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

The five years' ministry <strong>of</strong> Henry Procter was not attended with success.
Disputes arose between him and his flock, <strong>the</strong> numbers <strong>of</strong> which were
diminished by <strong>the</strong> establishment <strong>of</strong> a society <strong>of</strong> Huntingdonian Methodists.
A separation took place in 1788, but for some time Procter continued to
reside in <strong>the</strong> town, holding, however, no intercourse with <strong>the</strong> congregation.
His successor describes him as-
a man <strong>of</strong> very decent manners, with too much <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> courtliness, to
use no o<strong>the</strong>r word, <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ministers <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> last age. He had some know-
ledge, and a great deal <strong>of</strong> anecdote, and he had a considerable library <strong>of</strong>
useful books.
He afterwards removed to Stafford, taking charge <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> small Pres-
byterian societies <strong>the</strong>re and in <strong>the</strong> neighbouring town <strong>of</strong> Stone. After
nineteen years' ministration to declining congregations he died at Stone,
and Presbyterian worship ceased in both towns. Thomas Jenkins, who
followed Procter as minister <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Presbyterian society in Whitchurch,
Salop, says <strong>of</strong> him in a manuscript note in <strong>the</strong> Baptismal Register belonging
to <strong>the</strong> congregation <strong>the</strong>re, that he 7210s so z~mfortirnate as to orftliz)e hzi faculties,
a?zd is now a very pitiable olyect, on@ <strong>the</strong> rzcim?s <strong>of</strong> a nzaqz.
Charles Lloyd was elected minister, with a stipend <strong>of</strong> A40, in August,
1788, through <strong>the</strong> influence <strong>of</strong> Nathaniel Philipps, Presbyterian minister
at Derby. He started a Sunday school and an evening service, and in-
creased his congregation from forty to two hundred. He wished, however,
to administer <strong>the</strong> Sacraments without being ordained ; <strong>the</strong> congregation
objected ; he consulted Dr. Priestley, <strong>the</strong>n at Birmingham, who, to his
surprise, urged him to be ordained. At length <strong>the</strong> congregation yielded,
in consideration <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> expense attending an ordination. Shortly afterwards
he began to have doubts about infant baptism, and on 3 April, 1790, pro-
posed to omit <strong>the</strong> rite or resign. His resignation was at once accepted.
Through Joshua Toulmin, D.D., he was <strong>the</strong>n put in charge <strong>of</strong> a General
Baptist congregation at Ditchling, Sussex. He is distinctly remembered
by <strong>the</strong> author's octogenarian fa<strong>the</strong>r, who described him in 1899 as a man
<strong>of</strong> wonderfill abiZi&, bad tengel; jealous to a degree, and alzerays in hot zrratzr <strong>of</strong>
his 07umz boili~~g. An interesting and well-preserved relic <strong>of</strong> Lloyd's Evesham
ministry is still extant, being <strong>the</strong> licence and authority given him on 12
August, 1788, under Royal Arms "to enter and write, or cause to be
entered and written, in <strong>the</strong> Register Book or Books <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Presbyterian
Congregation within <strong>the</strong> Borough <strong>of</strong> Evesham, all entries <strong>of</strong> any Burial,
Marriage, Birth or Christening, without any Stamps or Marks affixed <strong>the</strong>reto
or <strong>the</strong>reupon."
The next minister, Benjamin Kingsbury, is more fully alluded to in
<strong>the</strong> chapter on <strong>the</strong> Warwick society. He left Evesham and <strong>the</strong> ministry
in 1791.
Benjamin Davis was uncle to Timothy Davis (ut infra) and bro<strong>the</strong>r to
David Davis, <strong>of</strong> Castellhywel, by whom he was in part educated before
entering Daventry Academy. After being classical and ma<strong>the</strong>matical tutor
at <strong>the</strong> Presbyterian College, Caermar<strong>the</strong>n, he undertook <strong>the</strong> <strong>of</strong>fice <strong>of</strong> tutor
in <strong>the</strong> family <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>' Rev. John Yates, <strong>of</strong> Liverpool ; <strong>the</strong>nce he removed
to Walsall, as minister <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Presbyterian society in that town, removing
to Evesham in 1791, where he remained until his death on New Year's
Day, 181 I. Joshua Toulmin, D.D., who preached his funeral sermon at
Eveshain, describes him-
as a man whose understanding was strong ; whose taste was truly correct;
whose dispositions were most amiable ; and whose conduct towards all men
was upright and benevolent.
His successor, Peter Charles-also a Welshman-ministered here but
a short while, when he became librarian to <strong>the</strong> public circulating library
in <strong>the</strong> town.
Thomas Davis was bro<strong>the</strong>r to Timothy Davis (z~t infra) and son <strong>of</strong>
David Davis, <strong>of</strong> Castellhywel. As we have seen, he was minister at A<strong>the</strong>rstone
for a short time after leaving Evesham. He was more or less <strong>of</strong>
an invalid, and died in 1825.
For a short period <strong>the</strong> services were taken by William Williams, a
Caermar<strong>the</strong>n student, who died soon afterwards, just at <strong>the</strong> beginning <strong>of</strong>
his first settlement at Ilminster. Thomas Rees, LL.D., F.S.A., notes him
as-
a young man <strong>of</strong> high promise in <strong>the</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>ession to which he had devoted
himself, distinguished by his natural talents, by his extensive acquirements,
and by his early pr<strong>of</strong>iciency in Christian piety and virtue.
Ano<strong>the</strong>r minister from Wales came next at Evesham, for three months,
in <strong>the</strong> person <strong>of</strong> John Evans, who left to take charge <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Dark Gate
society, Caermar<strong>the</strong>n, where he remained till his death in 1825.