Upper Meeting Baptist Church Pastors 1760-1897

[JEM]

THE PASTORATE OF UPPER MEETING
MINISTERS OF SAFFRON WALDEN BAPTIST CHURCH
Part One 1760 - 1897
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Introduction
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Between pastorates the Church usually appointed a Moderator except when a second minister was already in office and during pastorates various retired Ministers in the congregation have helped supply the pulpit or conduct marriages and funerals or share in pastoral work.
Co-Ministers, those whose years overlap with each other were stipendery ministers.
Deputy ministers were usually retired ministers not usually paid but who would have been paid for leading worship on Sundays, deputising for marriages and funerals, or given a gift after a sustained period of service.

Chapter One.
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Joseph Gwennap Born 1730, died 1813.

Minister at Saffron Walden 1760 - 1782
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Rev Joseph Gwennap was we believe born in 1730 at Falmouth, in Cornwall where our first knowledge of him is on August 17th 1745 when his uncle Rev Andrew Gifford (the third of 3 generations of Andrew Gifford’s) conducted the funeral of his mother, Mrs. Gwennap, whose sister was Andrew’s wife. Joseph then went to live at Plymouth, his father was a sailor. He returned to Falmouth to live where his uncle John had married and had two daughters all of whom became founder members of Emmanual Baptist Church Falmouth.

Joseph married a young woman he called Hettie. surname Blaw.
at the Savoy Chapel in London in 1754

Andrew Gifford was the son and grandson of Baptist ministers of Bristol and had been educated at Tewkesbury Academy and Gresham College, and he had held assistant Pastorates at Nottingham and Bristol before becoming Minister of St Giles Church Little Wild Street Holborn in 1729.

A church whose founder John Piggott had been an elder of Westminster General Baptist Church whose minister in 1728, Joseph Eedes became Pastor of Hill Street General Baptist Church, Saffron Walden

Andrew Gifford left Little Wild Street Church in 1735 because certain people were offended by him having discovered some misconduct in his wild student days, long since repented by him.

As a result he left to form Eagle Street Baptist Church Holborn (Kingsgate) with a large number of Little Wild Street members. The actual sanctuary of one of it’s chapels later became the Council Chamber of the Baptist Union Council when it had it’s headquarters on that site before moving to Didcot in Oxfordshire.

Andrew was an unusual Baptist Minister and despised by a lot of other Ministers, who would not preach at his church or have association with him. He was a Fellow of the Society of antiquities and sub-curator of the British Museum.

He was on personal friendly terms with the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord chancellor, and the Speaker of the House of Commons. Andrew was a personal friend of his Majesty King George the Second to whom he was an expert on antiques and as a numismatist, the King buying most of his collection, which says something of it’s quality and his own. .

So he moved in circles that most Baptists did not. He became a freeman of the City of Edinburgh, and a Doctor of divinity at the Marischal College Aberdeen. At his death he bequeathed to Bristol Baptist College his collection of books and curios and the only known extant complete copy of William Tyndale’s New Testament

Joseph was converted through an experience in a cave at Falmouth in 1756. Joseph and Hettie who did not share his Baptist views, moved to London in 1758 and he became a member of Eagle Street

While a member of Eagle Street Church, Joseph Gwennap was set apart as a supply preacher and deputised there for his uncle. His uncle visited Saffron Walden in 1758 and visited Mistress Elizabeth Fuller of Myddlyton House, daughter of the late Thomas and Mary Fuller to advise her about a mantelpiece that her cousin James Raymond had given her. he had the land net to her, now Walden Place, then Hogg’s Green House. He demolished the old house to build the present one and did not need the mantelpiece.

As a result of their friendship Andrew and Elizabeth, Joseph Gwennap came to Walden as a supply preacher for Abbey Lane Independent Meeting church which was then pastor-less and at low ebb. We believe that he and the next 2 ministers of our Church lived in a house in Bridge Street opposite the entrance to horn lame, now Freshwell Street, lately use by Moore’s Coach operatives as an office.

In May 1760 Joseph preached 2 sermons on one Sunday at Abbey Lane and they particularly liked the second. He returned to London but was invited back for 2 months which was begun sometime around June or July,

After this he was invited to come and minister for a year from late autumn 1760 to same time 1761. Whether he then returned to live in London we are uncertain of as at one point he suggested he remained at Walden.

Whether Joseph remained at Walden during 1762-63 we are uncertain of. In one place it is suggested that he did but we cannot prove it.

