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

BIRMINGHAM.-PARADISE MEETING.
The few particulars <strong>of</strong> this society, in <strong>the</strong> possession- <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> author,
were extracted by him, in 1899, from <strong>the</strong> Register <strong>of</strong> Bajtisnzs, at Pa~,adise
Meeting, Bir~~zingham ; a thin vellum bound volume, 7sin. by 12in. tall. On
a paper inserted at <strong>the</strong> beginning <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Register is written :-Register <strong>of</strong>
Baptis?)~~--fr~?~i 1751 to 1813--Belo?zgi?rg to a Con~rega,rion <strong>of</strong> Prot. Dissenters,
not orzgi~zail'jS Bajtists, nsse?~zbli~zg in Parau'ise Street, Bi~?~~i?zpha?n, ?t?zder <strong>the</strong>
cnre <strong>of</strong> Rev. Robert Little--zv/lich 7ejas a fterwnrds dissohed. The Xez~. Robert
Little afterwards e??z&rated io <strong>the</strong> Uhited States <strong>of</strong> Anzerica. These jrvers zr~ere
deposited (after Nr. Little's dejartzrre to America) zir <strong>the</strong> haii~~s qf <strong>the</strong> late Rev.
Rab~rt xell, after whose decease, i?z r8q2, <strong>the</strong>y ca??ze i?zto <strong>the</strong> jossession <strong>of</strong> thz IZez!.
N~fgh Hzr ttoa , h is SzlccessoY in <strong>the</strong> 772 i7t istry n f <strong>the</strong> Old L l:eetilzg, Bi331;i inghanz.
The entries are headed with <strong>the</strong> statement that :-This Register contains
<strong>the</strong> names <strong>of</strong> all <strong>the</strong> children belonging to <strong>the</strong> Congregation <strong>of</strong> Protestant
J>fiselzters warsh$i?zg [sic] il~ Paradire Jfeeti?tg, Bimzingha~~z, who have been
baptised i72 that co~n?nzrtnion since <strong>the</strong> care <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Church devolved on Robert Little,
Jzine 24, 1791.
The first entry is that <strong>of</strong> Elizabeth, daztghter oJ PViZZiam Tranter, a?zd
Sa?,ah, his w$e, b. 2 I JuQ, I 79 I, and baptized 20 Nosr,e??zber, I 79 I, b,; J. Boddii'y.
Entry Nos. 71 and 89 are <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> baptisms by <strong>the</strong>ir fa<strong>the</strong>r <strong>of</strong> Elizabeth
Emnta, daughter <strong>of</strong> Robert and Ann Litile, qf Szin~nzef- Bill, BB?ni,vgham, b.
5 J1~72e, 1795, "ad <strong>of</strong> Robert Pierey, <strong>the</strong>ir son, b. 6 Jrute, 1796.
Mere, for a period, Little's entries cease.
on 12 August, 1798, five children were baptized by Sir Egeerto? Le@,$.
011 17 November and 10 December, 1799, three baptisms are registered
as performed by OBadiah Bennit [see pp. 28, 29 ante].
From 30 November, 1801, to 22 September, 1805, w?z. WiLZiailzs
signs 37 entries ; and on 2 I September, 1806, Robert Little's name again
appears and goes on until 12 July, 1807, <strong>the</strong> date <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> last entry <strong>of</strong>
baptism in <strong>the</strong> book.
Three notes have subsequently been inserted :-
P
Paradise Street Cfiapel havilzg give?z zlp <strong>the</strong> practice <strong>of</strong> hzfant Baftisnr, frotit
Co~z~iction <strong>of</strong> its 6eing unscriptz~ral, this Register is continued <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Fids otzb
* <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Children <strong>of</strong> szlch as are or may be in fellozlsh$ zelit/l <strong>the</strong> Church in futtire.
On Decenlber 10, 1809, The C?zz~rc?z rejl?zoved its meetings to a &W Buildi~g
erected by tilenz for <strong>the</strong> PZLY-ose, ill Little Ca?zno~z Street, Bir??t inghauz-aad- this
part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Register is k@t open for tire Nallres and Births <strong>of</strong> ChiZdren <strong>of</strong>
&!~?tzzzbers.
<strong>the</strong>
N. B. The Society conti?ir/ed its ltreethgs in Litiie Calrnon Street, z~ntil <strong>the</strong>
year I 8 14, when it zras $naZ& dissolved, but in <strong>the</strong> i?zteri~~t 710 afieniion seems io
hazle been $aid to <strong>the</strong> Practice <strong>of</strong> Registering <strong>the</strong> Children here ; and sorrre are
hnozein to have benz Registered in Dr. T4'iZlia~1zs's Library, Red Cross Street,
Lo~zdon.
Little became minister <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Beaumont Street society, Gainsborough,
where <strong>the</strong> one entry in its register, <strong>of</strong> a baptism at his hands, is dated
on 5 December, 1817 Here he remained for a short time, preaching on
20 December, 1818, a sermon on " Death and a Future Life," which, says
<strong>the</strong> Month& R@ository*-
we fear we must accept this as a farewell sermon, <strong>the</strong> author being on <strong>the</strong>
point <strong>of</strong> removing to America. Whe<strong>the</strong>r he exercises his pr<strong>of</strong>ession or not
in <strong>the</strong> United States, he will, we are persuaded, continue in <strong>the</strong> service <strong>of</strong>
truth, and our best wishes attend him.
Just before sailing he preached <strong>the</strong> second <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> two Dudley Double
Lectures, on Whit Tuesday, I June, 1819, from <strong>the</strong> Psalmist's words :-
For Thou hast made Him a little lower than <strong>the</strong> angels, and hast crowned
Him with glory and honour. PS. viii., 5.
He established himself at Washington, where, says his biographer+-
he succeeded in raising en Unitarian congregation in that city, which was
honoured with <strong>the</strong> countenance <strong>of</strong> Mr. Adams, <strong>the</strong> President <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> United
States, and o<strong>the</strong>r members <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Government, and <strong>the</strong> Legislature.
He died in August, 1827, at Harrisburg, where he had gone from
Washington-
on a journey <strong>of</strong> recreation and health with his family ;
and where he preached on <strong>the</strong> last Sunday, not more than 48 hours before
his death.