Post by JEM on Sept 28, 2013 21:00:07 GMT
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ASHDON BAPTIST CHURCH 1809 - 2013
During the latter part of the 18th century there was a small body of Nonconformists in Ashdon who met at Non-conformist chapels in Saffron Walden.
These could have been Saffron Walden Quaker Meeting, one of whose adult members was baptised as an adult at Ashdon Parish Church in 1708 , another adult a woman, in her 89th year was baptised as an adult at Ashdon Parish Church in 1711. or Saffron Walden General Baptist Church or Abbey Lane Independent Church as well as village members of Upper Meeting Baptist Church
Soon after 1786 when Rev Matthew Walker became Pastor of Upper Meeting Baptist Church, Saffron Walden, Ashdon members of his church held open air meetings at Ashdon. Matthew Walker supported these gatherings and did a lot of visitation in the village. These meetings were attended by other ministers of other churches in the neighbourhood. [ probably Sawston, Great Sampford, Haverhill founded about 1807, Cambridge, Linton, ]
Matthew Walker left the Walden Church to everyone there’s consternation in Feb 1809 and became Pastor at Ashdon Dec 17th 1809. The Church began with 11 members in Jane Cro’s house, but they worshipped in a barn next to Clematis Cottage, opposite Clays. The minister lived in a house now called Chapel Farm. He was one of the 11 members.
In 1820 the members of the congregation bought the meeting house for £140 which previously belonged to the Minister himself, It was described as the Meeting House with a vestry room, formerly a low ceiling barn, abutting on to the Radwinter Road at Steventon End Ashdon.
Of the 12 members named in the conveyance of the property 10 lived at Ashdon or Bartlow, with 1 from Radwinter and 1 from Castle Camps. 8 were described as yeomen, one was a blacksmith, and 3 others were described as, a higler, a glazier and a miller.
In 1829-30 repairs had to be made carried out by local tradesmen, some of them members of the congregation. In 1832 some re-thatching of the roof had been carried out, but by 1833 it was obvious that the meeting house needed to be demolished and replaced with something more substantial.
An Appeal for Funds was sent out to other Churches above the signature of two Baptist Ministers at Walden, One of whom was Rev Josiah Wilkinson, and another may have been have been Rev John Dane Player of the Strict Baptist Church, and other Baptist Ministers at Linton [ who had in 1817 rebuilt there own chapel. One of the organising Committee being one of my ancestors John Kidman a tanner, who gave £150 towards it] and Cambridge (Stone Yard Baptist Church St. Andrew’s Street.], Fowlmere, Thaxted and St Ives.
The estimated sum needed was at least £450 of which the congregation had raise £220. They determined to get in most of the money before starting on the new building. It appears to have been completed in 1835, during the year after the Pastor retired. His wife Sarah also died there.
The second pastor Rev Middleditch was invited in two letters from 42 Church members and 19 members of the congregation. From 1842 - 1845, 38 new members were added. This was partly due to a 2 week Mission and lots of house visiting. Again between 1845 and 1849, 40 new members were added, some from Hadstock, Linton and Horseheath.
In 1851 Minister Thomas Worrall extended his preaching to open air meetings at Radwinter where a chapel was built in 1852, and continued to be looked after by Baptist ministers from Ashdon well into the late 20th century. In November 1856 following a disagreement the Church dissolved.
A month later 5 church members reformed it. In June 1857 a new minister was called, Rev Robert White, and by then there were 36 members. He was succeeded in 1859 by Rev John Watts from Wotton under Edge, Gloucestershire.
By 1872 membership was back to 78, with over another 20 in the congregation. Most were Ashdon folk with a few from Linton [ by then Linton Free Church originally Baptist was Congregationalist and is now URC ], Radwinter and other places.
In 1875 renovations were needed and to raise some of the £309 needed they took to heart the parable of the talents. Six people were to be given half a pint of spring beans to sow and the yield from them for 3 years to be given for chapel repairs. Results varied widely from £5, £14, £15, £27, £30, and £70.
