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

years, taz~ght a good grammar school <strong>of</strong> 40 boys. Here he remained five years,
and in 1742 entered <strong>the</strong> academy at Caermar<strong>the</strong>n, <strong>of</strong> which <strong>the</strong> Rev. Samzcel
Thornas was <strong>the</strong> princ$al, and Nli-. Evan Bavies <strong>the</strong> assistant tutor. One <strong>of</strong>
<strong>the</strong> first books which Mr. Thomas put into <strong>the</strong> hands <strong>of</strong> Noah Jones was
Dr. Watts' Logic, which he read with great pleasure twice over. This treatise,
toge<strong>the</strong>r with Mr. Lockels Essay on <strong>the</strong> Understanding, taught him to think
free@, and put him upon <strong>the</strong> r&ht scent in his enquiries after truth. At Midsummer,
1745, he left <strong>the</strong> academy to sz@pZy a small co7zgregation at Newtown,
in iMon&onzeryshzi-e. Here he remained until Midsummer, 1748, when he
removed to Cradley. In 1750 he was ordained in Pensnet Meeting-house,
iz <strong>the</strong> presence <strong>of</strong> above 700 people. Carpenter, <strong>of</strong> Worcester, preached a
sermon on <strong>the</strong> ,ministerial <strong>of</strong>fice ; Hancox, <strong>of</strong> Dudley, proposed <strong>the</strong> questions
; Bourn, <strong>of</strong> Coseley, prayed ; and Reynolds, <strong>of</strong> Bewdley, delivered
<strong>the</strong> charge. The following copy <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> certificate <strong>of</strong> Jones' ordination is
<strong>of</strong> interest :-CmaYey, September 12t.4, 1750.- We, whose nanzes are underwritten,
Protestant /3issenti?zg Ministers, havi~zg received fu Zl satisfaction with regard to
<strong>the</strong> a8idities and moral clamctev <strong>of</strong> Mr. N Jones, did on <strong>the</strong> year and day above
specz)'ied, proceed to ordai~z Aim as Christian ??zinister, ly prayer and itnposittZbn
<strong>of</strong> hands, and we reconzmend him to <strong>the</strong> blessi~tg <strong>of</strong> God wherevcr he shaW have
u$porfumity <strong>of</strong> ez+@loying hiS labours.-S. Bourn, Jas. Carpenter, J. Reynolds, Jas.
Nancox, S Phi&$, J. Jinter, Jos. I;aw~zes, J. Jenkins, Job Orton.
During Jones' ministry at Cradley <strong>the</strong> society was more numerous
than in any previous period <strong>of</strong> its existence ; though it somewhat declined
during his last year here in consequence <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> attempts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Methodists
to form a society in <strong>the</strong> neighbourhood. He was <strong>the</strong> first resident minister,
and in 1753 a convenient parsonage house, and a commodious building
for <strong>the</strong> accommodation <strong>of</strong> two schools were erected. In September, 1762,
he removed to Walsall, where he continued to labour until failing health
caused him to resign his pastoral care <strong>of</strong> that society in 1784. He died
.on 14 December, 1785, his funeral sermon being preached in <strong>the</strong> Old
Meeting-house, Walsall, by Samuel Griffiths, <strong>of</strong> Wolverhampton, from St.
Mat<strong>the</strong>w xxv., 2 I. Jones gave certain volumes to Cradley, particulars <strong>of</strong>
<strong>the</strong>m being preserved in this entry in <strong>the</strong> Register :-Me??zorandum, A.B.,
1785. Five volumes folio <strong>of</strong> PooleJs Synopsis Criticorunz, Leigh's Critics Sacra,
and Lillzborch's Christians Theologia were given by <strong>the</strong> Rev. Neah Jones for <strong>the</strong>
use <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Dissenting Minister <strong>of</strong> Cradley, for <strong>the</strong> time being.
