached amongst us to good satisfaction also; and the Church being consulted, they thought it was plainly their duty to send brother Perry out to preach the Gospel wherever the Lord should be pleased to call him, and concluded the next Church-meeting should be held for that end and purpose." Then it was unanimously agreed that brother Perry should preach wherever Providence should call him.
It appears that Mr. Perry put himself into the hands of this Church that they might judge of his qualifications for the ministry, with a determination to submit to the judgment they formed. In the year 1778 it is recorded, "we dismissed brother Perry to the newly formed Church at Wollaston, and on May 28th he was ordained their pastor."
Some time before this Mr. Perry had been preaching at Wollaston, and when he was invited to the pastoral office twenty-four persons had united together in the fellowship of the Gospel. At the ordination service, Mr. Hillyard prayed; Mr. Carver stated the nature of the service, and proposed the usual inquiries; Mr. Raban offered the ordination prayer; Mr. Carver gave the charge, from Rev. ii. 10—"Be thou faithful unto death," &c.; Mr. Bull preached to the people, from Phil. i. 27—"Only let your conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of Christ." In the evening Mr. Greathead prayed, and Mr. Goode preached from Psalm li. 18—"Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion," &c.
Mr. Perry's ministry, after his settlement, was of short duration, scarcely extending to five years; during its continuance he admitted twelve members to the small society. On February 28th, 1793, he died. He was interred at Lavendon the Sabbath following, when Mr. Raban preached the funeral sermon, from 1 Thessalonians ii. 8—"So, being affectionately desirous of you," &c. He was a man of a truly pious, affectionate spirit, and was much beloved by the little flock over which he presided.
Immediately after the death of Mr. Perry, another member of the Church at Wellingborough, who had been chosen to the office of a deacon there, but who was resident in Wollaston, was called to take the oversight of this infant Church. In the records of the Church to which he belonged it is stated, under the date of April 8th, 1793, "Brother David Hennell exercised his gifts by expounding Scripture to the Church in the vestry, which was very acceptable." October 3rd, "He was dismissed to the pastoral office, having the united and fervent desire of his Church for his usefulness and comfort." The friends at Wollaston record, "immediately after the burial of our late worthy pastor, the Lord was pleased to show us he had seen our distress and heard our cries, for he was disposing the mind of a dear friend of this place to the work of the ministry—Mr. David Hennell. His gifts were tried at Wellingborough, at the Church to which he belonged, under Mr. Carver, and approved; they in Christian love gave him liberty, unanimously, to come and statedly preach amongst us. The ordination service was held October 8th, 1794, when Mr. Raban commenced and asked the questions; Mr. Carver delivered the charge, from Matthew xxviii. 20—'Teaching them to observe all things,' &c.; Mr. Bull preached to the people, from 1 Thessalonians v. 12, 13—'I beseech you, brethren, to know them which are over you in the Lord,' &c. Mr. Hillyard, junior, preached in the evening, from Acts xi. 23."
Mr. Hennell continued his services as pastor for twenty-nine years, and during that time the place of worship underwent some enlargement, and some additions were gradually made to the Church, seventy-five members being added during the course of his ministry. At the commencement of the year 1822, owing to advancing years and increasing infirmities, Mr. Hennell felt it to be his duty to resign his office, which he did on Lord's-day, January 21st.
Immediately after this, the attention of the people was directed to Mr. Thomas Coleman, who was a member of the Independent Church at Kettering, then under the pastoral care of the Rev. T. N. Toller. Mr. Coleman had preached at Wollaston for the first time on the Christmas-day previous to the resignation of Mr. Hennell, and was now invited to preach to them on probation. This engagement was continued until Midsummer, when he was invited to become the pastor, and was ordained September 5th, 1822. The following is the record preserved of the ordination service:—
Mr. West, of Harrold, read the Scriptures and prayed; Mr. Morris, of Olney, delivered the introductory discourse and asked the questions; Mr. Hennell, the former pastor, gave a brief statement of the steps that had led to the formation of the present connexion; Mr. Coleman stated the motives which he trusted influenced him to engage in the work, the reasons why he preferred to exercise his ministry among Dissenters, and his views of the doctrines of the Gospel; Mr. Jacomb, of Wellingborough, offered the ordination prayer; Mr. Renals, of the same place, delivered the charge, from 1 Tim. iv. 16—"Take heed to thyself and to thy doctrine," &c.; Mr. Toller, of Kettering, preached to the people, from 1 Peter ii. 2—"As new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the word," &c. Mr. Pickering, of Brigstock, preached in the evening, from Col. i. 12—"Giving thanks unto the Father," &c.
A Sabbath-school was first formed here after this settlement.
Mr. Hennell survived nearly eight years after the ordination of his successor, and acted during the whole of that period in the most kind and affectionate manner towards him. He died July 28th, 1830. By his request, his death was improved by his successor, from words chosen by the preacher as appropriate to his character and the peaceful close of his life (Luke ii. 29): "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word."
In the year 1831 Mr. Coleman removed from Wollaston, having received an unanimous invitation from the Church and congregation at Ashley and Wilbarston. During his ministry twenty-two members had been admitted to the Church.
After this, Mr. Edwards was engaged in preaching to the people for about ten months. When he had left them, different supplies were engaged, until, at the commencement of the year 1834, Mr. Thomas Lord, who was a member of the Independent Church, Castle Hill, Northampton, was engaged as a supply. His services proving acceptable, after a suitable time of trial he was invited to become the pastor, and was ordained October 24th, 1834, when Mr. Morris again stated the nature of a Christian Church, and asked the questions; Mr. Renals offered the ordination prayer; Mr. Bennett, of Northampton, delivered the charge, from 1 Tim. iv. 6—"A good minister of Jesus Christ;" Mr. Phillips, of Harrold, preached to the people, from Phil. ii. 1—"If there be therefore any consolation in Christ," &c. Mr. Vorley, of Charlton, preached in the evening, from Phil. i. 27—"Only let your conversation," &c. Mr. Lord's ministry here continued until the year 1845, when he removed to Brigstock. During the course of it about fifty members were added to the Church; but ere it closed, some declensions took place. Considerable improvements were made in the place of worship, by its being repewed and a new vestry erected, at a cost of about £250. A dwelling-house was also purchased and fitted up for the minister, and made over to the interest, by the liberality of Mr. John Ward, of Knutson.
On the third Sabbath in August, 1846, Mr. John Anderson became the pastor; but he resigned his office in July, 1847.
In the year 1848, Mr. E. W. Finch, from Mr. Frost's seminary at Cotton End, near Bedford, became the minister of the place; but on March 27th, 1851, Mr. Finch resigned, and removed to Portshead, Somerset. Fourteen members were added to the Church by Mr. Finch.
In October, 1851, Mr. D. Herschell came to Wollaston, and is at present ministering there. There are now about forty-one members in the Church. There are about fifty children in the Sabbath-school. Occasional services are conducted in villages in the vicinity.
Amidst various and frequent changes of late, this interest still remains, attended with difficult circumstances. May it be greatly revived, its numbers increased, and its efficiency promoted!