MEMORIALS OF THE INDEPENDENT CHURCH AT WOLLASTON.
The Independent Church in the village of Wollaston is of rather recent
formation. Not more than sixty-four years have passed since the
professing Christians residing in this place who dissented from the
Established Church were formed into a regular independent Christian
society; but in looking back to the early days of Nonconformity, we find
a Mr. Edmund Matthews, a man of good learning, sound judgment, and
serious piety, who had been the vicar of Wollaston, resigning the
living, refusing to submit to the terms imposed by the Act of
Uniformity, coming out from the Church, and taking his place among the
noble band of Nonconformist worthies. It was a considerable sacrifice
that he had to make, for truth and a good conscience. "Cut off from his
former means of support, he lived privately at Wellingborough, and
practised as a medical man, but was often reduced to great straits. When
things were at the lowest, he would commit his wife and seven children
to the care of Providence; and God mercifully appeared for them. He was
laid on the bed of affliction, and saw his end approaching, with the
prospect of leaving his family unprovided for. There came a messenger
from two of his relations, one a draper and the other a minister,
bidding him be easy about his wife and children, for the one would
clothe them all, and the other provide them with food;" and to show how
well they were disposed of, it is stated "that his wife afterwards
practised medicine, and sent two of her sons to the University, while
the eldest daughter married a knight." Mr. Matthews was a man full of
compassion and genuine charity; exemplary for faith, meekness, patience,
resignation to the will of God, and reliance on the promises. He had
great comfort in death.
It does not appear that Mr. Matthews made any attempt to raise a
congregation or to carry on his ministry after his ejectment; but as
there were Nonconformist ministers who in this early period took
opportunities to preach the Gospel at Wellingborough, which is within
four miles of Wollaston, those who separated from the Established Church
in the latter place would travel to the former to attend those services,
and would become connected with the Independent Churches that were early
formed there, while they endeavoured to obtain occasional services in
the village where they resided.
It was soon after the middle of the last century that the present Chapel
was built, viz., in 1752; but it was not until the year 1788 that the
Church was formed and the first pastor settled. In that year Mr. Perry,
of Lavendon Mill, near Olney, was invited to take the pastoral charge
over them. He was the intimate friend and had been the fellow-labourer
of Mr. Raban, who was pastor of the Church at Yardley Hastings. They had
been connected with the Established Church at Olney; both of them had
engaged in delivering exhortations at meetings for social prayer and for
the mutual improvement of their fellow Christians who belonged to the
Church. These engagements were the means of introducing them to further
service, so that they both became pastors of Independent Churches in
these villages, which were but a short distance from their former abode.
In the records of the Church at West End, Wellingborough, it is stated
that "at a Church-meeting held October 5th, 1778, Mr. Perry, of Lavendon
Mill, who had for some time before exercised his gifts among Dissenters,
though at that time in connexion with the Church of England as by law
established, having testified his desire to join this Church with a view
to his being sent out to the ministry in an orderly way, he came, and
gave an account of his call to speak the word, the reasons that induced
him to approve of the order of Congregational Churches, and his reasons
for desiring to join with this Church. He was proposed to the Church to
join next Church-meeting." In a month from this time another meeting was
held, when "Mr. Perry gave in his experience to great satisfaction, and
then, according to former appointment, preached amongst us to good
satisfaction also; and the Church being consulted, they thought it was
plainly their duty to send brother Perry out to preach the Gospel
wherever the Lord should be pleased to call him, and concluded the next
Church-meeting should be held for that end and purpose." Then it was
unanimously agreed that brother Perry should preach wherever Providence
should call him.
It appears that Mr. Perry put himself into the hands of this Church that
they might judge of his qualifications for the ministry, with a
determination to submit to the judgment they formed. In the year 1778 it
is recorded, "we dismissed brother Perry to the newly formed Church at
Wollaston, and on May 28th he was ordained their pastor."
Some time before this Mr. Perry had been preaching at Wollaston, and
when he was invited to the pastoral office twenty-four persons had
united together in the fellowship of the Gospel. At the ordination
service, Mr. Hillyard prayed; Mr. Carver stated the nature of the
service, and proposed the usual inquiries; Mr. Raban offered the
ordination prayer; Mr. Carver gave the charge, from Rev. ii. 10--"Be
thou faithful unto death," &c.; Mr. Bull preached to the people, from
Phil. i. 27--"Only let your conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of
Christ." In the evening Mr. Greathead prayed, and Mr. Goode preached
from Psalm li. 18--"Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion," &c.
Mr. Perry's ministry, after his settlement, was of short duration,
scarcely extending to five years; during its continuance he admitted
twelve members to the small society. On February 28th, 1793, he died. He
was interred at Lavendon the Sabbath following, when Mr. Raban preached
the funeral sermon, from 1 Thessalonians ii. 8--"So, being
affectionately desirous of you," &c. He was a man of a truly pious,
affectionate spirit, and was much beloved by the little flock over which
he presided.