~n 1762 Joseph Baker (minister from 1750 at Beckington, Somerset)
succeeded Jones at Pensnet Meeting-house. For some years he had a
numerous nudieme, but zmriozrs circu~?~stances contributed a fterzuards to diminish
<strong>the</strong> number. The Methodists erected a place <strong>of</strong> worship in Cradley in 1768.
An E'iscojal ChnpeZ was 6uiZt at BrierZey Uilll in 1767, nlrd several famil'ies,
who resided i?z <strong>the</strong> pnrish <strong>of</strong> Ki?zgswit$ord, were threatened wjitiz expulsion fro%
<strong>the</strong>ir far??zs and Cotdag~S zjC <strong>the</strong>y continued to wors/l$ 7e~& fie dissenters ; and,
in 1783, some \xrho had embraced <strong>the</strong> opinions <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Countess <strong>of</strong> Hunting-
don, formed a separate society in Cradley. Baker resigned his pulpit on
14 June, 1789, when his congregation presented him with <strong>the</strong> sum <strong>of</strong> 25
guineas. . He continued to preach occasionally at Cradley and to supply
o<strong>the</strong>r societies in <strong>the</strong> neighbourhood ; and died on 21 January, 1805, and
at his particular request was buried in <strong>the</strong> ground belonging to <strong>the</strong> present
Chapel in Park Lane, which had been erected during <strong>the</strong> early years <strong>of</strong>
<strong>the</strong> ministry <strong>of</strong> his successor.
On 2 May, 1789, a letter was sent on behalf <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> society to James
Scott, who had nearly co?@leted his stzm'ies at Daverztry, inviting him to succeed
Joseph Baker, as minister at Cradley. Ufzder a fuM conviction <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> pro$rie$y
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> measure, Scott cheerfully consented to comply with <strong>the</strong> invitation, and
preached for <strong>the</strong> first time as minister here on 21 June, 1789. His ordination
took place in Pensnet Meeting-house, on 11 May, 1790, in <strong>the</strong> presence
<strong>of</strong> a numerous audience, <strong>the</strong> society at this time consisting <strong>of</strong> some 70
families. L&. Grzfiths, <strong>of</strong> CVolverha~r@tolz, i?ztrodz~ced <strong>the</strong> serzlice wiz% a short
prayer ; Mr. Carpelzter, <strong>of</strong> Stourbridge, proposed <strong>the</strong> questions ; Mr. Cole, forl~zerZy
<strong>of</strong> WoZverhn ~tzpto?~, conducted <strong>the</strong> ordination prayer ; Mr. SchoZe$eld, <strong>of</strong> Binningham,
delivered <strong>the</strong> charge from Tli(s ii., I ; Afr. Gentlemall, <strong>of</strong> Kidder~zi~zster,
preached front Ronzans xvi., 3 ; MY. Amner, <strong>of</strong> Coseley, conclz~ded 7e~ith prayer ;
and Mr. Proctor, <strong>of</strong> Oldbury, read <strong>the</strong> hy~~~~zs. The o<strong>the</strong>r ntinij.ters present were
Mr. IVood, <strong>of</strong> DudZey ; Mr. A7nyZorJ <strong>of</strong> Shefield; MY. Ctbod, <strong>of</strong> RothzelelZ, and Mr.
Best, <strong>of</strong> Cradley. On <strong>the</strong> following Sunday standing to sing in public
worship, a custom just <strong>the</strong>n introduced at Stourbridge Presbyterian Chapel,
was recommended and adopted at Pensnet, where formerly :-
Sit to sing and stand to pray,
Was <strong>the</strong> true old Presbyterian way.
Early in <strong>the</strong> spring <strong>of</strong> 1794, <strong>the</strong> congregation, contemplating <strong>the</strong>
erection <strong>of</strong> a new place <strong>of</strong> worship, bought <strong>of</strong> Mr. John Brecknal <strong>the</strong> south