In 1763 in April he was invited to become Pastor but he hesitated and sought advice of friends and was encouraged to accept when a further invitation came.

By Sept 16th 1761 Joseph had gathered together 26 like minded people who could subscribe to agree with the Confession he drew up and signed it and in January 1763 Deacon Lewis Andrews commenced formal minutes in the back of an older account book which became our 1st Minute book up to May 1775 and of which we have a photocopy it having appeared and later disappeared from the Town Archives in 1974.. .

In April 1763 a formal letter from 25 church members was sent to him and one from 50 subscribers inviting him to become their new pastor of Abbey lane independent Church. He hesitated and sought the advice of friends but was encouraged to accept.

It was another 15 months before he was inducted but first he had to be ordained as a minister and these two steps were taken in June 1764 by uncle Andrew Gifford who preached from 1 Timothy 4 v 16 “ Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

Uncle Andrew was back on April 10th 1767 to assist Joseph and his brother Minister Robert Robinson from Stoneyard Baptist Church Cambridge ( now St Andrew’s Street Baptist church) in the baptism of 46 candidates from their 2 churches in the river Granta, contributory to the River Cam, at Whittlesford Mill the home of Ebenezer Hollick, Lord of the Manor an oil merchant, one of whose son’s was a deacon of the Cambridge church, before a crowd of 1500 people some looking on from trees and windows, and from carriages and on horseback forming a circle on both sides of the river.

In July 1767 a Special Church meeting was called concerning “scandalous reports defaming the ministry and reproaching the Church” that were circulating. The church has asked for a copy of the 1694 Trust Deed and the Trustees of the building who were not Baptists fearing that the Church now dominated by Baptists would alter the deeds definitions, refused. The Church then suspended and later expelled two of it’s members who were Trustees

From then on the split widened, the birth pangs of the new Baptist Church to be born.

In March 1768 5 members, 6 trustees and 20 subscribers requested a Board of Enquiry be appointed of 4 Baptist and 4 Independent ministers to investigate the causes of their divisions.
The Church Meeting declined after seeking legal advice but offered a date, time and place when grievances against Pastor and Church could be voiced. Nobody turned up.

From then until Oct 2nd 1771 special days of prayer and fasting were held to seek ways of reconciliation and unity.

In November 1771 John Buck was suspended for his part in a letter sent to the ailing Gifford accusing Gwennap of immoral conduct and this appears to coincide with when Hettie left him
There is no further references in the Minutes to the divisions that split the Church which in any case involved a minority until out of the blue on the evening of Friday June 10th 1774 the Chapel Trustees met and voted Gwennap out of using the pulpit or building by 5 votes to 2 thereby expelling him., for some reason regarded as unbecoming a Christian leave alone a minister.

This occurred 3 years after Hettie left Joseph and was probably because of their distaste of his conduct in separation from, and divorce of, his wife; proceedings of which opened in a court in London in the April  1774 which she brought against him for throwing her out on the street in 1771. He claimed that Hettie was not legally married to him. That despite the fact they had 4 children two of whom survived. That we now know is correct because the year they married at the Savoy Chapel it was not legally registered for marriages and the clergyman who married them was not legally licensed to do so and that effected 500 marriages that year. Anyway in those days common law marriages were widely accepted. The case was concluded in November 1774 and Joseph was ordered to pay costs which he refused but later relented.

The Trustees whose sole responsibility was regarding care of the fabric and use of the building, were legally  right  to expel Joseph from their pulpit on the basis of allegations made against him.  

News must have travelled fast, for 2 days later Sunday June 12th the Church members met in Elizabeth Fullers’ parlour at Myddlyton House, some 60 of them to decide their next move after worshipping for the first of 21 Lord’s Days in her Barn next to the house.

On June 23rd the Church bought an orchard on the corner of Bailey’s Lane and Cuckingstool End Street which had a row of cottages across it’s eastern end which were pulled down in 1813 to build a Manse, a residence for the minister. Elizabeth put up the purchase money £210 and £400 to pay for the erection of the Meeting House, and endowed the Minister and poor of the congregation, by her Will.

The foundation stone was laid on June 24th and the Church opened for worship on Nov 6th. This was the home of our Church for the next century.

Joseph was added to the list of Trustees of the new building and remained as pastor until 1782.
In May 1771 and again in 1774 Eagle street church had invited Joseph to return home to them, in London to be their pastor, or co-pastor with his ailing uncle and he had declined for domestic reasons, From 1774 - 1782 twenty five new members were added to Upper Meeting Baptist Church Saffron Walden.

