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

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excellent specimens <strong>of</strong> work. At Bewdley <strong>the</strong>re was, in 1892, in one <strong>of</strong>
<strong>the</strong> pews, a perfect wooden pitch pipe.
'There are no memorial brasses older than <strong>the</strong> 23 at Whitchurch,
which commemorate 41 persons, and cover <strong>the</strong> period from 1672, when
Thomas Yate was born, to 1836, when hlrs. Benyon died at Brighton.
The oldest <strong>of</strong> all <strong>the</strong> stone mural tablets is <strong>the</strong> ' Porter' one at Alcester,
<strong>the</strong> Latin inscription on which was "recently rendered into English, for
this work, by Dr. Martineau.
It cannot fall to <strong>the</strong> lot <strong>of</strong> many writers to be privileged to receive,
for four successive works, signal help at Dr. Martineau's hands ; but
so it is in my case, for, beginning with <strong>the</strong> Re <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> P~oz~i~ecial
Assettrb4 in 1896, continued to Vestiges in 1897, Codyto~zin in 1898, and,
again, given for ArlidZand Chu~ches, all have been enriched by some con-
tribution from him ; to whom my readers, no less than myself, owe thanks
for such help. This book ~vould indeed be <strong>the</strong> poorer did it not contain
his translation on page 11.
Not many men are now living vrho can speak with personal knowledge
<strong>of</strong> four generations <strong>of</strong> a miilisterial family ; but my fa<strong>the</strong>r, born in 1813,
hale, vigorous, and with unclouded memory, in 1899, has contributed to
<strong>the</strong>se pages various matters <strong>of</strong> interest concerning <strong>the</strong> Rev. David Davis,
<strong>of</strong> Castellhywel, whom he knew in his boyhood, and at whose funeral in
Llanv~enog Churchyard he was present in 1827 ; and <strong>of</strong> his sons, Tl~omas
and Timothy, both ministers at Evesham, where he visited <strong>the</strong> latter, in
1839, and was <strong>the</strong>nce driven by him to <strong>the</strong> scene <strong>of</strong> his coming ministry
at Bloxham. For some particulars too <strong>of</strong> his personal remembrances <strong>of</strong>
<strong>the</strong> eccentric Rev. Charles Lloyd, LLD., my readers and I are also his
debtors.
My own debt <strong>of</strong> gratitude and thanks to many correspondents and
helpers is a heavy one.
From time to time several Welshmen, alumni <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Presbyterian
College, Caermar<strong>the</strong>n, have ministered in <strong>the</strong> <strong>Midland</strong>s ; for dates and
details respecting some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m I am under obligations to <strong>the</strong> Rev. Rees
Jenkin Jones, M.A., and, not for <strong>the</strong> first time, to my friend, Mr. Walter
J. Evans, M.A., <strong>the</strong> present Principal <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> College.
Most <strong>of</strong> my old bro<strong>the</strong>r ministers in <strong>the</strong> MortthQ Meetii'zg have, at
some time or ano<strong>the</strong>r, during <strong>the</strong> last ten years, given me <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir stores.
One and all I thank, and <strong>of</strong>ler <strong>the</strong>m in this book some help, whenever
<strong>the</strong>y may have occasion to seek it, respecting <strong>the</strong> histories <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> con-
gregations to which <strong>the</strong>y minister.
Brethren in o<strong>the</strong>r fields <strong>of</strong> labour have not refused <strong>the</strong>ir aid. Two
only need be named-<strong>the</strong> Rev. Prebendary Egerton, M.A., now and for
more than half a century past, rector <strong>of</strong> Whitchurch, Salop, whose personal
extracts from his parish registers and o<strong>the</strong>r kind <strong>of</strong>fices are gratefully
acknowledged ; and <strong>the</strong> Rev. Henry Gordon Palmer, B.A., <strong>of</strong> Hollyfort
Rectory, Gorey, for so much that now appears in print for <strong>the</strong> first time,
respecting his fa<strong>the</strong>r, <strong>the</strong> Rev. John. Palmer, B.A., a former minister <strong>of</strong>
<strong>the</strong> Old Meeting, Dudley.
For matters genealogical and legal I hardly know how to thank
sufficiently my friend, Mr. Arthur A. Rollason. Verily is he a tower <strong>of</strong>
strength for all who attempt <strong>Midland</strong> history in general, and that <strong>of</strong>
Dudley and district in particular.
To Mr. Noel A. Humphreys, Chief Clerk ; Mr. James Lewis, Superin-
tendent <strong>of</strong> Records ; and <strong>the</strong>ir willing staff at <strong>the</strong> General Register Office,
I owe and t&der thanks for <strong>the</strong>ir continued and successful efforts to produce
from <strong>the</strong> vaults <strong>the</strong> numerous registers I need to consult and examine.
For perm;.-sion to freely use <strong>the</strong> extensive and growing library-both
<strong>of</strong> general and reference books-in <strong>the</strong> University College <strong>of</strong> Wales, I atn
indebted to Principal Thomas F. Roberts, M.A., my near neighbour and
friend ; whilst for extracts from books not in this library I have gone,
never without success, to Mr. John Hibbert Swann, <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Free Reference
Library, Manchester.
In <strong>the</strong> matter <strong>of</strong> verifying inscriptions, and furnishing ground plans,
and sketches whenever wanted, I have availed myself <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> skilful hand
<strong>of</strong> Mr. E. Vincent Wareing, Birmingham, who, as he says, " has spent
many happy afternoons and evenings in visiting <strong>the</strong> homes <strong>of</strong> old dissent
in <strong>the</strong> <strong>Midland</strong>s."
One expression <strong>of</strong> deep-felt gratitude is left to this last. Only those
knowing <strong>the</strong> circumstances can at all realise how, during <strong>the</strong> years this