Ashdon Chapel before 1878 was a member of the Essex Baptist Association but from that year joined the Cambridgeshire Baptist Association as it was closer for attending meetings. In 1884 there were 101 members, and could seat a congregation of 350. With 70 children in the Sunday school and 7 teachers.
About this time there was a Mr Cornell who had links with the building of the new Church at Walden who lived in the village and on Sundays stood on the river bridge with his open Bible and read it out loud to any who cared to gather to listen just as centuries before Wycliff's preachers had done.
The following served as Ministers
1834 – 1837 Thomas J Middleditch
1837 – 1838, Mr Humphrey
1839 – 1841,James Cozens
1841 – 1849. Robert Tubbs
1850 – 1852, Thomas Worrall
1852 – 1856, Ebenezer Le Fevre,
1857 – 1858,Robert White
1859 – 1871, John Watts
1871 – 1891 Robert Layzell
The Chapel was again renovated in 1895 and licensed for marriages from 1898,The Depression which began in 1891 caused many people to leave the land for the factories and membership dropped considerably. The Minister
1891 – 1895 Rev John Sage who ended there his 40 years as a minister.
1896 – 1920. Rev T Henry Smith . During whose term in 1902 he led resistance of some members to the 1902 Education Act on matters of religious instruction. The Centenary of the formation of the church was observed in 1909 in a large tent opposite the school at which Dr John Clifford of the BU addressed all the people who came.
1921 – 1929 William Shepherd was pastor.
1930 -1934 John W Nunn followed by
1935 -1939, Arthur J Hallworth
1939 - 1944. Harry W Chapman
1939 - 1944, Thomas H Ingle Scott and there followed a 2 year interregnum until
1952 – 1952 Arthur R Bromley was there for some months in during which he died.
1953 – 1958 Rev Hugh Wrigley BD came and in 1953 the centenary of Radwinter Chapel took place supplied then with preachers from Ashdon. From then on Lay preachers from Walden helped supply both pulpits when needed. Hugh Wrigley helped organise Saffron Walden & District Youth for Christ with Rev Len Addicott at Walden, and Brethren elder Ray Mitson founder of VBS, and Billy Graham Crusade coaches and the Relay Rally at Walden in 1955. Hugh moved to Ryde IOW and later a Strict Baptist Church at Margate.
1959 Ashdon celebrated their 150th anniversary and published a history produced by Eric Bidwell. The Church Secretary then was Mr Bernard Stockley and his nephew David became a BMS Agricultural Missionary so the Church there and at Walden was associated with him and the start of Operation Agri.
Attendances at Ashdon continued to decline. From 1958 - 1960 between 20 and 25 attending, and between 10 and 20 by the 1970's under a succession of short but faithful pastorates.
1960- 1964, Hugh Lloyd,
1964- 1974 Don Elsdon
1974 -1981 Ron Frost
1981- 1986 Kay Horne
1986 -1991 Richard Inkley during which the Church rallied a bit
1991 -1998,Peter Wilson's united pastorate with Great Sampford
1999 – 2002 Tony Newnham
2003 – 2013 the Church was under the ministry of Revd David and Mrs Doris Doonan membership and congregation has recovered to nearer 25 – 30 though some of them work in towns in the region have had to move on as their careers changed. Sally Rowden of Hempstead wife of former SWBC Church secretary, Monarch Airways senior Pilot, Gavin Rowden, has for several years organised a Choir of about a dozen which sings several times a year at special services. Doris has served as a school Governor of the Primary School which thrives and she thus knows many families.The Wednesday Fellowship sometimes with the folk from All Saints, have encouraged both congregations and in 2012 they had a baptism, the first for many years, The Hall and Kitchen were redeveloped in 2008-2009.
The Bicentenary was celebrated with an exhibition in the chapel and services in a large marquee in the field beyond their car part supported by members of the Ashdon village community, All Saints congregation, and friends from many churches around the district. We have a CD in our Church archives of the many photographs taken during these celebrations.
