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

1844, p. 288. On <strong>the</strong> retirement <strong>of</strong> John Cole from <strong>the</strong> ministry <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>
meeting-house in John Street, in 1781-
<strong>the</strong>re was no majority in favour <strong>of</strong> Trinitarian doctrines, but on <strong>the</strong> contrary.
In 1782, a division in opinion arose among <strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong>n Trustees (ten in number)
- and <strong>the</strong> subscribers as to who should succeed to <strong>the</strong> <strong>of</strong>fice <strong>of</strong> Minister, <strong>the</strong>n
vacant. A Mr. Jameson was <strong>the</strong>n invited by a nzinoritp, (four out <strong>of</strong> ten)
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Trustees, and <strong>the</strong> mujog-ity <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong>n acting Trustees and Sub-
scribers obtained possession <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> meeting-house and premises, who excluded
Jameson <strong>the</strong>refrom, by reason <strong>of</strong> his not having been duly invited or
elected. The majority proceeded to elect ano<strong>the</strong>r minister [Samuel Griffiths],
who <strong>of</strong>ficiated from his appointment in 1782 to his death in 1804. In 1783, '
a Trustee, by name Mander, declined and ceased to act as Trustee and
to subscribe to <strong>the</strong> meeting-house, and to frequent <strong>the</strong> same. If <strong>the</strong>re
were any o<strong>the</strong>r dissatisfied menibers it must be presumed that <strong>the</strong>y also
retired. The congregation went on peaceably without any fur<strong>the</strong>r quarrel
till 1817. In 1794, <strong>the</strong>y built schools. In 1780, gifts or accretions were
made by persons admittedly Unitarians. In 1814, a minister, named Steward,
was elected by <strong>the</strong> congregation, he <strong>the</strong>n pr<strong>of</strong>essing to be a Unitarian.
In 1816, this preacher changed his views, and became Trinitarian. The
congregation and Trustees <strong>the</strong>n tried to displace him. He refused to leave
his situation, and <strong>the</strong>y brought an ejectn~ent to remove him from <strong>the</strong> chapel
and <strong>the</strong> Minister's house. He <strong>the</strong>n looked up <strong>the</strong> Trustee appointed in
1776;and who had left <strong>the</strong> congregation ever since 1783. These two <strong>the</strong>n
put <strong>the</strong> Attorney General it1 motion against <strong>the</strong> congregation, and <strong>the</strong>
ultimate result appears in <strong>the</strong> Judgment on <strong>the</strong> appeal in it, from which
it will be seen that <strong>the</strong> congregation were turned out because <strong>the</strong>y held
doctrines which could not be legally preached at <strong>the</strong> time when <strong>the</strong> trust
deeds were executed. Lord Eldon's decision in this case was <strong>the</strong> first
intimation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> difficulties as to <strong>the</strong> title <strong>of</strong> chapels. The case was left
to slumber, and not brought to a hearing till 6 March, 1835, when <strong>the</strong>
decree was made, which was confirmed by Lord Cottenham in November,
1842. 1)
This decision, and that in <strong>the</strong> case <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Lady Hewley trust, wl,
<strong>the</strong> immediate causes <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> passing <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Dissenters' Chapels Bill, 7 anu
8 Vict. Ch. 45, 1844. X
From 1817 until <strong>the</strong> opening <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> building on Snow Kill, <strong>the</strong> society
assembled regularly for religious worship in a large schoolroom, rented
at a considerable expense. Morning service was usually conducted by
Joseph Pearson, Esquire (d. 10 July, 1838, aet. 72), <strong>the</strong> trustee, who, through
all <strong>the</strong> society's difficulties and trials, proved himself its active intrepid
friend. The evening service was liberally supplied by ministers in <strong>the</strong>
neighbourhood. The precarious state <strong>of</strong> Mr. Pearson's heslth, and o<strong>the</strong>r
circumstances, rendered it at length advisable that a stated minister should
be invited to settle anlong <strong>the</strong> people. Accordingly, in compliance with an
unanimous invitation, Stephenson Hunter, <strong>the</strong>n living without charge at
Crumlin, near Belfast, entered on <strong>the</strong> pastoral charge in February, 1830,
with <strong>the</strong> result that on <strong>the</strong> May Day following an appeal, signed by Joseph
Pearson and ten o<strong>the</strong>r members <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> society, and endorsed by eleven
neighbouring ministers, was issued, stating that <strong>the</strong> worshippers <strong>the</strong>m-
selves had raised E200 towards <strong>the</strong> erection <strong>of</strong> a permanent meeting-place,
and inviting fur<strong>the</strong>r subscriptions for <strong>the</strong>ir object. On Tuesday, 18 Novem-
ber, 1831, <strong>the</strong> building on Snow Hill was opened for public worship, <strong>the</strong>
morning sermon being preached by John Kentish, and <strong>the</strong> evening one by
Samuel Bache.
The iron schoolroom at <strong>the</strong> rear <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> chapel was opened on Monday,
12 November, 1894, having been erected with funds energetically collected
by <strong>the</strong> late minister, Mr. Harris Crook, and his wife.
The trustees, having had under <strong>the</strong>ir consideration for some time a
proposal to remove from <strong>the</strong> building- in Snow Hill, and build a new church
in ano<strong>the</strong>r part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> town, sold <strong>the</strong> place in December, 1898, reserving
<strong>the</strong> iron schoolroom, <strong>the</strong> organ, and <strong>the</strong> fittings <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> church. They have
in view several possible sites for a new church, and hope to erect a more
modern and convenient structure in a part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> town, which would <strong>of</strong>fer
better facilities for worship to <strong>the</strong> members <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> congregation, and where-
Qe church would have more scope for activity than in its old location,
where <strong>the</strong>re are nine or ten o<strong>the</strong>r places <strong>of</strong> worship within five minutes'
walk.
Philip Holland was <strong>the</strong> eldcst son <strong>of</strong> Thomas Holland, minister <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>.
Presbyterian society <strong>of</strong> Wem, in Shropshire, from 1716 till his death, 26-
September, 1753. It is said <strong>of</strong> him that he sometimes playfully boasted.
that out <strong>of</strong> his limited means he had educated ten children, three <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m
at Dr. Doddridge's academy, in a manner that qualified <strong>the</strong>m to fill respect-
able situations in a respectable manner ; that he always had a place at
his table for any friend that called on him ; that a beggar never left his
door without some sort <strong>of</strong> relief; and that he never had a dun at his gate,
for he paid ready money for every article he purchased, except his milk