Finally in 1782, Andrew Gifford’s co pastor Ebenezer Smith retired and Joseph was summoned back to London. . Whether Eagle Street Church retained him as co-pastor beyond 1782 or found another we do not know but Joseph became Minister of a Calvinistic Baptist Church in Piccadilly from 1783 - 1798 pioneered from Eagle Street in converted auction rooms. That Church dissolved in 1798.when most of the congregation left him when he appeared to adopt ideas about polygamy. Andrew Gifford died in 1784.Joseph apparently married again to another Elizabeth Fuller, the widow of John Fuller of Dunmow. Joseph died a wealthy man in 1813 survived by both his wives and his son Thomas, an artist. He was indeed a colourful character believed by some to have suffered from schizophrenia. He has in Australia a direct descendant Dr George Legge an atheist physicist.

Joseph died at Waltham near Deptford in 1813 aged 82, and his remains were buried in Bunhill Fields Nonconformist Cemetery in London. He left a Will which we have a copy of, which names his second wife and his sons.

[JEM]

1786-1809 Matthew Walker
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After a 3 year pastor-less period Matthew Walker from Bedfordshire was on April 10th 1786 invited to preach for 12 months and in 1787 became our second Minister. He came on the recommendation of prison reformer John Howard who was High Sheriff of Bedfordshire.

Matthew was inducted on July 25th 1787 with Rev Pelley the charge to the Church and Rev John Rippon giving the charge to the Minister. This was John Rippon Minister of Carter Lane Baptist Church Southwark which later became the Metropolitan Tabernacle, It was at this Church later John Rippon pioneered the formation of the Baptist Union, and yet later in the late 19th century when the Minister there was Charles Haddon Spurgeon that this Church left the Baptist Union and is still independent of it. John Rippon is also famous for his collection of hymns and tunes.

All went well until 1790 when John Campion, and his wife Elizabeth together with Edward Prior and William Humphries were suspended by a majority of 18 for degrading the pastor and creating division in the Church. These were all personal friends of Gwennap, and two were Trustees, and none were ever reconciled with Walker.

Quite a number of Church members were opposed to the suspension so on April 30 1793 an Investigation was set up with
Dr John Rippon of Southwark, Rev John martin, Pastor of Grafton Street Baptist Church Westminster and Rev John Geard Pastor of Tilehouse Street Baptist Church, Hitchin Herts.

The 3 ministers concluded that the 4 suspended members had been at fault for criticising the Walker butthat he and his friends had been hasty in their judgements.

The 3 ministers recommended reconciliation by all parties, and restoration of the suspended members Walker and the Church agreed but those suspended declined and continued to worship at Abbey Lane where they had gone to, and were finally expelled in 1800

What caused the minister to be criticised the minutes do not tell us.

Matthew Walker lived in a house in Bridge Street which had a malting at the rear, and was opposite the opening of Horn Lane, that was then what the North East end of Freshwell Street was called. We believe this was the building later used as a shop and then office of Moore’s Coach Hire Company which succeeded William’s Stables.

We have noi record of Walker’s ministry after1803 but we know that in 1807 he induced the Church to join in support of the Baptist Missionary Society. Walker also ran a private school and Boy’s Bible Class and in 1806 formed the Sunday School , later called Junior Church and now Sunday Club,

John Player, as a boy visited Matthew’s class, where he recalled
Matthew leading them in a study of John’s Bunyan’s book “The Pilgrim’s Progress”. Player after a career in the Navy Office obtaining supplies for the Fleet became Mayor of Saffron Walden in 1836 and led to the building of East Street Boys British School forerunner of County High in.

Matthew held open air services on the village green at Ashdon and that these had been held since 1788 and he had spent much time there is visitation .

Then in February 1809 he moved from Walden to Ashdon to the general relief of the Walden congregation who were seriously embarrassed by his behaviour, the reason for which is not mentioned in our records.

In 1810 he sent a letter expressing repentance for his conduct but when he asked for permission to use the Walden baptistry for baptism of folk from Ashdon this was declined.

Years later we have learnt that a young woman was expelled from membership at Eld Lane Baptist Church Colchester for an affair she was alleged to have had with a Mr Matthew Walker of Saffron Walden.

On Dec 17th 1809 Walker became pastor of the new Baptist Church at Ashdon formed on that date with 11 members meeting in a barn on the site of their present Church Hall.