The Baptists have worked closely with the depleted congregation of All Saints on the hill. They run a monthly Luncheon Club and have hosted a weekly mothers and toddlers club. They have given great support to Liz and Dave Maythingy working with BMS World Mission in Thailand. Ashdon often staged picnics in support of BMS and a young woman from there about 10 years ago went in a BMS Action Team. Before the Doonans came, over a period of 10 years there were talks chaired by Association leaders to try to unite the Ashdon and Walden Churches, as there have also been previously talks of uniting Sampford and Thaxted with Walden but in all cases the village congregations have opted to remain independent. This account ends with the retirement of David and Doris Doonan at the 204th Anniversary July 13th and 14th 2013 as Ashdon sought settlement of it's future. On June 26th they showed a computerised slide lecture of their work in Brazil 1961 – 1983 Organising a school for missionaries children and setting up a couple of Church plants now with several hundred members each and setting up and running training for pastors and ministers in 2 locations. They have been back on visits several times, the last in 2011 and their son works in Brazil. They are retired to Kent.
A new chapter began on September the 28th 2013 with the appointment as Minister on Training of Gavin Walter, Student of Spurgeon's College Baptist London a member and latterly Deacon of Saffron Walden Baptist Church led by retiring BUGB EBA Regional Minister Revd. Paul Hills at which the preacher was Rev Simon Mattholie Director of Rural Ministries and former minister of .Saffron Walden Baptist Church. Gavin's ministry saw an increase in membership and further outreach into the village community and the School, and the introduction of new forms of worship especially led by Patrick. Glenn Miller the Village Archivist at the Ashdon Village Museum on Church Hill, and organist of the Baptist Church, published an illustrated History of Ashdon Baptist Church in 2021 In August 2021 Gavin left Ashdon to become Minister of Garland Street Baptist Church Bury St Edmunds, and Ashdon Baptist Church paused on the edge of a new beginning. { JEM ]
During the latter part of the 18th century there was a small body of Nonconformists in Ashdon who met at Non-conformist chapels in Saffron Walden.
These could have been Saffron Walden Quaker Meeting, one of whose adult members was baptised as an adult at Ashdon Parish Church in 1708 , another adult a woman, in her 89th year was baptised as an adult at Ashdon Parish Church in 1711. or Saffron Walden General Baptist Church or Abbey Lane Independent Church as well as village members of Upper Meeting Baptist Church
Soon after 1786 when Rev Matthew Walker became Pastor of Upper Meeting Baptist Church, Saffron Walden, Ashdon members of his church held open air meetings at Ashdon. Matthew Walker supported these gatherings and did a lot of visitation in the village. These meetings were attended by other ministers of other churches in the neighbourhood. [ probably Sawston, Great Sampford, Haverhill founded about 1807, Cambridge, Linton, ]
Matthew Walker left the Walden Church to everyone there’s consternation in Feb 1809 and became Pastor at Ashdon Dec 17th 1809. The Church began with 11 members in Jane Cro’s house, but they worshipped in a barn next to Clematis Cottage, opposite Clays. The minister lived in a house now called Chapel Farm. He was one of the 11 members.
In 1820 the members of the congregation bought the meeting house for £140 which previously belonged to the Minister himself, It was described as the Meeting House with a vestry room, formerly a low ceiling barn, abutting on to the Radwinter Road at Steventon End Ashdon.
Of the 12 members named in the conveyance of the property 10 lived at Ashdon or Bartlow, with 1 from Radwinter and 1 from Castle Camps. 8 were described as yeomen, one was a blacksmith, and 3 others were described as, a higler, a glazier and a miller.
In 1829-30 repairs had to be made carried out by local tradesmen, some of them members of the congregation. In 1832 some re-thatching of the roof had been carried out, but by 1833 it was obvious that the meeting house needed to be demolished and replaced with something more substantial.
