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

The Monthly Meeting minutes record that on 8 May, 181 I, <strong>the</strong> members
met at Lye Waste, <strong>the</strong> preacher being Jos. Smith, <strong>of</strong> Kidder~ninster.
Richard Fry was a frequent contributor <strong>of</strong> original poetry to <strong>the</strong>
Month@ Repository, from. <strong>the</strong> columns <strong>of</strong> which valuable journal, 1820, p.
245, <strong>the</strong>se lines on <strong>the</strong> death <strong>of</strong> his wife are reproduced :-
THE MEMORY OF CATHARINE.
Beside thy sorrow'd grave, departed Worth !
Affection glows, reminded <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> form
And lineaments from nature, fondly dear,
Of mental purity, more valued still,
Meek goodness that concealment lov'd. The worm
May witness doom'd return to kindred earth,
But character <strong>of</strong> mind knows no decay.
While absence felt renews <strong>the</strong> parting tear,
Thy virtues, cherish'd by sincere belief,
Sweetly remember'd, hopes inspire that thrill
With pensive solace through <strong>the</strong> soul <strong>of</strong> grief,
Changing this mortal gloom to glimpse <strong>of</strong> day,
Dawn <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> morn when all <strong>of</strong> faithful heart
With perfect joy shall meet and never, never part.
Kiddeyminster, ApiZ ro, 1820.
R. F.
The first occasion on which <strong>the</strong> Monthly Meeting was held at Kidderminster
was on 8 August, 1786, when Rev. Mr. Beesley preached otz P?. xxxi.,
23, and <strong>the</strong> Rev. IMr. Wood led <strong>the</strong> devotio7zaZ service, and <strong>the</strong> Rev. Messeurs
Baker, Cle?tzents and Nodgkzks favoured with <strong>the</strong>ir co~q9a?zy.
A few words must be said about Nicholas Pearsall, whose name is so
frequently met with in <strong>the</strong> first years <strong>of</strong> this society's life ; he was its
first warden, <strong>the</strong> writer, in all probability, <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> '(Church Book" previously
mentioned, <strong>the</strong> able administrator <strong>of</strong> its affairs, and, above all, <strong>the</strong> founder
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Grarrimar School, which bears his name, and <strong>the</strong> donor <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> day
school buildings. In <strong>the</strong> obituary notice <strong>of</strong> him given in <strong>the</strong> Protestant
Dissenters' Magaxzize, 1798, p. 359, he is spoken <strong>of</strong> as one-
whose solid and sublime piety, singular prudence, active benevolence, and
well-directed zeal will embalm his character in <strong>the</strong> memories <strong>of</strong> his acquaint-
ance. Convinced <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> importance <strong>of</strong> inculcating good principles upon <strong>the</strong>
minds <strong>of</strong> children and youth, he not only afforded pecuniary assistance to
institutions which had <strong>the</strong>se for <strong>the</strong>ir object, but contributed his personal
instructions. He attended for many years weekly up011 a class <strong>of</strong> children,
who, with paternal affection, were formed to habits <strong>of</strong> thought and enquiry,
industry and virtue. . . . To prevent as much as possible <strong>the</strong> good
cause in which he strenuously engaged suffering by his removal, he erected,
at his sole expense, two schools-neat and convenient edifices adjacent to
<strong>the</strong> new meeting-house, <strong>the</strong> one for <strong>the</strong> education <strong>of</strong> 35 poor boys and as
many girls, in reading, writing, and accounts, which is supported by <strong>the</strong>
contributions <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> New Meeting Society. The o<strong>the</strong>r, which in - his life-
time, he handsomely endowed for grammar learning. Part <strong>of</strong> his design
in erecting and endowing <strong>the</strong> latter was to provide a seminary for young
men intended for <strong>the</strong> ministry, preparatory to <strong>the</strong>ir entering upon an
academic course.
Pearsall was for some years before his death retarded in his sphere
<strong>of</strong> utility by <strong>the</strong> gradual loss both <strong>of</strong> sight and hearing, which threatened
to become total. He died on 2 July, 1798, and was, by his own wish,
buried in <strong>the</strong> yard <strong>of</strong> his beloved school, an upright headstone marking
<strong>the</strong> spot, which now forms a part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> green ('close" in front <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>
meeting-house. Severn buried him, it being <strong>the</strong> first instance known in
Kidderminster <strong>of</strong> a funeral service being performed by a nonconformist
minister. The MS. <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> funeral sermon delivered by Severn on this
occasion is still owned by <strong>the</strong> society.
The register, gins. tall and gins. broad, is bound in rough brown
lea<strong>the</strong>r, and is lettered-
Register I belonging to <strong>the</strong> I New Meeting House, I Kidderminster. I
It was deposited with o<strong>the</strong>r non-parocl~ial registers by John Taylor, on
24 January, 1837, i?z zdose ct~stody Z't had been from April, 1836. At <strong>the</strong> time
<strong>of</strong> its being sent to London <strong>the</strong> fri?zcz$al trz~stees are IVtlz. Hopki?zs: Sr., Geo.
Talbot, Sr., He~zry Talhot, H7?~z. NopKi?zs, Jr., Edward Broadjeld, Janzes Badland,
and o<strong>the</strong>rs. ,
Gentleman's first entry is )L&, 1783, Johz, son uf Richa~d and Mary
Watso?z, b. 7 April, 1783 ; his last, 25 Afay, 1795, /Vary, daz~ghter <strong>of</strong> William
, and Rhoda Ho$Ai~zs. In all <strong>the</strong>re are entries <strong>of</strong> 131 baptisms by him. On
<strong>the</strong> cover he has written, Alter my settleme~zt at Kidder1ni7zster in June, 1784.
After Gentleman's last entry and before Severn's first is <strong>the</strong> note :-The
Baptisms inserted i?z <strong>the</strong> two folloz~ing pazes were by occasio;lzal mi~zisters who
supplied thc congregation ireta~een <strong>the</strong> death <strong>of</strong> Rob t. Gziztleuian, li;& I 79 j, and
<strong>the</strong> settlement <strong>of</strong> WilZiam Severfa, Jalzuary 6, I 797.