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

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.