Memorials of the Independent Churches in Northamptonshire / with biographical notices of their pastors, and some account of the puritan ministers who laboured in the county.

by Thomas Coleman

CHAPTER XVII.

MEMORIALS OF THE INDEPENDENT CHURCH AT WELDON AND CORBY.

In the early part of the last century, there resided in the village of Little Weldon a freestone mason, Mr. Edward Nutt, who was a Protestant Dissenter of the Independent denomination. He usually attended divine worship at the Independent Meeting in Kettering, under the ministry of the excellent Mr. Thomas Saunders. After the death of Mr. Saunders, he travelled to Oundle on the Sabbath, to hear Mr. Goodrich; but, not satisfied with going himself to obtain improvement and enjoyment under the ministry of the Gospel, he was anxious to bring it home to the inhabitants of the village in which he resided, with the hope that it might be rendered useful to them. Therefore, at the quarter sessions at Northampton, July 17th, 1706, he had his dwelling-house and premises registered for the worship of God, and then he began to have occasional preaching there by the Dissenting ministers in the vicinity. The following copy of the license granted him has been preserved:—

Northamptonshire.

These are to certify, that Edward Nutt, of the said county, did certify to her Majesty's justices of the peace, assembled at their general quarter sessions of the peace, held for the county aforesaid, on Tuesday, the 16th day of July, that the dwelling-house of the said Edward Nutt, with its appurtenances, situated in Weldon aforesaid, in the said county of Northampton, is set apart and intended a place of meeting for Protestant Dissenters to meet for the exercise of their religious worship and service of God.

Given under my hand, and the seal of my office, this 17th day of July, anno Domini 1706.

J. Horton.

In his dwelling-house Mr. Nutt had occasional services conducted for several years; but about the year 1736 or 1738 he fitted up, in a very plain manner, a small barn, where the Meeting House now stands: it had a small window, a square pulpit, three stone steps to the pulpit, and the people sat on forms. Thus it continued, and here the services were held until the present Meeting House was built.

Mr. Nutt left by will to the Rev. D. Goodrich, of Oundle, and the Rev. Samuel King, of Welford, his dwelling-house, with its appurtenances, a close of pasture land, and one hundred pounds, which they were to receive at the death of his wife; and Mrs. Nutt made the same parties joint executors of her will, and residuary legatees. It was understood that this property was meant to be applied for the maintenance of some services in the village of Weldon by Dissenting ministers. The parties to whom it was left, well knowing that it was the desire of Mr. and Mrs. Nutt to have a sermon preached there once a month or oftener, by Dissenting ministers of the Independent denomination, consulted with some of the neighbouring ministers as to the best mode of securing the money for this purpose. It was ultimately determined to lay it out in the purchase of a piece of land in Titchmarsh field, the rents and profits of which continue to be received towards the support of the minister for the time being. The dwelling-house was found to expose the executors to some trouble in obtaining tenants and keeping it in repair, so that they determined on the sale of the house, with its appurtenances, for which they received £80. The half of this sum was expended in the enclosure of the land at Titchmarsh, and the other half was applied towards the building of the new Meeting House. Some years after, the dwelling-house was again purchased for the residence of the minister, when they had a settled pastor at Weldon.

While Mr. Nutt was living, his business calling him very much from home, the services were irregular, being ordered so as to suit the convenience of Mr. Nutt and the ministers that he invited to preach: what little expense was incurred was borne by him. After his decease, the services were held with greater regularity; and after the death of Mrs. Nutt, the ministers that usually preached met annually at Weldon, in July, to fix the course of lecture for the next year, and audit the accounts for the last. The plan was, to have a sermon once a month, on Sabbath evenings, in the summer, and on Thursday at eleven o'clock a.m., in the winter; and there was seven shillings and sixpence a time allowed out of the estate and money left by Mr. and Mrs. Nutt; the surplus paid for a lecture on other Sabbath evenings, which was usually preached by Mr. Bacon, pastor of the Independent Church at Ashley. The preachers of the monthly lecture were generally the ministers of Oundle, Kettering, Bowell, Ashley, Harborough, Welford, and Uppingham, all of whom gave up to Mr. M. Phillips, the minister at Brigstock, when it was determined to connect Weldon with that place.

As the lectures could not be much oftener than once a month, on the Lord's-day evening; and being in the forenoon on the week-days, were very thinly attended, it was considered by the ministers, trustees, and others, that it would be better for the people at Weldon to become united with the Church at Brigstock, and so to get a regularly educated minister between them. At that time, a Mr. Griffin was minister at Brigstock; but being seventy-six years of age, he was willing to retire as soon as the people could obtain a successor. "Just at that time," writes Mr. Nathaniel Collis, of Kettering, who felt a lively interest in their concerns, "I had occasion to write to Dr. Williams, tutor to the academy, then at Oswestry, and took the opportunity of inquiring whether any young man was there suitable for such a situation, on which the Doctor recommended Mr. Maurice Phillips: he was a Welchman, and came at the Midsummer vacation, 1790. At first he was a poor speaker in English, but in a few months so improved as to become a very acceptable preacher; and he was a close student." Upon his coming, he regularly preached at Brigstock and Weldon, so that both places had preaching once every Sabbath, and sometimes an additional service in the evening; and he generally preached once a month at Corby, on a Sabbath evening. Under these arrangements, the attendance considerably increased at Weldon. They made some enlargement of the place of meeting; but the number of hearers still increasing, and the place being an old building, low, and inconvenient, they at length determined on building a new Meeting House. According to the plan that was formed, it was to be twenty feet wide, thirty-three feet long, sixteen feet high to the top of the side walls, and cove of the ceiling about three feet higher, all inside measure; which, it was thought, would be large enough to seat them all on the ground floor, and be high enough for a gallery, if it should be wanted. The foundation stone was laid May 23rd, 1792. The whole expense of the building was £182. 9s. 3d. All these particulars have been minutely recorded by Mr. Collis, with the manner in which the money was obtained, and every donation that was received for the purpose; and he adds to his account the following characteristic note: "If the Meeting House had had but one door, and a much less window, it would have been better, and saved some pounds in the expense." But, to his honour be it recorded, he gave a larger sum towards the building than any other subscriber. This place continued in connexion with the Church at Brigstock until the time when Mr. Pickering, who had for twenty years served both congregations, determined on confining his labours chiefly to the latter place. During the ministry of Mr. Pickering, the Weldon congregation increased; so that it was thought necessary to erect a gallery across the end of the Meeting, to face the pulpit, five seats deep, which was done in the year 1808, at an expense of £39.

