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

xiv
" unaccoinplished intentions." Shortly after <strong>the</strong> appearance <strong>of</strong> my first
article in <strong>the</strong> Seedsower, Mrs. Beale wrote to me expressing her interest
in <strong>the</strong> attempt as being exact& what is ze!a7zted, and urging me not to rest
until my researches should take permanent form in a book, to which she
desired to become its first subscriber. Drawings by her own hand, plans,
notes, and photographs were freely forthcoming from her study at High-
field ; no trouble seemed too great to her, if by any means in her power
she could fur<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> work in which we had a common interest.
Mr. Cobb, tile11 a hale octogenarian, also wrote to <strong>of</strong>fer any help,
reminding me that so far back as <strong>the</strong> year 1839 he, as chairman <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>
Bloxham and Milton congregations, had conveyed to r,,, fa<strong>the</strong>r that hearty
invitation which resulted in his becoming <strong>the</strong>ir minister, in succession to
<strong>the</strong> aged Rev. Joseph Jevans, who had ministered to <strong>the</strong>m from 1779 until
his death in July, 1839. The correspondence thus begun by Mr. Cobb
was regularly continued until a few months befcre his death, in April,
1899, at <strong>the</strong> patriarchal age <strong>of</strong> 92 years. In his long and vividly-written
letters he gave me a rich store <strong>of</strong> personal reminiscences, some <strong>of</strong> which
are included in <strong>the</strong>se pages.
Since <strong>the</strong>se Seedsozcvr articles many things have Iiappened ; Mrs. Beale
preceded Mr. Cobb by a few years in passing beyond <strong>the</strong> veil <strong>of</strong> things
visible ; o<strong>the</strong>r literary work has claimed attention at my hands ; ivhilst
<strong>the</strong> duties <strong>of</strong> an active ministry have, for a season, given place to days
somewhat more leisured, which have been steadily devoted to <strong>the</strong> con-
genial preparation <strong>of</strong> this book. How imperfectly <strong>the</strong> task has been done
no one knows better than myself ; I only hope I have been able to do
something towar,:s paving <strong>the</strong> way for <strong>the</strong> footsteps <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> historian,
who may eventually come along with that "work, well done," which <strong>the</strong>
Jfonthl'y AReeti~zg rightly desires to see ziccomplisltled.
As my labours prcgressed, <strong>the</strong> fkct was very sooil made evident to
me that, wherever possible, original manuscripts and records must be
consulted. Thanks to <strong>the</strong> learned president <strong>of</strong> our Ex Libris Society,
Sir Arthur Vicars, F.S.A., Ulster King <strong>of</strong> Arms, it was not long before
I was granted <strong>the</strong> privilege by Sir Brydges P. Henniker, <strong>the</strong> Registrar-
General <strong>of</strong> Great Britain, <strong>of</strong> free access for historical purposes to <strong>the</strong>
three thousand or more non-parochial registers, so carefully and order!y
preserved in <strong>the</strong> dry vaults <strong>of</strong> Somerset House. Here I have spent many
weeks looking over <strong>the</strong> registers alluded to in this book. Some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se
registers, like <strong>the</strong> Coseley and earliest Oldbury and Whitchurch ones,
I have entirely transcribed, and from all I have gleaned original matter,
here printed for <strong>the</strong> first time.
No one who attempts to deal with <strong>the</strong> history <strong>of</strong> early Nonconformity
can now afford to overlook <strong>the</strong> facts so fortunately preserved in <strong>the</strong>se
non-parochial registers ; and no one who has not systematically explored
<strong>the</strong>se treasure houses can tell <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> many gems stored <strong>the</strong>rein.
Our early ministerial brethren so <strong>of</strong>ten made <strong>the</strong>ir registers <strong>the</strong> re-
ceptacle for all manner <strong>of</strong> entirely unstudied remarks, thus rendering <strong>the</strong>ir
vo!umes <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> greatest interest, apart from <strong>the</strong>ir value as mere registers
<strong>of</strong> births or deaths. Take, for example, such an entry as this by <strong>the</strong>
Rev. David Benion in <strong>the</strong> first register <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Whitchurch Presbyterian
Chapel :-
1715. Sep. 3,John, <strong>the</strong> S. <strong>of</strong>Johlz Lee, <strong>of</strong> WilixnlZ, baptized
at R~~o.and Oak, <strong>the</strong> Chnjjel at TVhitchz~~ch bei7zg de?noZis/led by
ye n~ob(,,J~/ly 15th, 6th, 18th~ and 19th before;
or this from that prince <strong>of</strong> <strong>Midland</strong> non-parochials, <strong>the</strong> register <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>
Colehill society, Tarnworth, which records <strong>the</strong> fact <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> existence <strong>of</strong>
an earlier meeting-house than its present one :-
Sarah, daz~ghter to fiV?lliam Latha~tz, bei~zg bror/ght to our
pub:ick nzeetz'~zg-$/crce, Lo?.dis Uaj~, ye 23 July, 1704, alas bqtized
by nre, fleelzry Roz~ghZey ;
or <strong>the</strong> touching and evident piety in <strong>the</strong>se entries, in <strong>the</strong> register <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>
Rev. Sainuel Angier, <strong>of</strong> Dukinfield Chapel :-
The Reverelzd alzd - flo& mal~ oJ Go4 Afr. John Alzgier, <strong>of</strong>
Deiz [ toii 1, pasior <strong>of</strong> tile co~zgreg.ction above 45 y enrs, departed
this lz;fe ye fist <strong>of</strong> Sqteuzber, about elevelz o'cloch before noon,
nlzd was bztrz'cd ye 3rd <strong>of</strong> ye molztil, 167;.
MY. Isaac I.Vort/li7zg-t07z wns ?liarried ifz Yorhshire ns I nm
infor?ned God bless 3.e Coujle, and 7~zake <strong>the</strong>vz blessi~zgs to
one ano<strong>the</strong>r, and to <strong>the</strong> CITIurCI. <strong>of</strong> God, Ai~izen. fine, 1698.