Immediately after the death of Mr. Perry, another member of the Church
at Wellingborough, who had been chosen to the office of a deacon there,
but who was resident in Wollaston, was called to take the oversight of
this infant Church. In the records of the Church to which he belonged it
is stated, under the date of April 8th, 1793, "Brother David Hennell
exercised his gifts by expounding Scripture to the Church in the vestry,
which was very acceptable." October 3rd, "He was dismissed to the
pastoral office, having the united and fervent desire of his Church for
his usefulness and comfort." The friends at Wollaston record,
"immediately after the burial of our late worthy pastor, the Lord was
pleased to show us he had seen our distress and heard our cries, for he
was disposing the mind of a dear friend of this place to the work of the
ministry--Mr. David Hennell. His gifts were tried at Wellingborough, at
the Church to which he belonged, under Mr. Carver, and approved; they in
Christian love gave him liberty, unanimously, to come and statedly
preach amongst us. The ordination service was held October 8th, 1794,
when Mr. Raban commenced and asked the questions; Mr. Carver delivered
the charge, from Matthew xxviii. 20--'Teaching them to observe all
things,' &c.; Mr. Bull preached to the people, from 1 Thessalonians v.
12, 13--'I beseech you, brethren, to know them which are over you in the
Lord,' &c. Mr. Hillyard, junior, preached in the evening, from Acts xi.
23."
Mr. Hennell continued his services as pastor for twenty-nine years, and
during that time the place of worship underwent some enlargement, and
some additions were gradually made to the Church, seventy-five members
being added during the course of his ministry. At the commencement of
the year 1822, owing to advancing years and increasing infirmities, Mr.
Hennell felt it to be his duty to resign his office, which he did on
Lord's-day, January 21st.
Immediately after this, the attention of the people was directed to Mr.
Thomas Coleman, who was a member of the Independent Church at Kettering,
then under the pastoral care of the Rev. T. N. Toller. Mr. Coleman had
preached at Wollaston for the first time on the Christmas-day previous
to the resignation of Mr. Hennell, and was now invited to preach to them
on probation. This engagement was continued until Midsummer, when he was
invited to become the pastor, and was ordained September 5th, 1822. The
following is the record preserved of the ordination service:--
Mr. West, of Harrold, read the Scriptures and prayed; Mr. Morris, of
Olney, delivered the introductory discourse and asked the questions;
Mr. Hennell, the former pastor, gave a brief statement of the steps
that had led to the formation of the present connexion; Mr. Coleman
stated the motives which he trusted influenced him to engage in the
work, the reasons why he preferred to exercise his ministry among
Dissenters, and his views of the doctrines of the Gospel; Mr.
Jacomb, of Wellingborough, offered the ordination prayer; Mr.
Renals, of the same place, delivered the charge, from 1 Tim. iv.
16--"Take heed to thyself and to thy doctrine," &c.; Mr. Toller, of
Kettering, preached to the people, from 1 Peter ii. 2--"As new-born
babes desire the sincere milk of the word," &c. Mr. Pickering, of
Brigstock, preached in the evening, from Col. i. 12--"Giving thanks
unto the Father," &c.
A Sabbath-school was first formed here after this settlement.
Mr. Hennell survived nearly eight years after the ordination of his
successor, and acted during the whole of that period in the most kind
and affectionate manner towards him. He died July 28th, 1830. By his
request, his death was improved by his successor, from words chosen by
the preacher as appropriate to his character and the peaceful close of
his life (Luke ii. 29): "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in
peace, according to thy word."
In the year 1831 Mr. Coleman removed from Wollaston, having received an
unanimous invitation from the Church and congregation at Ashley and
Wilbarston. During his ministry twenty-two members had been admitted to
the Church.
After this, Mr. Edwards was engaged in preaching to the people for about
ten months. When he had left them, different supplies were engaged,
until, at the commencement of the year 1834, Mr. Thomas Lord, who was a
member of the Independent Church, Castle Hill, Northampton, was engaged
as a supply. His services proving acceptable, after a suitable time of
trial he was invited to become the pastor, and was ordained October
24th, 1834, when Mr. Morris again stated the nature of a Christian
Church, and asked the questions; Mr. Renals offered the ordination
prayer; Mr. Bennett, of Northampton, delivered the charge, from 1 Tim.
iv. 6--"A good minister of Jesus Christ;" Mr. Phillips, of Harrold,
preached to the people, from Phil. ii. 1--"If there be therefore any
consolation in Christ," &c. Mr. Vorley, of Charlton, preached in the
evening, from Phil. i. 27--"Only let your conversation," &c. Mr. Lord's
ministry here continued until the year 1845, when he removed to
Brigstock. During the course of it about fifty members were added to the
Church; but ere it closed, some declensions took place. Considerable
improvements were made in the place of worship, by its being repewed and
a new vestry erected, at a cost of about L250. A dwelling-house was also
purchased and fitted up for the minister, and made over to the interest,
by the liberality of Mr. John Ward, of Knutson.
On the third Sabbath in August, 1846, Mr. John Anderson became the
pastor; but he resigned his office in July, 1847.
In the year 1848, Mr. E. W. Finch, from Mr. Frost's seminary at Cotton
End, near Bedford, became the minister of the place; but on March 27th,
1851, Mr. Finch resigned, and removed to Portshead, Somerset. Fourteen
members were added to the Church by Mr. Finch.
In October, 1851, Mr. D. Herschell came to Wollaston, and is at present
ministering there. There are now about forty-one members in the Church.
There are about fifty children in the Sabbath-school. Occasional
services are conducted in villages in the vicinity.
Amidst various and frequent changes of late, this interest still
remains, attended with difficult circumstances. May it be greatly
revived, its numbers increased, and its efficiency promoted!