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

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<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Revs. Timothy Kenrick and Joseph Bretland. At Moret<strong>on</strong> Hampstead,<br />

where he was minister <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Presbyterian Society from 1804 to 1805, he<br />

kept a school, am<strong>on</strong>gst his first pupils being John Bowring, afterwards<br />

Sir John Bowring. At Dudley, where he c<strong>on</strong>tinued to keep a preparatory<br />

school for boys, he was by no means unpopular, but his eccentricities<br />

gradually excited c<strong>on</strong>siderable remarks, particularly as he developed a<br />

tendency which is perhaps best described as kleptomania. At length he<br />

committed a breach <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> trust, involving forgery, which was c<strong>on</strong>d<strong>on</strong>ed <strong>on</strong><br />

c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> his quitting Dudley for ever in 1828. He retired to Wales,<br />

and supported himself by teaching, by editing a paper, and by odd jobs<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> literary work. His peculiarities accompanied him in this department,<br />

for he would borrow a manuscript and after improvements send it to a<br />

magazine as his own. An irresistible impulse led him, <strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong>e occasi<strong>on</strong>,<br />

to revisit Dudley for a few hours ; as he stood gazing at his Old Meeting-<br />

house he was recognised, but spared. Late in life he occasi<strong>on</strong>ally preached<br />

again. He died very suddenly at Br<strong>on</strong>'r Hendref, near Carnarv<strong>on</strong>, <strong>on</strong> 4<br />

November, 1847, zt. 64. He left behind him a mass <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> very compromising<br />

papers, which fell accidentally into <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> hands <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Franklin Baker, minister<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Bank Street Chapel, Bolt<strong>on</strong>, 1823-1864, and were probably destroyed.*<br />

Bransby, <strong>on</strong> eighteen occasi<strong>on</strong>s, preached before his brethren at <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> M<strong>on</strong>thly<br />

Meeting, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> last time being <strong>on</strong> 7 August, 1827, at Tamworth, when, from<br />

St. John ix., 18, he delivered a92 app~ujriate testi??zotzy to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> nzenzory <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Rev.<br />

Joh~t Small, 1.4 years uzi~ister <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Cosel'ey . -l-<br />

Satnuel Bache (see p. 56) remained here but a few years, being called<br />

to Birmingham in 1832 as minister <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> New Meeting.<br />

John Palmer, whose ancestor-<strong>on</strong>e <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Kentish family <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Palmer-<br />

came over to Ireland with William, Prince <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Orange, was <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> eldest s<strong>on</strong><br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Henry Palmer, Esquire, <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Old Court, Killotteran. Here, within three<br />

miles <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> city <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Waterford, <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> banks <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> river Suir, his early days<br />

were passed, and, in due course, he proceeded to Trinity College, Dublin,<br />

whi<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r he used to ride from Waterford ; <strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong>e occasi<strong>on</strong> his mo<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r<br />

accompanied him, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> two being seated <strong>on</strong> a pilli<strong>on</strong>. Palmer's <strong>on</strong>ly s<strong>on</strong>,<br />

in a letter to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> author <strong>on</strong> 10 September, 1898, says :-l see in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> L6Dudl~y<br />

Herald" that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>re is a doubt as to whe<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r my fa<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r real@ took his degree <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

"Dic. Nut. Biog., article by A.G.<br />

+MS. Minutes, M<strong>on</strong>thly Meeting.<br />

B.A. Afy fa<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r was far too h<strong>on</strong>ozrrable to have adopted a degree to which he<br />

had ?so cZai?fz. He zelas prepared to lake hoZy orders in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Church <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> EngZand<br />

a d IreZa~zd, bz~t threw up all hzj- prospects <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> advancenzent from his c<strong>on</strong>scientious<br />

scraples ns to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> A<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>nasian Creed; he co~rld not S@ his name to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> danz~zn-<br />

tio?z clause.<br />

On <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> death (5 February, 1831) <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> John Hincks, minister <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Renshaw<br />

Street Chapel, Liverpool, Palmer accepted an engagement as locum tellens<br />

with that society. John Hamilt<strong>on</strong> Thom having been appointed minister,<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> worshippers presented Palmer with a piece <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> silver plate "as a mark<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir esteem for his character, and gratitude for his services during a<br />

temporary sojourn <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> four m<strong>on</strong>ths in which he fulfilled <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> duties <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir<br />

pastor."<br />

Being an excellent ma<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>matician and scholar he was elected tutor<br />

in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Presbyterian College, Caermar<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>n, where he lived until his appoint-<br />

ment at Dudley <strong>on</strong> 18 February, 1833. At Caermar<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>n, in additi<strong>on</strong> to<br />

his duties at College, he also discharged those <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> minister to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> society<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>n worshipping in Dark Gate, but since removed to Parkyvelvet Chapel,<br />

Manse1 Street. He was also <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> founder <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Welshman, a weekly paper<br />

still regularly issued, <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> which he was first editor.<br />

1<br />

In Dudley he so<strong>on</strong> made his power felt-<br />

as a good and pleasant preacher; and during <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> 19 years he held <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

appointment he secured <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> esteem and regard <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> all good citizens."<br />

He kept a school, to which many <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> leading families <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> dis-<br />

trict-Dix<strong>on</strong>, Hodgetts, Holcr<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>t, Wood, J<strong>on</strong>es, &C., sent <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir s<strong>on</strong>s. He<br />

was a frequent and acceptable lecturer at <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Mechanics' Institute, and<br />

entered heartily into <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> life <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> working men <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> town, who, to<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir h<strong>on</strong>our, be it recorded, raised by a penny subscripti<strong>on</strong> am<strong>on</strong>gst <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m-<br />

selves a sufficient sum to give him a golden snuff box, inscribed :-Presented<br />

to John Palmer, Esq., A.B., by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> members <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Dudley Freehold<br />

Land Society, as a testim<strong>on</strong>y <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> respect, and in acknowledgment <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> .his<br />

valuable services as <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir chairman-12 April, 1852. And "warmly-attached<br />

friends, <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> occasi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> his leaving this country," presented him with a<br />

service <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> silver plate <strong>on</strong> 15 April, 1852.<br />

*Dz/dley HL'~~I~J, 23 April, 1898.

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