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

establishment <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Monthly Meeting, <strong>the</strong> fourth ga<strong>the</strong>ring <strong>of</strong> which was
held at Dudley, on 6 August, when Samuel Griffiths, minister <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>
society in John Street, Wolverhampton, preached from Romans i., 16; and
at <strong>the</strong> seventh, on 3 December following, at Wolverhampton, Wood was
<strong>the</strong> preacher, his text being Psalm xxxvii., 3. The minutes <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Monthly
Meeting show that Wood preached no fewer than I; times at its ga<strong>the</strong>r-
ings between 1782 and 1804, in addition to delivering <strong>the</strong> charge on <strong>the</strong>
occasion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ordination <strong>of</strong> Thomas Bowen and Wm. Tullideph Procter
at Walsall, on 9 June, 1802. He was one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Oldbury Double Lecturers
on three occasions. During his ministry some notable men preached <strong>the</strong>
Dudley Double Lecture, viz., Dr. Priestley in 1780, who, it is especially
recorded, was also amongst <strong>the</strong> ministers present in 1787 when certain
regulations as to <strong>the</strong> conducting <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> lectures were agreed upon, and
who prayed at <strong>the</strong> lecture <strong>of</strong> 1788 ; Thomas Belsham, "late <strong>of</strong> Worcester,"
in 1782 ; and Thomas Barnes, D. D., <strong>of</strong> Manchester, in 1799.
Referring to this lecture by Dr. Priestley, <strong>the</strong> Rev. Wm. Sunderland
Smith, minister at Antrim, and uncle to Mrs. Rollason, writes, as follows,
to <strong>the</strong> author :- 31 October, 1898.
An old Coseley friend <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> long, long ago-Dalziel Whitehouse--told me
several ti~tzes <strong>of</strong> his going over to DudZey with his fa<strong>the</strong>r to hear Dr. Priesthy
at this time. And he could describe <strong>the</strong> appearance <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> doctor zlery nzinutely
fronz <strong>the</strong> zinpression <strong>the</strong>n made upon him, very yozdng as he was; for as <strong>the</strong>
preacher ascended <strong>the</strong> pu&it steps <strong>the</strong> fa<strong>the</strong>r, with much pria'e, directed <strong>the</strong> attentioz
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> chil'dren to him, and said, ' See, that is <strong>the</strong> great and good Dr. Pyiestley.'
An uncle, or a cousziz <strong>of</strong> 13. Whitehouse, liz~ed for some time in <strong>the</strong> ho;tlle <strong>of</strong>
Priestley when i ~ z Birminghanz. An account <strong>of</strong> this appeared in <strong>the</strong> Christian
Lfe a couple <strong>of</strong> years ago, or <strong>the</strong>reabouts.
The Priestley Riots in Birmingham took place in July, 1791 ; a few
weeks after, on g August, Wood preached at <strong>the</strong> Monthly Meeting at
Oldbury from <strong>the</strong> text, Acts xx., 24 :-
But none <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se things move me, nei<strong>the</strong>r count I my life dear unto myself,
SO that I might finish my course with joy, and <strong>the</strong> ministry, which I have
received <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Lord Jesus, to testify <strong>the</strong> gospel <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> grace <strong>of</strong> God.
James Hews Bransby was son <strong>of</strong> John Bransby (d. 1837), <strong>of</strong> Ipswich,
an instrument maker, a fellow <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Royal Astronomical Society. He
was educated in <strong>the</strong> academy maintained at Exeter from 1799 to 1804 by