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

egin on 23 July, 1771, and are almost complete to <strong>the</strong> present time. An
engraving <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Lower Meeting-house, as it appeared when converted into
a workshop, is given by RIrs. Hutton Beale, on p. 30 <strong>of</strong> her Me,v~oriaZs,
where we read that soon after <strong>the</strong> opening <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Old Meeting-
<strong>the</strong> nonconformists had so increased in'nunlbers that one building was in-
sufficient to hold <strong>the</strong>m, and ano<strong>the</strong>r chapel was erected, called <strong>the</strong> Lower
Meeting-house, in Deritend, which must have been frequently exposed to
inundations from <strong>the</strong> river Rea. The Lower Meeting-house was a similar
building to <strong>the</strong> Old, or Higher Meeting (as it was called from its being on
higher ground), having three gables. It sustained considerable injury in
<strong>the</strong> Sacheverell riots. From a letter, dated Birmingham, July zoth, 1715,
we learn that it was <strong>the</strong> private property <strong>of</strong> a Mr. Russen. The early meeting-
houses were <strong>of</strong>ten <strong>the</strong> property <strong>of</strong> private individuals. The proprietor, to
save <strong>the</strong> walls, promised <strong>the</strong> mob that <strong>the</strong> building should be used as a
dwelling-house, which promise was not kept, for <strong>the</strong> place was repaired and
<strong>the</strong> society continued to worship in it till its removal into Moor Street [New
Meeting] in 1732. The Lower Meeting-house eventually became a workshop,
and has been taken down some years ; <strong>the</strong> only indication <strong>of</strong> its former
existence was <strong>the</strong> gateway which led to it, over which was p!aced "Meeting
House Yard."
This gateway, remembered by <strong>the</strong> author, has since been taken down
for street improvements. I11 his preface, dated November, 1862, to <strong>the</strong>
reprint <strong>of</strong> The Riots at Bi~112zizghanr, Jz~ty, 1791, Mr. Arthur Bache Mattliews
says that in 1727 <strong>the</strong> congregation-
purchased, for &o, a piece <strong>of</strong> land about 32 yards by 20, situated on <strong>the</strong>
nor<strong>the</strong>rn side <strong>of</strong> a narrow lane, now called h'ew Meeting Street; here <strong>the</strong>y
erected <strong>the</strong> New Meeting House, which was opened April, 1732, with a sermon
by its minister, Samuel Bourn. In 1764 <strong>the</strong> trustees purchased, for A;225,
<strong>the</strong> three houses and land, which were between <strong>the</strong> building and Moor Street,
<strong>the</strong> houses were removed, and an open space obtained in front <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Meeting-
house. During <strong>the</strong> re-building <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Old and New Meeting-houses both
congregations worshipped toge<strong>the</strong>r in a chapel in Livery Street, which <strong>the</strong>y
designated <strong>the</strong> Union Meeting-house.
Here <strong>the</strong> fcu7ministers <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> two societies <strong>of</strong>ficiated alternately. This
chapel was opened on <strong>the</strong> 13th November, 1791, by Mr. Coates, who
preached from St. John iv., 23, 24-
But <strong>the</strong> hour cometh, and now is, when <strong>the</strong> true tvorshipper shall worship
<strong>the</strong> Fa<strong>the</strong>r in spirit and in truth : for <strong>the</strong> Fa<strong>the</strong>r seeketh such to worship
Him. God is a spirit: and <strong>the</strong>y that worship Him must worship Him in
spirit and in truth.