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

This is <strong>the</strong> oldest noncoi~forming congregation in <strong>the</strong> parish <strong>of</strong> Sedgley,
and traces its origin to <strong>the</strong> labours <strong>of</strong> Joseph ~c~cleshall, who, in 1654
(evidently <strong>the</strong>n fresh from college), seems to have first appeared on <strong>the</strong>
scene in Sedgley to assist William Parkes, <strong>the</strong> aged vicar, in his ministrations.
This is ga<strong>the</strong>red from <strong>the</strong> Parish Registers, where, under date 27th
October, <strong>of</strong> that year, it is written :-
Joseph EccleshnZZ, minister, was chosen ajzd sworn. Registrar for <strong>the</strong>
Parish <strong>of</strong> Sedglty.
ihis refers to <strong>the</strong> ordinance issued in 1653 by Oliver Cromwell instituting
civil marriages before magistrates. Although marriage thus became a civil
contract, in many parishes, such as Sedgley, <strong>the</strong>y were still caref~~lly registered
by ecclesiastical registrars."
No doubt where <strong>the</strong> registers show any hiatus during <strong>the</strong> Commonwealth,
<strong>the</strong> parish was served by a cleric <strong>of</strong> strict Episcopalian proclivities. But
Mr. Eccleshall was <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> opposite party-a Puritan <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> first water.
Among <strong>the</strong> vicars <strong>of</strong> Sedgley he stands out pre-eminently as a man <strong>of</strong> strong
character.
Calamy's account <strong>of</strong> Eccleshall is extremely interesting. Not being
satisfied with <strong>the</strong> terms <strong>of</strong> conformity, he-
,
preached his farewell sermon on August 17, 1662, to a large congregation,
all in tears. On August 24, no one coming to <strong>of</strong>ficiate, he went into a pew,
prayed, read <strong>the</strong> Scripture, expounded, and preached. Afterwards, though
he lived a mile from <strong>the</strong> church, he ordinarily attended public worship thEre,
and gave his hearers what personal help he could in private. The succeed-
ing vicar, for some years, was violent, and filled his sermons with railing
invectives against <strong>the</strong> Nonconformists, which induced many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> people to
persuade Mr. Eccleshall to preach to <strong>the</strong>m, which he yielded to, at times
different from <strong>the</strong> public service. The Oxford Act forced him to Kinver,
where he preached in private, and went afterwards with his hearers to
church to hear Mr. Jonathan Newey, a worthy man, who succeeded Mr.
Morton. He <strong>the</strong>n came secretly by night to his own people (not daring
to be seen by day) to do what service he could, and returned by night, till
<strong>the</strong> rigour <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> times abated. He <strong>the</strong>n appeared in public, and continued
his ministerial work among his old people, with little allowance from <strong>the</strong>m,
living chiefly upon a small estate <strong>of</strong> his own, with frugality and care. There
were two meetings kept up in <strong>the</strong> parish because <strong>of</strong> its largeness, two or
three miles distant, and Mr. Eccleshall administered <strong>the</strong> sacrament in both.
*cf. <strong>History</strong> <strong>of</strong> Dnr-laston, p. 77.
Here he continued his service several years till he was silenced by death,
His funeral sermon was preached by Mr. Oasland.
Mr. Rollason's genealogical notes seem to point to an intimate local
connection on <strong>the</strong> part <strong>of</strong> Joseph Eccleshall. For instance, an entry is
quoted from Tipton Parish Registers, dated 13 April, 1670, that Henry
&cZeshnZ/, <strong>of</strong> CoseZey, f~iher <strong>of</strong> J~Y. Jose$h Eccleshall, was buried ; and ano<strong>the</strong>r
entry just previously, namely, 10 January, 1669-70, is to <strong>the</strong> effect that
&Iartha, wge <strong>of</strong> _/os@h EccleshnZl, clerhe, died at Coseley, and was buried at
Tipton.
In 1689, on October 3, by license were married ei<strong>the</strong>r at Sedgley or at
Tipton, but certainly by <strong>the</strong> Rev. Thomas Janns, Vicar <strong>of</strong> Sedgley, Martha,
daughter <strong>of</strong> Rev. Joseph Eccleshall to Thomas Dudley, <strong>of</strong> The Green House,
Tipton. The legal formalities with regard to property affected by this
marriage would seem to show that Tho?nas DudZey de Za Greenhouse had not
married beneath him. Martha, <strong>the</strong> wife, was buried at Tipton, 24 November,
1704 ; her husband, Thomas Dudley, gentleman, survived till February,
1722-3. His will refers to real estate in Tipton, and Ettingshall in Sedgley ;
mentions his son, Ed~vard Dudley, and Anne, wife <strong>of</strong> Edward, his son-in-
\
law, Charles Elwall, and Martha, his wife ; his grandchildren, Charles
Elwall, Thomas Elwall, Miriam Elwall, Martha Elwall, and Sarah Elwall,
his daughter, Miriam Dudiey, and "his loving and obedient son and
daughter, Josepl~ Eccleshall Dudley and Miriam Dudley," to whom he gives
real estate and appoints his executors. Joseph Eccleshall Dudley was
born at Tipton, 3 May, 1701. There are strong reasons for surmising that
this hnlily was staunchly Nonconformist, being descended from a Parliamentarian
Dudley and an Independent minister's daughter. The registers
record <strong>the</strong>ir births, but not <strong>the</strong>ir baptisms, and <strong>the</strong> names <strong>of</strong> females are
almost Quakerish.
Dr. Evans' List gives CoseIey fort?fzghtZy-Paul RusselZ (an Itilzerant),
George Doz/ghty, qoo henrers, 45 county z~oiers.
Paul Russell was lecturer at Gnosal, Salop, which explains <strong>the</strong> appended
paren<strong>the</strong>sis. According to <strong>the</strong> Scott MSS. he resided at i'Etfe~zhnll, 7afhere he
died.
Peach must have preceded Russell, and was probably t h immediate
successor to Eccleshall, after whose death in 1692 <strong>the</strong> society is said to
have assembled in a farm house, at a place still called ' Old End,' Coseley.