Some time before any attempt at all was made to introduce the preached Gospel into this place, and also during the time that the weekly lectures only were enjoyed, a few persons were in the habit of going to Welford (about five miles distant), where they could attend that mode of worship which appeared to them most agreeable to the word of God; and there can be little doubt that it was at the suggestion of some of them that the preaching of the Gospel here was commenced.
When this took place (which must be now, if it occurred in the time of Mr. Norris, who died in 1738, nearly one hundred and twenty years ago),[8] a private house was licensed, to afford the minister at Welford an opportunity to preach a week-day lecture. It is probable, though difficult to ascertain with certainty, that Mr. Norris, of Welford, was the first that ever preached the Gospel in this place amongst Dissenters. His service consisted of a monthly lecture on a Tuesday afternoon, which was continued by his successor, the Rev. Samuel King. The number that usually attended on these occasions was between twenty and thirty, composed in part of the revered ancestors of those families that form no small part of the present congregation.
In the year 1758, a place was fitted up out of an old barn, in a central part of the village, for the better accommodation of those who attended. Then it appears, at least towards the close of Mr. King's service, in addition to the monthly lecture, the students from the Independent Academy, then at Daventry, supplied occasionally on the Sabbath-day—procured, perhaps, through the instrumentality of Mr. Richard Norton; and partly from this circumstance, together with occasional help when it could be had, and the greater convenience of the place for worship, the congregation gradually increased, notwithstanding the fact that a Dissenting place of worship was considered by many a degradation, and the name of Dissenter or Presbyterian, which were confounded with each other, had considerable odium attached to it. It is to be observed, however, that the means of grace about this time were very irregularly enjoyed, for, besides its being but seldom on the Sabbath, the monthly lecture was continued only nine months in the year, beginning about the first Tuesday in October, and continuing till Midsummer. [The lecture being preached on the afternoon of a week-day, we suppose they found it necessary to omit the service during the busy seasons of agriculture, the hay time and the harvest.]
From tradition, which is indeed the chief source whence this imperfect account has been drawn, it would seem that the first person who assumed anything like the character of a settled minister was a Mr. Bryson, the author of a book explanatory of the 8th chapter of the Epistle to the Romans. He was one of those ministers the late Countess of Huntingdon in her liberality provided, as a means in the hands of Christ to extend his Church. He stayed here about two years. As her Ladyship had been solicited to permit Mr. Bryson to continue, he being much approved of after he had been heard a little while, it is likely that she would consider herself as bound to attend to the necessities of this place, for three more gentlemen who were under her directions followed in succession. The next who succeeded was a Mr. Green, whose services were enjoyed but one year. After him followed a Mr. Porter, who, leaving at the expiration of a year, was succeeded by a Mr. Pritchard, who it seems did not stay quite one year. These ministers being, as to their personal expenses, permitted to draw upon their patroness, the people had only to provide them board and lodging; they boarded amongst the friends, as circumstances determined. The labours of these men were followed up by those of a Mr. Coulson, who divided his attention between Rugby and this place. He resided some time at Hillmorton, but afterwards came and lived here, and this place then enjoyed the whole of his services. He commenced his labours in the year 1783, and continued until the year 1788, occupying during his residence here a house adjoining the premises used as a place of worship.
About three months after the removal of Mr. Coulson, in which there was no public worship (an inconvenience which the cause here had experienced more than once), Mr. Garner, who properly speaking was settled at Kilsby, preached here one part of the day for about three months, his services commencing at Michaelmas and ending at Christmas the same year. Mr. Jones was the next person who endeavoured to advance the Redeemer's cause in this place. He lived at West Haddon, whose services at both places were all which at the time they enjoyed. He continued in this sphere about two years—first preached here in the beginning of the year 1789, and left in November of the year 1790.
Although we have reason to hope that during all these years the labours of the several persons above named were not entirely useless, but that some persons were suitably impressed with divine things, and lived and died under the influence of them, contributing in some humble proportion to preserve the worship of the true God, yet it is certain that a Church was never formed, and that the ordinance of the Lord's Supper was never administered, until a period to which we are now approaching. Those who felt themselves to be members of the invisible Church of Christ, and were desirous of commemorating his dying love, sought the privilege in the neighbouring Churches, as their particular views led them.
It was in the beginning of March, in the year 1791, that Mr. Knight was, by the good providence of God, called to this place; and it was now that the cause of Christ, after experiencing many vicissitudes and serious interruptions in its progress, was destined to enjoy a greater permanency and regularity in the means of grace than it had ever done from its first existence.
