1842. This modern Gothic Church was opened on March 7th, 1842, by his
eminence Cardinal Wiseman. Previous to the erection of this sacred
edifice the Roman Catholics in Dudley worshipped in a small Chapel in
King Street, or were necessitated to travel to Sedgley. The Catholic
Church was founded and built at the sole cost of the Honourable Rev.
George Spencer, better known afterwards as "Father Ignatius." The land
was given by Mr. William Fletcher, nail master, of Dudley. In 1875,
this Church was altered and restored at a cost of upwards of £1,000.
The Rev. J. I. Bond, M.R., being the resident priest.
1843. April 12th, died Mr. Wm. Maurice, Bookseller and Printer, Market
Place, an energetic adherent to the Unitarian cause in this town, and
much respected by a large circle of friends. Aged 70 years.
Died, December 23rd, 1843, the Rev. James Dawson, Pastor of the
Independent Chapel, King Street. In penning a few remarks upon the
lamented death of this venerable and pious Christian Minister, who for
the long period of 40 years conducted his valuable ministerial duties
in the Congregational Chapel in King Street, I have to acknowledge the
kindness and courtesy of his son, Mr. John Dawson, Chemist of the Town,
who has furnished me with a perusal of the inner life (a diary) of his
lamented father's serious inspirations often offered up to the Throne
of Mercy on behalf of his attached flock. "In 1801, Mr. Dawson came
as a Minister _on Probation_ to King Street Chapel, and on June 1st,
1803, he was ordained to the Pastoral Office over the Church of Christ
at Dudley." The following is a copy of his certificate of office and
authority.
"This is to certify that our Brother the Revd. James Dawson
was regularly set apart to the Pastoral Office in the Church
of Christ, meeting in King Street, Dudley, in the County of
Worcester, on the first of June, 1803.
Signed, J. Brewer, Birmingham,
J. Moody, Warwick,
Obh. Bennett,
Wm. Williams, Birmingham,
Jno. Hudson, West Bromwich,
Thos. Chipperfield, Stretton,
S. Hanwell,
B. Eaton."
Such then was the form of Ordination of a Minister in the Independent
Society of Christian worshippers in those remote days, whether such is
the authority now in use I am unable to assert.
Some jarring and hasty remarks have lately been floated in our local
Press, hurling serious charges against the religious belief and good
manners of the people of Dudley _in our own days_. Past experience,
and actual facts, loudly rebut such insane assertions, for we have
only to take a survey of this important Borough _now_ to witness the
religious and scholastic zeal exhibited in the erection of Churches,
Chapels, and Sunday Schools to the Glory of God and the spiritual
good of the people; which its inhabitants have long placed in broad
day-light, shewing their Christian benevolence and charity. Comparisons
sometimes become odious; and a perusal of the following extract
from the memoranda of the late Revd. James Dawson, may assuage some
disappointed feelings, and remove recent and unpleasant impressions.
"When the revival of religion took place in England, through the
instrumentality of Whitfield and Westley, Dudley with the rest of the
Kingdom partook of the advantages. Previous to this revival, the town,
with the surrounding neighbourhood, _was in an awful state of moral
darkness_. The congregation assembling in the Wolverhampton Street
Chapel had forsaken the truth, and God had forsaken them. All was gloom
and desolation in the Church; for the Gospel had not been preached in
it since the time of Richard Baxter, who officiated in St. Thomas's
Church nine months, and taught the Grammar School. The Countess of
Huntingdon's Students and Ministers brought the Gospel to Dudley, and
laboured for a considerable time in a dwelling house in King Street,
and to their labours must be traced the erection of a new Calvinistic
Chapel in this town. It was erected in the year 1788, in what is called
her Ladyship's Connexion. Owing to a variety of causes, but chiefly to
the inefficiency of the supplies, and a heavy debt upon the Chapel,
_the cause_ did not prosper. Difficulties pressed upon the few people
who attended, and it was feared the place must be sold to liquidate
the debt, and at length it was deemed necessary to turn the Chapel
over to the hands of Trustees, and transform it into a Congregational
Church. This change was effected in the year 1792. After this period
it was supplied chiefly by occasional Ministers from Birmingham and
other neighbouring places. In the year 1800, application was made to
Thomas Wilson, Esq., of London, Treasurer to the Dissenting College at
Hoxton, for a Student to come amongst them with a view to a settlement.
Their prayers were heard, and Mr. James Dawson was appointed to visit
them, who, ultimately, took upon him the charge of the Church, and was
ordained to the Pastoral Office on June 1st, 1803. In the year 1809,
the front gallery was erected at a cost of £100, raised entirely by the
Congregation. It was found necessary in 1815 to erect side galleries,
the seats of which were soon occupied. More seats were soon required,
and by a removal of the Sunday Scholars from under the front gallery
into different parts of the Chapel, and by a further addition of seats
in 1819, the increasing congregation was accommodated. In the year
1824, it was thought necessary to enlarge the Chapel still further. A
meeting of a few friends was held to consult upon the best method of
accomplishing the object, when subscriptions were entered into, and
the enlargement was commenced and finished the same year. The seats
were soon occupied, and the place became again too small to accommodate
all who were desirous of attending, and after much deliberation it
was determined to erect a New Chapel upon a scale sufficiently large
for all who were willing to hear the Gospel, and especially to afford
room for the poor. The Foundation Stone was laid the 21st day of May,
1839. May the blessing of God rest upon it, and render it a blessing
to thousands of the fallen sons of Adam. Gloria sit Deo. JAMES DAWSON,
Scripsit, 1839."