Walker continued faithfully there until Lady Day 1834 and before that his wife Sarah died and was buried there, and later a headstone was erected which is by the side of the organ in the present chapel. While he was at Walden, 65 members were added to the Church.

[JEM]

Chapter 3 Rev Josiah Wilkinson 1810 - 1847
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When in 1786 Matthew Walker was called to preach at Walden for 12 months before he became the second minister of Saffron Walden Baptist Church in Baileys Lane, ( now Audley Road ) God was already preparing his successor. For that year Josiah Wilkinson was born in London.

At his birth Josiah Wilkinson’s Mum had already been a member for 37 years of Carter’s Lane Baptist Church, Tooley Street in Southwark. This was south of the Thames just off the southern end of London Bridge, and close to Southwark Cathedral.

Sometimes people talk of being put in “The Clink”, meaning “prison”, and not far from the Church in which young Josiah grew up is The Clink Prison. Today close by is London Bridge Railway Station. and the London Dungeon.

It was a busy area of commerce, a major route into the City, and on the opposite bank stands “The Monument” a tall slender tower you can walk up by many steps with fine views of London, and cheaper than the London Eye, though not so tall. It was erected to commemorate the Great Fire of London. On both sides of the river were the London Docks.

To this busy area of London came William Andrew Nichols a young man aged about 20 in 1809. He worked for his Dad and had come on a business trip for him, who was now a deacon of the Walden Church and in 1809 had taken on the unpaid job of Church Secretary. The first thing William Nichols did was to establish a weekly prayer meeting.

A supply preacher had recommended William Nichols senior, to secure the services of Josiah Wilkinson, an exceptionally fine young preacher, a bachelor of 23 but they did not know where he lived . So that was William Andrew’s other task, Find, interview and invite him to Walden.

They met and being roughly the same age they got on well immediately and became firm friends. Josiah agreed to make the journey probably by stage coach to meet the church here.

He accepted a call to the pastorate on July 23rd 1809 and was ordained and inducted here in October The officiating ministers included Rev W Cafver of Melbourn, Rev J Bowers of Haverhill, Rev J Bain of Potter Street, Rev William Button who later became one of the joint secretaries of the Baptist Union and helped publish many of Josiah’s sermons. He preached from Ephesians 4 v 12, and Rev John Geard of Hitchin preached from Philippians 1 v 27 . Concluding prayers were made by Rev William Clayton of Abbey Lane Congregational Church. In the evening a Rev Dobson preached from Matthew 18 v 3.on

So in 1809 Josiah became our Third Minister, and probably lived in Bridge Street.

William Andrew was baptised by Josiah on July 7th 1813 and joined the Church. However 5 years later he left with other young men over a two year period to become founder members of a new Strict Baptist Church, established by 18 yearold John Dane Player, that met at Park Place and built the London Road Chapel in 1822.

One of Josiah’s first task was to draw up a list of Church Members. On Dec 27th 1810 an impressive 15 people were baptised, and during his first 14 years here 266 people appear to have joined the Church.

During 1809 and 1810 Josiah preached series of 8 lectures locally, which were published in one volume dedicated to the Mayor, Corporation and Inhabitants of the town and to the Congregation
This volume was printed and placed in the local Library and sold locally and in London as were other lectures and sermons over following years on various issues including “The Evil and Cure of Slander” and another at the time of the murder of a youth of the congregation James Mumford in 1823

On June 10th 1810 Josiah led them to join the original Essex Baptist Association. The annual assembly of which was held at Walden in May 1811 The principal speakers were Rev Pritchard of Colchester, Rev Bain of Potter Street and Rev Pettit of Great Sampford and a Mr King. Dinner was provided at the Rose & Crown inn, in the Market Place, now Boots the Chemists. .

Then in 1812, Josiah was one of the 60 Particular Baptist ministers from churches in London and the provinces, present at John Rippon’s invitation at Carters Lane Church, at 8am Thursday June 25th to discuss forming the Baptist Union of Great Britain and Ireland.

In 1842 Josiah organised local celebration of the 50th anniversary of the BMS, and the Church at Langley were amongst others who helped contribute to his appeal for the special Anniversary Fund. BMS Founder William Carey’s nephew Eustace came and spoke. .

He trained itinerant preachers for the Essex Association, he prepared young men seeking training as ministers, for application to Stepney Academy. This was later called Regents Park College, now at Oxford.