Mr. Knight was a student from the academy at Mile End. He left the academy to come and reside amongst this people when the cause of Christ did not present a very encouraging appearance; and he was removed from hence to his eternal rest, this being the only place that enjoyed the stated labours of that highly esteemed servant of God. He served his great Master in this place from March, 1791, to September, 1822, a period of more than thirty years. During his ministry the cause of religion was considerably improved. The present Chapel, a very compact one, capable of accommodating two hundred and sixty persons [it has since been enlarged] was erected in the year 1792, in a very suitable part of the village, and near the site of the former place. Whilst it was erecting, the service of God was performed in a spacious barn. Mr. Knight had been here some time when his ordination took place. The following ministers took the principal parts in the services of that day: Mr. Grundy delivered the charge, from Titus ii. 15, last clause; Mr. Gill preached to the people, from 2 Thessalonians iii. 16. Mr. Horsey preached in the evening, from Acts xiii. 40. The service was highly interesting, bringing together great numbers, being rather novel at that time to many in this neighbourhood. After the ordination a Church was formed, which at the beginning was small; but in the course of Mr. Knight's ministry several were added as the fruit of his labours. As must be expected, however, in a place circumstanced as this is, the Church never reached to any very great number. It has so happened, indeed, that soon after any who promised to be a great acquisition to the Church, and to form its brightest ornament, were joined to it, they were removed by providence to some other place; and when the Church has been deprived of two or three of its members venerable for their experience, by the stroke of death, the Church's loss being their eternal gain, the void thus made has not been speedily made up; so that the Church has assumed those appearances which have served alternately to raise and depress the spirits of those who tremble for the Ark of God. Some, indeed, of those who have been reluctantly transferred to other Churches, remain, not only as monuments of divine mercy and preserving grace, but as proofs of usefulness attending the ministry of the Gospel here; and many have fallen asleep in Christ, a part preceding and the others following him who had been the honoured instrument of their conversion.
Here the account closes, as written by one hand. It appears to have been penned shortly after the death of Mr. Knight.
We have some rather slight recollections of Mr. Knight. The year preceding his own death he was present at the funeral of the Rev. T. N. Toller, of Kettering, when he offered a solemn suitable prayer before the delivery of the funeral sermon by Mr. Hall. At the half-yearly meeting of the Association, held the next April, at Rowell, he delivered a sermon in reference to the character and death of Mr. Toller, from Acts xiii. 36: "After he had served his own generation according to the will of God, he fell on sleep." The next year Mr. Knight died, in an equally sudden manner. In person he was robust, with a florid countenance; his manner in the pulpit was earnest and impressive, but laborious, strained, and sometimes painful to the occasional hearer; his voice was powerful, but rather harsh. A ministry faithful and persevering left its testimony in the hearts of his people. He was highly esteemed by his brethren, and by a considerable circle of Christian friends.
For about six months from this time the pulpit was kindly supplied by the neighbouring ministers; after which, Mr. Nettleship, from Rotherham Academy, was invited on probation for a month, which invitation was renewed with a view to a final settlement; but he declined acceding to it. After an interval of two months, during which several students from Mr. Scott's seminary at Rowell preached, Mr. Gibson, from Rotherham, paid a probationary visit, and on further invitation resided here three years, at the expiration of which he was induced by various circumstances to direct his attention to some other part of the vineyard of the Lord. This left the congregation again destitute of a minister, and opened the way for the introduction of Mr. Barber, who had been educated for the ministry at Wymondley, and came here the 30th of July, 1826. His ordination took place October 9th, 1827, on which occasion the following ministers were engaged:—Mr. Gawthorne, of Derby, stated the nature of a Christian Church; Mr. Scott, of Rowell, gave the charge; Mr. Pinkerton, of Weedon, preached to the people; Mr. Hobson, of Welford, offered the ordination prayer. Mr. Gravestock, of Old, addressed the congregation in the evening.
Mr. Barber remained the highly respected pastor of this Christian Church until October, 1831, when, agreeably to his own wish, he removed to go into America. He and his wife set sail on the 20th of October.
The congregation was supplied two Sabbaths by students from Rowell; and on the 23rd of the same month in which Mr. Barber left, Mr. Islip, late pastor of the Independent Church at Ketton, Rutlandshire, entered on his stated labours here.
It was during the ministry of Mr. Barber that the dwelling-house for the minister was rebuilt, and fitted up in the state in which it now appears. In the spring of the next year after Mr. Islip commenced his ministry, the Chapel was enlarged ten feet in length, and completed by the 8th of July. The cost of enlargement was £110, which, with a debt remaining on the house, was in the spring of 1837 entirely defrayed by the united efforts of the friends.
Mr. Islip's ministry was attended with a good degree of comfort and success, but was of rather short continuance here, for, owing to the unfavourable state of his health, he was obliged to resign his charge after about six years' labour in this situation. He was succeeded by Mr. G. Nettleship, who, after labouring thirteen years and a half in another situation in Cumberland, accepted now the united invitation of this Church and congregation to become their pastor. Mr. Nettleship commenced his stated labours here on the 18th of June, 1837, and removed from Yelvertoft in the year 1846, when he was shortly after succeeded by the Rev. Thomas James, the present pastor of the Church.
The number of Church members recorded when Mr. Barber commenced his ministry in 1826 was twenty-one; and five in addition appear to have been admitted by him. About the same number we find when Mr. Islip took the pastoral charge of this people in 1831. On the first Sabbath in April, 1837, the minister writes—"This closes the services and the pastorate of Thomas Islip: twenty-eight admitted." When Mr. Nettleship commenced his labours, there appears to have been forty-five members in the Church; and there were thirty added during his ministry. Since Mr. James accepted the pastoral office, thirty-two additions have been made to the Church; and during his ministry new school-rooms have been erected for the children of the Sabbath-school, at a cost of £116. The present number of communicants is above 80. There are 130 or 135 children attending the Sabbath-schools.