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

Every reader is urged to try and see "The Story <strong>of</strong> Four Bro<strong>the</strong>rs,"
its charm is fascinating, and its anecdotes <strong>of</strong> Parson Richard and his
absentmindedness will well repay one for any amount <strong>of</strong> trouble. The
Disc@le ended its far too brief life in December, 1883 ; should <strong>the</strong> writer
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> story chance upon <strong>the</strong>se extracts, his forgiveness is craved for this
attempt at finding a key wherewith to open <strong>the</strong> lock.
Obadiah Bennet is stated by Miall* to have been minister at Heck-
mondwike Upper Chapel, 1786, where-
he continued five years and a half, and resigned April, 1792.
Wilsonf- says that he preached for a considerable time to <strong>the</strong> Metho-
dists in Buckingham Chapel, Pimlico, but-
left it in <strong>the</strong> year 1800.
Though <strong>the</strong> author has no direct pro<strong>of</strong> he assumes <strong>the</strong>se two men to
be one and <strong>the</strong> same ; <strong>the</strong> dates do not forbid it. Leaving London, Bennet
was for a short time minister <strong>of</strong> Paradise Chapel, Birmingham, passed on
to A<strong>the</strong>rstone, and from <strong>the</strong>nce, in 1804 removed to Vicar Lane Chapel,
Coventry, where he remained six years. At <strong>the</strong> expiration <strong>of</strong> this period
he removed, it is supposed, to London, where he died.
Davis, who received a Presbyterian board grant at A<strong>the</strong>rstone in Janu-
ary, 1822, was more or less <strong>of</strong> an invalid. The author's fa<strong>the</strong>r (b. 1813)
has a distinct remembrance <strong>of</strong> him ; being present at a funeral in Llan-
wenog Churchyard shortly before his death, he stood apart from <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r
mourners, and begged people not to come too near him as Spirits were
~orrzing from hinz.:
Referring to <strong>the</strong> period <strong>of</strong> his ministry here, Mr. Webb Ellis writing
to <strong>the</strong> author from Shalford, near Guildford, in October, 1898, says :-As
mi~zister <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Great Aleetirzg, HNz'nckley, at t4e request <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> trustees, I drove
* Congrefationalism in Yorksltirr, 1868 p. 275.
+Dissenting Chuvcltes, iv., 56-7.
$My fa<strong>the</strong>r was one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> large company present at <strong>the</strong> funeral <strong>of</strong> Thomas Davis's
fa<strong>the</strong>r, David Davis <strong>of</strong> Castel-hywel, who was buried in Llanwenog Churchyard, 1827 ;
shortly before his death he remembers hearing <strong>the</strong> old poet and preacher refer to his
wife as :-
My fair I find, in mind and mien
And honour,-a Diana ;
By George, I'll scorn to take his queen
And losing my Eliza. G. E. E.
oner to A<strong>the</strong>rstorze, every Szmday afferno<strong>of</strong>z for sonze years for <strong>the</strong> sake <strong>of</strong> keeping <strong>the</strong>
chapel open. Three service^ every Sunday, with olTfen a j%neral serztzce betzueel-2, a
conzr?zittee meetizg frepuen@, attd ~nor?zi?zg kac/ziftg in <strong>the</strong> Sunday school, made
it, as you vzay i?rzagi-ilze, very close 7etork. Tozetards <strong>the</strong> erzd <strong>of</strong> my stay hay <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>
erzdoulment 7uas diverted to Tamwori'h, affer zthicl~ 1 or24 we& to A<strong>the</strong>rstone on
altcr~zate Sztrzdays. The nttenda;tzct was always very s~rzall, it m&ht so,rzetinles have
JOHN SHEFFIELD, b. about 1654, at Ibstock, Leicestershire; ed. by John Shuttlewood,
ej. Raunston and Hoose; ord. 27 September, 1682; chaplain to Mrs. Palmer <strong>of</strong>
Temple Hall; min. A<strong>the</strong>rstone, 1689?-1697; St. Thomas Street, Southwark, 1697-
1726 ; m. and had issue ; ri. 24 January, 1726, zt. 72.
cf; Dic. Nkt. Biog.
CHRISTOPHER SMALLEY, b. [1682] ; ord. 16 September, 1708 ; min. A<strong>the</strong>rstone, 1708-1722,
Chesterfield, 1722-1743 ; Issue, Samuel (b. 1721), Hannah (6. 1722), Elizabeth (b. 1724)~
Christopher (b. 1727), Thomas (b. 1728), Ann (b. 1730)~ Hannah (b. 1732).
d. 8 February, 1743, aet. 61 ; bur. Chancel, Chesterfield Parish Church.
rf; Smalley's Register ; <strong>History</strong> <strong>of</strong> Chesterfield, 1839,. p. 121.
JOHN REYNOLDS, nephew to John Reynolds (q.v.) <strong>of</strong> Shrewsbury ; min. A<strong>the</strong>rstone, 1722-
1756.
cf; C.R. 1847 p. 256.
JOHN PRUTHERO, ed. Northampton Academy by Philip Doddridge, D.D., 1734-
A<strong>the</strong>rstone, 1744-1759.
c$ A4.R. 1815 p. 686 ; Sibree p. 238 ; Dukinfield Chapel, A. Gordon, 1897, p. 57.
WILLIAM BUCKLEY, b. 1731, at Dukinfield; ed. Daventry Academy 1756- ; min.
A<strong>the</strong>rstone 1760-1762, Dukinfield 1762-1791, retired 1791.
d. 29 April, 1797 ; bur. Dukinfield Chapel Yard.
cf: Record p. 51.
RICHARD WRIGHT, ed. Daventry Academy 1759- by Caleb Ashworth, D.D. ; min.
A<strong>the</strong>rstone 1765-1794 ; m. Mary -- ; Issue, Mary (b. 1769), Elizabeth (b. 1771),
Elizabeth Sophia (b. 1776) ; Anna Maria, John (6. 1780), Sophia (b. 1784).
cf: A<strong>the</strong>rstone, Long Street Chapel Register; M.R. 1822 p. 164.
:,
OBADIAH BENNET, min. Hecltmondwike, Upper Chapel, 1786-April, $92, London, Buckingham
Chapel, -1800, Birmingham, Paradise Chapel [I~OO-18011, A<strong>the</strong>rstone 1801 -
I 804, Coventry, Vicar Lane, 1804-1810.
cf. Wilson, iv. 57 ; Silr~ee pp. 70, 242 ; Miall, p. 275.
THOMAS DAVIS, see Evesham.
CHARLES CASE NUTTER, see Banbury.
THOMAS BOWRING, see Tamworth.
min.