Josiah maintained a school here amongst whose pupils were transferred to other Churches were, Thomas Baines, of Hinxton, James Barrett, James Camp, John Wilson, and John Trueman

Josiah encouraged the work of the Sunday School. This was an opportunity for children from poor homes who had no state education to learn the basic Four R’s, reading, writing, arithmetic, and religion, including Bible knowledge.

He became a Manager of East Street Boys British School founded in 1838. He was secretary of he local Bible Society Auxillary and encouraged the distribution locally of Bibles.

Josiah trained was Benjamin Hodgkin who for 40 years was Pastor of Bishops’ Stortford Baptist Church.

Josiah trained the Rev Clement Nott who served a lifetime pastorate at Sutton in Ashfield in Nottinghamshire which included pioneering a new school. Clement Nott later retired to Walden and became a deacon of the local Church.

On March 28th 1813 the Trustees met to organise the building of a Manse, a house for the Minister, next to the Church Meeting House, now 55 Audley Road having demolished 4 old cottages.

This was when Josiah married Elizabeth Bridge Leaper whom he baptised in 1821. They had 3 children, the first, a daughter Elizabeth’ in 1815 who tragically died aged 16 in 1831, a son Frederick, born in 1820, and another daughter. Hannah Leaper Wilkinson who served the church for many years and is mentioned in 1875 and there was still a descendent probably of Frederick’s in the church in the early years of the 20th century.

In 1832 Josiah’s mother died and it was recorded of her that she was an exemplary Christian with a lively assurance of a Saviour’s love, and had been a member of Revd Dr John Rippon’s Church (Carter Lane) for nearly 60 years. Her body was buried here in the family vault.

Josiah encouraged the formation around 1820 of the Walden Town Mission, The Missioner in 1852 was Peter Johnson who was a member of the Walden Church. Josiah encouraged members of his congregation from Langley to form a church there at Upper Green.
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The Thaxted Baptist Church had come into existence when Andrew Fuller the Treasurer of the Baptist Missionary Society had spoken to a public meeting there in 1813.

They first met at Mill End, but them the congregation split and some continued to meet as a strict Baptist church while others moved to a barn in Water Lane. Josiah encouraged the congregation to leave the barn and to build a chapel in the middle of a potato field, now Park Street

Some of the Walden Chapel Trustees, two generations of the Wakefield family, helped establish the new Congregational Church at Great Chesterford.

Josiah renewed and encouraged good relations with the Abbey Lane Congregational Church at Walden from where all the three Baptist Churches had sprung, in 1711, 1774, and 1818.

By 1821 the two churches were alternating monthly with Lectures in each others meeting houses. Josiah also co-operated with the Congregational churches at Newport, Linton, and Balsham.

However young men grow old and by 1844 Josiah’s health was beginning to fail so the Church obtained a second minister to help him.

Nathaniel Haycroft from Stepney College who remained here until 1848 after Josiah retired in 1847. Nathaniel moved to Broadmead Baptist Church Bristol after which he went to minister in Leicester, and then in Nottingham, He became in turn a Freemason, politician, author, educationalist.

Josiah died in 1847, and it was said of him that ”he was a greatly esteemed and well known pastor, known throughout Essex, Britain and abroad, Pastor Wilkinson was lovingly buried in his family vault and a stone tablet raised to his honour in the old Chapel.

[JEM]

The Fourth Pastorate. Thomas Burditt 1848-1855
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Nathaniel Haycroft
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who assisted Josiah during his last 4 years before going onto serve at Bristol and Nottingham and as a writer, politician. and College tutor.

When Josiah Wilkinson resigned in 1848 Upper Meeting chose as his successor Thomas Burditt
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who ministered here from 1848-1855. He had been former editor of “THE BAPTIST RECORD” and had held pastorates at Long Sutton and Cambridge.
He had quite a job to follow Josiah Wilkinson, and no doubt those who remembered the “good old days” and did not like change got restive.

The first 3 years of his ministry here were singularly blessed. This was a time of Christian revival in Britain. As part of the National census of 1851 on a particular Sunday a count was made of all those attending worship throughout the land

To our understanding the figures here appeared remarkable. Remember they were using the old meeting house, now the church hall, It was broader than the later building and there were side galleries. Seating capacity was recorded as 1007
We can only assume they were all rather slim. It must have been quite a squash so no wonder people complained of the stuffiness of the building due to poor ventilation.

