Midland Churches: A History of the Congregations on - General ...

Mr. EDW. VINCENT WAREING
Mr. RICHARD WATSON
Mr. Jka;~s WILSON
Mr. HUMPHRY WOOD, F. S. A.
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LIBRARIES.
Birmingham-THE BIRMINGHAM (OLD) LIBRARY, per Mr. Charles Edward
Scarse, Librariafz. -
Birmingham-THE BIRMINGHAM CORPORATION CENTRAL REFERENCE LIBRARY.
L~lldoll-GUILDHALL LIBRARY, E. C., per Mr. Charles Welch, F. S. A..
Librarian.
London--B~1~1SH AND FOREIGN UNITARIAN ASSOCIATION LIBRARY, Essex
Hall, Strand, W.C., per Rev. W. Copeland Bowie, M. L.S.B., Secretary.
Manchester-THE MANCHESTER CORPORATION FREE REFERENCE LIBRARY,
Ring Street, per Mr. Cl~arles William Sutton, Libm?.iatz.
Manchester--CROSS STREET CHAPEL LIBRARY, per Mr, W. Barton Worth-
in g t o n , Treasrr rer.
AUTHOR'S NOTE.
ONE morning long ago, at <strong>the</strong> beginning <strong>of</strong> my Whitchurch ministry, 1
was hunting in <strong>the</strong> vestry press <strong>of</strong> a <strong>Midland</strong> Meeting-house for a missing
book, when a copy <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ' Proceedings <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Centenary Celebration <strong>of</strong>
<strong>the</strong> Monthly Meeting, 1882,' revealed itself. This was <strong>the</strong> first time for
me to see this pamphlet, and in glancing over its pages my eyes were
caught by <strong>the</strong>se words in <strong>the</strong> ' Historical Sketch ' by <strong>the</strong> Rev. David
Maginnis, F. R. Hist. S. :-
It should be mentioned among unaccomplished intentions that <strong>the</strong> Meeting
purposed to prepare a <strong>History</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Rise and Growth <strong>of</strong> Nonconformity
in <strong>the</strong> <strong>Midland</strong> Counties, with Monographs <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> several congregations
included in <strong>the</strong> Meeting. It was agreed to commit <strong>the</strong> preparation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>
general history to Mr. Gordon, who was to edit <strong>the</strong> Monographs con-
tributed by <strong>the</strong> Members <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir respective <strong>Churches</strong>. Mr. Gordon under-
took <strong>the</strong> task colt nuzo~-e, but death overtook him before he had been .able
to make any progress with it. May <strong>the</strong> hope be cherished that <strong>the</strong> work
will yet be uildertakeii and performed, as such a work, well done, is a
great desideratum for <strong>the</strong> benefit <strong>of</strong> young people and <strong>the</strong> less informed
Members <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> congregations connected with <strong>the</strong> Meeting.
This expression from <strong>the</strong> Mo?zthdy Meeti?zg that such a work should
some day be undertaken fixed itself so firmly in my mind, that I forthwith
began collecting materials for it, and when <strong>the</strong> Seedsozc~er started on its
still active and vigorous career it was my privilege to be able to contribute
to its columt~s twenty-two monthly sketches <strong>of</strong> various congregations
in <strong>the</strong> <strong>Midland</strong> Christian Union. Here it seemed likely at <strong>the</strong> time that
my efforts would have ended, had it not been o<strong>the</strong>rwise decreed.
The articles brought me two <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> happiest friendships <strong>of</strong> my life :
those <strong>of</strong> Mrs. Ca<strong>the</strong>rine Hutton Beale, <strong>of</strong> Birmingham, and Mr. Edward
Cobb, <strong>of</strong> Lewes, but formerly <strong>of</strong> Banbury.
By a strange coincidence Mrs. Beale had given <strong>the</strong> world her richly
illustrated and splendid ' Memorials <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Old Meeting, Birmingham,'
in that very year, at <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> which <strong>the</strong> Monthly Meeti~zg bewailed its