The Rev. William Todman, the present pastor, took the oversight of the Church and congregation and commenced his labours on the 5th of June, 1842. During the ten years that have elapsed since then, the large and convenient school-rooms have been built adjoining the Chapel, at a cost of nearly £400. In the daily Infant-school there are upwards of 80 children, and in the Sabbath-school 260. Many additions have been made to the Church, and the congregations never were better than at the present time. The number of communicants is about 116. Occasional services are conducted in the villages in the vicinity of Yardley.
The state of this interest shows what may be done, under the divine blessing, to sustain and advance a Christian society on voluntary principles, in a situation of not the most promising character, by men of a devoted spirit, concerned to promote the glory of the Saviour and the welfare of immortal minds.
CHAPTER XV.
MEMORIALS OF THE INDEPENDENT CHURCH AT KILSBY AND CRICK.
The Independent congregation in these places owes its origin, there is reason to conclude, to the labours of ministers ejected by the Act of Uniformity. Mr. Worth, who had been vicar of Kilsby, and Mr. Stephen Fowler, who had been rector of Crick, were useful here, after their ejectment. Concerning the former, Palmer states "that he preached for a while, as a Nonconformist, at Daventry and Chipping Norton"; on other authority it is stated that "he also continued to labour at Kilsby." Of the latter we are informed, that "after leaving the Church at Crick, he came to reside at Kilsby; and that, after attending the services of the Church in the day, he repeated a sermon in his own house, in the evening of the Sabbath, to such as chose to attend." The labours of these two devoted ministers of Christ were rendered useful to several families in the village, so that they became attached to the preaching of the Gospel and to the mode of conducting religious worship as it was practised among the Nonconformists.
Of Mr. Worth it is stated that "he had three sons, ministers among the Dissenters"; of Mr. Fowler, that "his rectory at Crick was very valuable, but it proved no temptation to him to conform against his conscience." He was a very popular preacher, and indefatigable in his labours. He died through an excess of hard study and too frequent preaching, as he went to Newbury upon the removal of Mr. John Woodbridge, who was ejected there. We are informed that "he was eminent for the holiness of his life, his zeal and constancy in his work at all times, his great moderation, and many other excellent qualities."
There was also a Mr. Richard Thorpe, ejected from Barby, a village about a mile from Kilsby. Such was his high attainment in the exercise of prayer, that none of the ministers in those parts were thought to excel him. The youth of the village stood in great awe of him, so as to be kept from profaning the Sabbath, as had been too common there. He was so much taken up with spiritual things, that he left all his worldly concerns to the care of a faithful servant. After his ejectment, he preached in his own house on Thursdays without molestation.
The separation of these eminent men from the Established Church, and their labours in this vicinity, were the means of bringing some to be decided Nonconformists; but their number for many years was too small to constitute a separate Church, for the support of a pastor, so that they travelled on the Sabbath to attend the Dissenting ministry at Long Buckby and Daventry, and invited the ministers of these places to preach a week-day lecture at Kilsby, in a house licensed for this purpose. Their numbers gradually increased; the room became too small for them; they purchased another house, and fitted it up as a place to be appropriated to religious worship. This was in the year 1738. When this was done, the ministers of Daventry and Buckby engaged to preach to them alternately on the Sabbath morning. The number of hearers still increased, so that early in the year 1750 they built a gallery for the further accommodation of the people.