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

completed in 1707, and, toge<strong>the</strong>r with <strong>the</strong> land, was conveyed to trustees,
viz :-
John Spilsbury, <strong>of</strong> Kidderminster ;
John Warren, <strong>of</strong> Coventry ; Dissenting
George Flower, <strong>of</strong> Prestwood ;
1 Ministers.
J. Basset, <strong>of</strong> Birmingham ;
J. Turton, <strong>of</strong> West Bromwich, ironmonger :
H. Hunt, <strong>of</strong> Cradley, yeoman ;
N. Hancox, <strong>of</strong> Kingswinford, scy<strong>the</strong>smith ;
J. Homer, <strong>of</strong> Cradley, ironmonger ;
S. Forrest, <strong>of</strong> Cradley, ironmonger ;
W. Deeley, <strong>of</strong> Cradley, carpenter ;
W. Parkes, <strong>of</strong> Kingswinford, yeoman ;
J. Bague, <strong>of</strong> Kingswinford, glassmaker ;
J. Pearsall, <strong>of</strong> Halesowen, yeoman ;
W. Parkes, <strong>of</strong> Pedmore, ironmonger ;
J. Coley, <strong>of</strong> Rowley Regis, ironmonger.
The indenture specifies that four dissenting ministers should always
constitute a part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> trust, that <strong>the</strong> choice <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> pastor should be
vested in <strong>the</strong> majority <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> trustees, with <strong>the</strong> approbation <strong>of</strong> two <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>
ministers ; and if at any future time <strong>the</strong> building should not be permitted
by <strong>the</strong> laws <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> land to be used as a place <strong>of</strong> religious worship, <strong>the</strong>
trustees shall dispose <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> same to such charitable purposes as <strong>the</strong>y may
think most proper.
The society being now formed, <strong>the</strong> place <strong>of</strong> worship completed, and
<strong>the</strong> premises vested in trustees' hands, Josiah Basset, son <strong>of</strong> Josiah Basset,
ejected from Exhall, in Warwickshire (who died in 1695, when his boy
was but 12 years <strong>of</strong> age), was chosen minister, and accepted <strong>the</strong> invitation.
He was educated at <strong>the</strong> expense <strong>of</strong> Mr. Hickman, and first began to preach
at Cradley in 1704. He was ordained by Mr. Flower, Mr. spilsbury, Mr.
Godley, and o<strong>the</strong>r ministers in <strong>the</strong> neighbourhood, in 1707. Soon after he
married Mrs. Allen, a lady <strong>of</strong> excellent character and considerable property. He
statedly lived in Birmingham, and continued to <strong>of</strong>ficiate at Cradley for
upwards <strong>of</strong> 30 years, though his salary never exceeded ;G20 per annum.
The roads at that time were frequently impassable in <strong>the</strong> winter season.
In 1715, when <strong>the</strong> rioters destroyed many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> places <strong>of</strong> worship <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>
dissenters in this locality, Pensnet Meeting-house was burnt down. The
congregation, however, continued to assemble for public worship at <strong>the</strong>
Bower; and, in 1716, a new building was erected on <strong>the</strong> site <strong>of</strong> that which
was demolished, part& at <strong>the</strong> expzlzse <strong>of</strong> Gover?zme~zt; &l19 13s. 6d. alas thg
sum panted, and more 7fztght have been obtained zy ajpdied far.
Basset, whose meeting-house was well attended, and who was inde-
fatigable in discharging <strong>the</strong> duties <strong>of</strong> his <strong>of</strong>fice, was hkhlj respected and
much beloved by his people. He died in 1735, one Sunday evening after
his return from Cradley, and was buried in St. Martin's Churchyard,
Birmingham. *
A list is still extant <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> seat-holders in Pensnet Meeting-house in
1735, from which it appears that 230 sittings were occupied.
During <strong>the</strong> vacancy between <strong>the</strong> death <strong>of</strong> Basset and <strong>the</strong> settlement
<strong>of</strong> Joseph Fownes <strong>the</strong> congregatio?~ was sz~$plicd by fWr. Witton, <strong>of</strong> West BYOYIImich
; Mr. Ha ??cox, <strong>of</strong> Dudley ; Mr. Edge, <strong>of</strong> Stourbridge ; Mr. Bussel, <strong>of</strong> Wolverhampton
; AFT. Stokes, <strong>of</strong> Worcester ; Mr. Cardale, <strong>of</strong> Evesham ; iMr. Burret,
probabGy a student; and MT. Eoze~nes, <strong>the</strong>n a stz~de~zt at fidern.
Joseph Fownes settled at Cradley as minister to <strong>the</strong> society oy 20
June, 1736. He was ordained at Dudley, at <strong>the</strong> same time as James
Hancox, to <strong>the</strong> full discharge <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> pastoral <strong>of</strong>ice <strong>of</strong>z 20 April, 1743, <strong>the</strong> genflenzen
who assisted ruere Dr. Latham, his fur?fze~ tator, afzd Messrs. KenricJ, Witton,
NolZarzd, Car-enter, and Mattocks : all <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m respectable nzirristers iiz that part
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Ki~zgdouz. Fownes removed to <strong>the</strong> Shrewsbury congregation, in 1748,
at <strong>the</strong> particular solicitatiolz <strong>of</strong> Job Orton, and it was with gregt reluctance
that his friends at Cradley and Stourbridge, where he usually resided, con-
sented to part with him. During <strong>the</strong> period <strong>of</strong> his ministry at Cradley
<strong>the</strong> society continued in a flourishing state. Soon after his settlement a
gallery was erected in <strong>the</strong> Meeting-house, and, in 1746, a charity school
was established under his auspices. Fownes died at Shrewsbury in 1789,
and was buried in <strong>the</strong> chancel <strong>of</strong> old St. Chad's Church.
Noah Jones immediately succeeded Fownes at Cradley. He was born
in 1725, in <strong>the</strong> parish <strong>of</strong> Betlals, in Caerma?~thcnshire, and early placed z~nder
<strong>the</strong> care <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Rev. S. Jolzes, at Pentwyn, in <strong>the</strong> parish oJ Llanver, who, for 22
*I am indebted to <strong>the</strong> Rev. Arthur J. Robinson, M.A., rector <strong>of</strong> Birmingham, for
this extract from <strong>the</strong> Burial Register :-Buriea its <strong>the</strong> ymr, 1735: Octode7 16, ~WY. 3'osinh
Rassett. G.E.E.