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.
3.—MIDDLETON.
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.
APPENDIX.
I.
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, 1825-1852 | 1,400 | 0 | 0 |
| King Street—New School-rooms | 336 | 6 | 5 |
| Commercial Street—New Chapel, galleries and organ, new School-rooms, 1829-1851 | 3,800 | 0 | 0 |
| Rowell—Improvements in the Chapel, 1852 | 800 | 0 | 0 |
| Kettering—New School-rooms and improvements in the Chapel, 1849. | 1,400 | 0 | 0 |
| Harborough—New Chapel and new School-room, 1844-1850 | 3,230 | 0 | 0 |
| Ashley—Improvements in the Chapel and Minister's House, 1827-1832 | 400 | 0 | 0 |
| Wellingborough— | |||
| Cheese Lane—New School-rooms, 1850 | 300 | 0 | 0 |
| Salem Chapel—New School-rooms, 1850 | 300 | 0 | 0 |
| Weedon Beck—New School-room, improvements in the Chapel | 235 | 0 | 0 |
| Long Buckby—Chapel enlarged, new School-room, 1819-1825 | 350 | 0 | 0 |
| Potterspury—New School-rooms | 208 | 17 | 0 |
| Potterspury—Yardley Gobion, new Chapel | 368 | 4 | 10½ |
| Yardley Hastings—New School-rooms | 400 | 0 | 0 |
| Brigstock—Minister's House, improvements in the Chapel | 456 | 12 | 9 |
| Yelvertoft—Chapel enlarged, new School-rooms | 226 | 0 | 0 |
| Wollaston—New vestry, improvements in the Chapel, Minister's House | 645 | 4 | 3 |
| Carried forward | £14,856 | 5 | 3½ |