An Appeal for Funds was sent out to other Churches above the signature of two Baptist Ministers at Walden, One of whom was Rev Josiah Wilkinson, and another may have been have been Rev John Dane Player of the Strict Baptist Church, and other Baptist Ministers at Linton [ who had in 1817 rebuilt there own chapel. One of the organising Committee being one of my ancestors John Kidman a tanner, who gave £150 towards it] and Cambridge (Stone Yard Baptist Church St. Andrew’s Street.], Fowlmere, Thaxted and St Ives.
The estimated sum needed was at least £450 of which the congregation had raise £220. They determined to get in most of the money before starting on the new building. It appears to have been completed in 1835, during the year after the Pastor retired. His wife Sarah also died there.
The second pastor Rev Middleditch was invited in two letters from 42 Church members and 19 members of the congregation. From 1842 - 1845, 38 new members were added. This was partly due to a 2 week Mission and lots of house visiting. Again between 1845 and 1849, 40 new members were added, some from Hadstock, Linton and Horseheath.
In 1851 Minister Thomas Worrall extended his preaching to open air meetings at Radwinter where a chapel was built in 1852, and continued to be looked after by Baptist ministers from Ashdon well into the late 20th century. In November 1856 following a disagreement the Church dissolved.
A month later 5 church members reformed it. In June 1857 a new minister was called, Rev Robert White, and by then there were 36 members. He was succeeded in 1859 by Rev John Watts from Wotton under Edge, Gloucestershire.
By 1872 membership was back to 78, with over another 20 in the congregation. Most were Ashdon folk with a few from Linton [ by then Linton Free Church originally Baptist was Congregationalist and is now URC ], Radwinter and other places.
In 1875 renovations were needed and to raise some of the £309 needed they took to heart the parable of the talents. Six people were to be given half a pint of spring beans to sow and the yield from them for 3 years to be given for chapel repairs. Results varied widely from £5, £14, £15, £27, £30, and £70.
Ashdon Chapel before 1878 was a member of the Essex Baptist Association but from that year joined the Cambridgeshire Baptist Association as it was closer for attending meetings. In 1884 there were 101 members, and could seat a congregation of 350. With 70 children in the Sunday school and 7 teachers.
About this time there was a Mr Cornell who had links with the building of the new Church at Walden who lived in the village and on Sundays stood on the river bridge with his open Bible and read it out loud to any who cared to gather to listen just as centuries before Wycliff's preachers had done.
The following served as Ministers
1834 – 1837 Thomas J Middleditch
1837 – 1838, Mr Humphrey
1839 – 1841,James Cozens
1841 – 1849. Robert Tubbs
1850 – 1852, Thomas Worrall
1852 – 1856, Ebenezer Le Fevre,
1857 – 1858,Robert White
1859 – 1871, John Watts
1871 – 1891 Robert Layzell
The Chapel was again renovated in 1895 and licensed for marriages from 1898,The Depression which began in 1891 caused many people to leave the land for the factories and membership dropped considerably. The Minister
1891 – 1895 Rev John Sage who ended there his 40 years as a minister.
1896 – 1920. Rev T Henry Smith . During whose term in 1902 he led resistance of some members to the 1902 Education Act on matters of religious instruction. The Centenary of the formation of the church was observed in 1909 in a large tent opposite the school at which Dr John Clifford of the BU addressed all the people who came.
1921 – 1929 William Shepherd was pastor.
1930 -1934 John W Nunn followed by
1935 -1939, Arthur J Hallworth
1939 - 1944. Harry W Chapman
1939 - 1944, Thomas H Ingle Scott and there followed a 2 year interregnum until
1952 – 1952 Arthur R Bromley was there for some months in during which he died.
