MEMORIALS OF THE INDEPENDENT CHURCH AT BRACKLEY.
Brackley is a small market town and ancient borough, near the south-west
extremity of the county: it has, in former times, been a place of
considerable importance. In the early days of Methodism, John Wesley
might have been seen sometimes, preaching to a rustic throng from the
steps of the Market-house. But the Independent Church in this place is
of very recent date, and its history will therefore be comprised within
a very small compass.
A short time previous to the year 1835, "the North Bucks Association"
made an ineffectual attempt to obtain a place of worship in this town.
At length a room was secured for the purposes of divine worship and
preaching the Gospel. This proving inadequate to accommodate the
attendants, in 1836 a Chapel was erected, at a cost of L650, capable of
seating about 300 persons. The services of Mr. John Ashby, formerly a
student at Newport, now minister at Stony Stratford, were engaged by the
newly formed congregation, and he laboured here for somewhat more than a
year. After his removal, the pulpit was principally supplied by students
from Newport Academy. In January, 1838, Mr. G. Smith, late of
Halesworth, accepted an invitation to labour here. In the same year a
Church was formed, consisting of twenty persons--the ordinance of the
Lord's Supper was first administered June 24th of that year; but in the
beginning of 1839 Mr. Smith was compelled by indisposition to resign his
connexion with the Church.
Again supplies were obtained from the Newport seminary, until 1842, when
Mr. W. R. Lewis commenced a probationary course of labour, and
afterwards settled as the pastor. Under his superintendence the Church
was re-organized; but after the lapse of three or four years
circumstances arose which rendered his removal to a more extended sphere
of labour a subject for consideration, which resulted in his resignation
about Christmas, 1846. In 1847, Mr. Robert Davis, who had been pastor at
Turvey, Bedfordshire, accepted an invitation to minister in this place,
and continued his services until December, 1851. The Church, again being
destitute of a pastor, was supplied for a time by ministers from the
vicinity; until, in August of this year (1852), Mr. T. Roberts, late
student at Newport Pagnell, accepted an invitation to become the pastor
under somewhat pleasing circumstances; and it is hoped that his ministry
will be rendered truly useful, that the Church may be increased, and the
name of the Redeemer glorified. The present number of communicants is
thirty-three; children in the Sabbath-school, rather more than fifty.