The Rev. James Dawson, during the forty years he laboured as the
beloved and respected minister of this Church of Christ, secured the
goodwill and esteem of all denominations. His great energy in the
pulpit and his unwearied efforts amongst his flock, supported as it was
by his strong evangelical views, caused his name to be revered far and
wide, and the life-long result of his ministry was a cheering evidence
of what spiritual blessings a good man can confer upon his fellows. Mr.
Dawson was a very retiring and humble-minded gentleman, very fearful
of being the cause of offence, for in 1805 we find him writing, "It
appears highly improper to speak evil of any one, but much more for one
Christian to speak evil of another. How hateful, then, must it appear
for one minister to speak evil of another; it is exceedingly bad and
most horrible." We find his aspirations and thankfulness for his yearly
increase of spiritual work to be quite child-like and steadfast; for
he writes, "This evening I was very comfortable at the prayer meeting;
found great liberty in addressing a few who were present; our members
increase both at the prayer meetings and public assemblies, for which I
am thankful, and pray they may more rapidly increase in knowledge and
true holiness." Increasing years and duties, however, pressed hard upon
this zealous servant of Christ, for in the latter part of his earthly
sojourn he writes thus, "Although, through the kindness and mercy of my
God, I enjoy a good measure of health and vigour of constitution, yet
I feel myself incompetent to the full discharge of ministerial duties;
visiting becomes irksome; occasional preaching in the neighbourhood,
and meeting Bible classes impracticable at my time of life. The spirit
is willing but the flesh is weak." A monument in the chapel records his
death and excellency; he died December 23rd, 1843, aged 65 years.
In August, 1844, the town was suddenly made acquainted with the
unwelcome news that Mr. Hawkes was about to resign his seat in
Parliament, and that a fit and proper person would have to be elected
in his place. Rumour, with her thousand tongues, ran hard and fast in
conjecture and doubts as to the coming candidate; for it had long been
observed that the Priory influence was yearly gaining strength and
dictation, and the future Reform influence in the borough was being
reduced to very narrow dimensions. The minds of the electors were soon
put to rest by the announcement that Mr. John Benbow, of London (of
the firm of Messrs Benbow and Tucker, solicitors, London), was the
favoured Tory candidate, to do battle for Church and State in Dudley.
The Anti-Corn Law League (emanating from Manchester), had already done
a heavy uphill work throughout the kingdom, in advocating the total
repeal of the Corn Laws; and some of its most talented public advocates
had already obtained seats in Parliament as the reward of their
fidelity to that great public question.
The Reformers of Dudley considering that the promotion of trade and
commerce was more intimately connected with them than the interests of
the British Farmer, for everyone had got hold of the hackneyed saying,
"that we must buy in the cheapest, and sell in the dearest market,"
decided to run a Free-Trade candidate at this by-election in the person
of Mr. William Rawson, the chairman of the Anti-Corn Law League.
Mr. Rawson's claims upon the electors of Dudley mainly consisted in
his advocacy of Free Trade, not only in corn, but everything else,
whilst "the little loaf, and the big loaf" were held up to the gazing
crowd, as the sign-posts of cheap bread, good wages, and increased
commercial progress, and prosperity. Mr. Benbow had the advantage of
a very different introduction to the electors; to many of whom he was
well-known as the legal adviser to the trustees of _the then_ young
Lord Ward, whose immense wealth and popularity was the pass-word to
any man's success. Mr. Benbow was not a fluent speaker, neither was
Mr. Rawson, so that we had not much speechifying from these gentlemen;
it was said, _that Mr. Rawson was a great thinker_; however, these
deficiencies were made up by the incessant fluency of Mr. Samuel
Cooke, a respectable linen draper, of Dudley, Mr. William Insull, and
Thomas Hill, who had become pronounced Chartists, and whose advocacy
for many years of the Nine Points of the Charter entitled them to the
regard and esteem of the whole force of the working classes in this
town and district. Mr. Cooke was a well-read gentleman, with a zeal
and honesty of purpose which few men can aspire to; there was a purity
and singleness of aim in his public deliverances which secured him
the respect of all good thinking people; and when he was committed to
Worcester prison for a time, for what was then construed into seditious
speaking, he was received back again to the scene of his well-meant
labours with public triumph and cordial congratulations.
This election, however, came off under some popular excitement, for
Free Trade was then the great war cry, and it had upset one Ministry
and was wrecking the stability of another; but the Castle influence
was proved to be too overwhelming for the popular cause; and the day
of nomination, with its hordes of men driven up to the hustings like
sheep, to hold up their hands for whom they were bidden, was, in truth
and in deed, a sad exhibition of what was misnamed freedom of election.
Mr. Benbow was elected by a good majority, and entered the House of
Commons as a decided Tory representative.
1. Mr. John Benbow, Tory 388
2. Mr. William Rawson, Free Trader 175
----
Majority for Mr. Benbow 213
Benefit Societies, established by the most intelligent of the working
classes, had begun now to have a very beneficial effect in teaching
the great principles of self help. The Manchester Unity of Odd Fellows
had taken the lead throughout the country in this respect, and in the
parish of Dudley we had upwards of 1,500 members enrolled.
1845. July 14th. A monster and grand procession of Odd Fellows walked
the town this day, and went to a service at the Parish Church, when a
collection was made for the Widows and Orphans' Fund, amounting to £10
12s. 3d.
1845. July 30th. The Rev. Doctor Browne, Vicar of Dudley, was installed
an Odd Fellow in the "Rose and Thistle" Lodge, and the worthy Doctor's
zeal on behalf of the Widows and Orphans' was most manifest in the
parish.