About the year 1824, Mr. Pickering resigned his connexion with Weldon, and the members of the Brigstock Church residing here received their dismission to form themselves into a distinct Church of Christ, when they came to the determination to endeavour to obtain a stated pastor to reside at Weldon, and to preach regularly on the Sabbath at Weldon and Corby. After some time, they gave an invitation to Mr. John Philip, who became their first pastor here, and laboured among them about twelve years, and then was called to close his life suddenly in their service. One Sabbath morning, while engaged in preaching, he ruptured a blood vessel, was carried from his pulpit to his house, and, after a short time, died in his chair. Mr. Toller, of Kettering, improved his death, from Zech. i. 5: "The prophets, do they live for ever?"

The next minister was Mr. Moffat, who was with them but a short time. He was succeeded by Mr. S. A. Bradshaw. After the removal of Mr. Bradshaw, an invitation was given to Mr. Thomas Thomas, from Newport Academy, who became their pastor, and was ordained May 25th, 1848. The following account of the ordination service we find in the records of the Church:—"On this day," it is stated, "Mr. Thomas was ordained. Mr. Coleman, of Ashley, commenced by reading portions of Scripture, and prayer; Mr. Thomas Toller delivered the introductory discourse, and asked the questions; Mr. Green, of Uppingham, offered the ordination prayer; Mr. J. Bull, M.A., of Newport, delivered the charge; Mr. Robinson, of Kettering, preached to the people in the evening. The services were numerously attended, and were peculiarly interesting: near 300 ministers and friends took tea together, in a close lent for the purpose. Mr. Robinson preached in the Chapel close, in the evening; near upon 500 persons were present, and appeared much interested with the faithful and appropriate discourse." Mr. Thomas is still the minister of the congregations at Weldon and Corby.

The village of Corby is situated about two miles to the west of Weldon, containing about eight hundred inhabitants; a small sum of money was given a hundred years ago for the preaching of a lecture here on a Sabbath evening by Independent ministers. This appears to have been first preached by Mr. West, who was minister at Ashley, and afterwards by Mr. Bacon, his successor. When the congregation at Weldon was taken into connexion with the congregation at Brigstock, the Corby lecture was preached by the Brigstock minister; but in the year 1824, when it was determined to have a settled minister at Weldon, it was agreed that he should preach once every Sabbath at Corby; and this is the arrangement at the present time.

About the year 1834, William Rowlatt, Esq., who was born at Corby, but who was then residing at Burton, in the parish of Christchurch, in the county of Southampton,[7] anxious to do something for the benefit of his native place, first erected good school-rooms for Day-schools of both sexes in Corby and its vicinity, and liberally endowed them, and gave a dwelling-house for the teachers. By a deed of gift, they were transferred to the British and Foreign School Society, and are placed under the superintendence of a local Committee. They are efficiently conducted by the present teachers, Mr. D. Fisher and Miss Ross. The schools have already proved a great advantage to Corby and the surrounding villages. Soon after the schools were erected, the Old Meeting House was greatly improved, by a new gallery, pews, and pulpit, at the expense of Mr. Rowlatt; and he has left an endowment of £500 to be placed on Government security, the interest to be applied towards the support of the minister. Whatever opinion may be entertained as to the principle or the working of endowments for religious objects, the kindness of Mr. Rowlatt's spirit and design must be acknowledged, and that hitherto the result has been good.

There is a Sabbath-school connected with this place, consisting of fifty-four children. The school connected with the congregation at Weldon numbers twenty-one children. The present number of communicants is twenty-seven.

In the year 1850, the sum of £55 was left by Mrs. Mary French, partly for the purpose of renewing the trust deeds of the minister's house and the close belonging to this interest, and partly for making improvements in connexion with the premises. The larger part of this sum has already been applied according to the will of the donor.

While we record the pecuniary aid thus afforded to a small body of Nonconformists in these places, who have no wealthy individuals amongst them, and who have to stand against much influence that bears against the advancement of their principles, we trust it is ever borne in mind that the promotion of the cause of pure and undefiled Christianity, the conversion of sinners unto God, and the advancement of believers in divine knowledge, faith, holiness, and love, are the great objects for which a Christian Church is formed and the ministry of the Gospel sustained. Here may these objects be abundantly promoted!

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