Morning worship was at 10.30am and 591 attended, and in the afternoon 699 attended, in both case including 157 children
The actual membership of the Sunday School begun in 1806, was 189, of whom 102 were girls and 87 were boys.
Of the girls, 58 and of the boys 61 attended day schools. This leaves 70 who didn’t but they could have been between the ages of 12 and 21, apprentices, and farm labourers,
The Sunday school had a staff of 27. 12 men and 15 ladies.
That week the mid-week prayer meeting was attended by 147 people.
Church Membership that December stood at 216 with 14 baptisms during the year

Unfortunately few records come down to us from this period.
Thomas’s pastorate was marred by dissension and false accusations against him by 3 gossiping Church members against whom he finally engaged in court action for slander.

Before it reached court the matter was settled privately between solicitors and we have the original bill of costs. The members concerned were suspended and then expelled but Thomas had to submit himself to a ballot of the membership as to whether he remained minister. They responded with a massive “Yes”, but
the church was divided over it and some were glad to see him leave Walden.

He went on to be a Tutor at Haverfordwest College, and two useful pastorates at Tenby and Rawdon

[JEM]

THE FIFTH PASTORATE
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William Audley Gillson ( 1855-74)
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Born at Wareham in Dorset in 1815, the son of an Independent Minister, William studied at Lewisham Congregational School, and completed his qualifications with 10 years of private studies. Baptised in 837 he entered Stepney college in 1839 and held pastorates at Kingsbridge and Devonport and at York Street at Bath.

He served 19 years at Walden and while we don’t have much detail about him
we know that he was a much loved and respected pastor known over a wide area for his support for social, educational and moral reform, and supporting many local societies for improvement.

For a long time he was one of the Bible Society Auxillary Secretaries, and a founder member of the Burial Board. Throughout this period church records are very scanty. Church Meetings although held more frequently than today were summed up at the rate of one sentence at a time, sometimes with “ no business tonight, we sang a hymn”

Early in his ministry at Walden, the great “prince of preachers”, himself still quite young, Charles Haddon Spurgeon preached here for the 50th anniversary of the Sunday School.
He suffered latterly from a nervous illness and on the centenary anniversary of the purchase of the Upper Meeting site he resigned the pastorate. He was present the following year at the Centenary Celebrations a silent witness, unable to speak.

He died on June 14th 1881 after a long severe illness aged 68. The Church allowed him to remain in the Manse all that time and paid him an annuity. That he was a widely popular man is borne out by his funeral. Ministers and pastors of many churches for miles around attended the funeral as did large crowd of people of all classes including Leading Quakers who often preached at Upper Meeting and one of them a leading local businessman Walter Robson led the Prayer. He owned two large ships in King Street on both sides of the road where today (2007) Holland and Barrett are about 3 shops down from there and the L shaped group of shops opposite. In all comprising grocery, ironmongery, clothing, furniture and shoes. Revd F Edwards from Harlow Baptist Church preached at the service His coffin bore the simple message of one so active in Christ’s Service “ Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to thy cross I cling”
Perhaps part of his great ministry was his example through years of great personal suffering

[JEM]

THE SIXTH PASTORATE
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Alfred Rollason (1874-1897)


At a public meeting to celebrate the Centenary of the Church the new Minister Rev Alfred Rollason referred to a proposal to build a new Schoolroom across the Manse lawn. Some sceptics felt that the congregation was incapable of even improving the ventilation of the old meeting house.

Nevertheless our present sanctuary was built in 1878-79. The memorial stone in the west wall was set up on June 3rd 1879 when tea was served in the body of the chapel while a choir of over 200 children sang from the gallery. Around the gallery rail was a banner of white linen with red lettering from Haggai 2 v 4 “BE STRONG ALL YE PEOPLE AND WORK, FOR I AM WITH YOU”,SAITH THE LORD. The building was opened for worship on Oct 15th 1879 and in 1884 the old meeting house opened as an upgraded Sunday school building with a library. The completed project cost over £4000 and in 1897 they added a pipe organ.

The Rev Rollason led the church in expanding the Christian Endeavour Movement and developed the Choir. He was also involved in championing local education, the Temperance movement and local government.

Twice married, one son entered the Baptist ministry and died in Canada, and another became a Congregationalist minister in the USA. and one daughter a local teacher helped pioneer Walden’s first Youth Centre and the Youth hostel.

In 1897 after 40 years in the Ministry, John Sage the retired minister of Ashdon was appointed Deputy Minister and later served 1898-1914 as a Deacon. He prepared our first unpublished history in 1911.