1953 – 1958 Rev Hugh Wrigley BD came and in 1953 the centenary of Radwinter Chapel took place supplied then with preachers from Ashdon. From then on Lay preachers from Walden helped supply both pulpits when needed. Hugh Wrigley helped organise Saffron Walden & District Youth for Christ with Rev Len Addicott at Walden, and Brethren elder Ray Mitson founder of VBS, and Billy Graham Crusade coaches and the Relay Rally at Walden in 1955. Hugh moved to Ryde IOW and later a Strict Baptist Church at Margate.
1959 Ashdon celebrated their 150th anniversary and published a history produced by Eric Bidwell. The Church Secretary then was Mr Bernard Stockley and his nephew David became a BMS Agricultural Missionary so the Church there and at Walden was associated with him and the start of Operation Agri.
Attendances at Ashdon continued to decline. From 1958 - 1960 between 20 and 25 attending, and between 10 and 20 by the 1970's under a succession of short but faithful pastorates.
1960- 1964, Hugh Lloyd,
1964- 1974 Don Elsdon
1974 -1981 Ron Frost
1981- 1986 Kay Horne
1986 -1991 Richard Inkley during which the Church rallied a bit
1991 -1998,Peter Wilson's united pastorate with Great Sampford
1999 – 2002 Tony Newnham
2003 – 2013 the Church was under the ministry of Revd David and Mrs Doris Doonan membership and congregation has recovered to nearer 25 – 30 though some of them work in towns in the region have had to move on as their careers changed. Sally Rowden of Hempstead wife of former SWBC Church secretary, Monarch Airways senior Pilot, Gavin Rowden, has for several years organised a Choir of about a dozen which sings several times a year at special services. Doris has served as a school Governor of the Primary School which thrives and she thus knows many families.The Wednesday Fellowship sometimes with the folk from All Saints, have encouraged both congregations and in 2012 they had a baptism, the first for many years, The Hall and Kitchen were redeveloped in 2008-2009.
The Bicentenary was celebrated with an exhibition in the chapel and services in a large marquee in the field beyond their car part supported by members of the Ashdon village community, All Saints congregation, and friends from many churches around the district. We have a CD in our Church archives of the many photographs taken during these celebrations.
The Baptists have worked closely with the depleted congregation of All Saints on the hill. They run a monthly Luncheon Club and have hosted a weekly mothers and toddlers club. They have given great support to Liz and Dave Maythingy working with BMS World Mission in Thailand. Ashdon often staged picnics in support of BMS and a young woman from there about 10 years ago went in a BMS Action Team. Before the Doonans came, over a period of 10 years there were talks chaired by Association leaders to try to unite the Ashdon and Walden Churches, as there have also been previously talks of uniting Sampford and Thaxted with Walden but in all cases the village congregations have opted to remain independent. This account ends with the retirement of David and Doris Doonan at the 204th Anniversary July 13th and 14th 2013 as Ashdon sought settlement of it's future. On June 26th they showed a computerised slide lecture of their work in Brazil 1961 – 1983 Organising a school for missionaries children and setting up a couple of Church plants now with several hundred members each and setting up and running training for pastors and ministers in 2 locations. They have been back on visits several times, the last in 2011 and their son works in Brazil. They are retired to Kent.
A new chapter began on September the 28th 2013 with the appointment as Minister on Training of Gavin Walter, Student of Spurgeon's College Baptist London a member and latterly Deacon of Saffron Walden Baptist Church led by retiring BUGB EBA Regional Minister Revd. Paul Hills at which the preacher was Rev Simon Mattholie Director of Rural Ministries and former minister of .Saffron Walden Baptist Church. Gavin's ministry saw an increase in membership and further outreach into the village community and the School, and the introduction of new forms of worship especially led by Patrick. Glenn Miller the Village Archivist at the Ashdon Village Museum on Church Hill, and organist of the Baptist Church, published an illustrated History of Ashdon Baptist Church in 2021 In August 2021 Gavin left Ashdon to become Minister of Garland Street Baptist Church Bury St Edmunds, and Ashdon Baptist Church paused on the edge of a new beginning. { JEM ]