Religious establishments at these places
play a part in the 18th century Toulmin
history
- the first as concerns Abraham Toulmin (*132) and his family, and the
others
in the life of Harry Toulmin (*13311).
An offshoot of the Independent meeting at
Bull Lane, Stepney (PRO RG4/4414 f.16
records
Brother Simmons' departure to enter on public work at Wapping) was a
"Separate
Congregation and Church of Christ assembling in Wapping near Wapping New
Stairs"
in 1704 (PRO RG4/4304 f.77), which moved (probably only some 100 yards) to a
new
meeting house off Old Gravel Lane (now Wapping Lane), "opened for Divine
Worship
Oct
20th 1737". This must have been
the meeting-house in Love Lane (which has
vanished)
marked "I.M." on London/1747, and still marked in 1813 and 1862; its
approximate
location was at TQ 3487:8023, 30 m W of the junction of Green Bank and
Wapping
Lane. It was about 60 by 30 feet and a slightly smaller burial ground
separated
it from Old Gravel Lane. From 1728 the
site had been in the new parish of
St
George in the East; before then it would have been St John, Wapping.
Pastors of this congregation were:
1704-1718
Rev. Mr Tho: Simmons (RG4/4304 f.7 and RG4/4414 f.16)
1718-1762
Rev. David Jennings, D.D. (DNB)
1762-1772
?
1772-1810
Rev. Mr Noah Hill (RG4/4304 f.19, RG4/4155 f.19)
1810-1828
Rev. J.Hooper (RG4/4304 f.19,23)
1828- ?
Rev. E.Miller (RG4/4304 f.23)
[DNB
describes Jennings as "pastor of independent congregation, Wapping New
Stairs,
1718-62":
but baptisms of his own children in 1725-6 make it clear that the very
neat
hand of the "OGL" register is his, and there is no break at all in
1737. No
formal
hand-over is recorded in 1762 or 1772: I deduce the latter date from the
record
of Noah Hill's death (at Halesowen in 1815) "37 yrs Pastor of the
Church"
and his
handing over in January 1810.]
When the registers were deposited in 1837,
the meeting-house was described as a
Congregational
Chapel: the terms Independent and Congregational seem to be
synonymous
(Haydn/Vincent s.v. Independents - note the connection with Holland). It
appears
from the DNB entries on Joshua Toulmin and Jennings that the latter's views
were
strictly Calvinist.
All 18 children of Abraham Toulmin (*132)
were baptised in the Meeting by David
Jennings,
and it is clear from the Wills of Sarah Toulmin (widow of *1321) and
Samuel
Toulmin (*1322) that the family were strongly attached to the congregation,
even
when they had left the area. William
Wilton Toulmin (*13212) and his first
wife
were also buried there, and even one at least of old Abraham's great-
grandchildren
(*132153, Alfred Toulmin, 1800-24).
Abraham's brother Caleb (*133), "of
Aldersgate St", seems to have had no link
with
Old Gravel Lane; however his son Joshua (*1331) in 1756 "began his five
years'
course
of study for the ministry at the independent academy supported by the Coward
trust,
and then under David Jennings", the Old Gravel Lane pastor (of whom he
wrote
a
biography - see DNB s.v. Jennings). "His eldest son Harry Toulmin, b. at
Taunton
1766,
educated at Hoxton academy, was minister at Monton, Lancs (1786-8) and
Chowbent
(1787-93)" (DNB, s.v. Joshua Toulmin).
The DNB entry for Samuel Morton Savage
(*1311) and cross-references there provide
more
information about the Academy. William
Coward, d. 1738, bequeathed money for
education
of nonconformist ministers. In its
early days,it was known as the Fund
Academy,
and was at Moorfields. Savage entered
it before 1744, when he became
assistant
tutor; David Jennings, pastor at Old Gravel Lane, became a trustee and
lecturer
in 1743. (Savage's daughter Esther was
baptised at OGL 5 June 1760,
perhaps
as a compliment to Jennings.) On
Jenning's death in 1762 it was removed to
a house
in Hoxton Square, and presumably became known as the Hoxton Academy; Savage
was
placed in the Divinity chair, and no doubt this was where Harry received his
education.
It was dissolved at midsummer 1785, shortly before Harry took up his
first
ministry: Joshua comments "through the dissolution of Hoxton Academy, my
son
is at
home, to spend his year with me" (Joshua/ll, 24 Aug 1785).
Monton, or Monton Green, is a small
locality 5 miles W of Manchester, now forming
part of
Eccles: there is a Monton Road and a
Monton Green. There used to be a
Monton
Green Station, on a branch now closed, at SJ765995. I don't know whether the
chapel
still exists. Joshua wrote in 1787:
"The kindness of your mind will dispose
you to
rejoice with me in the acceptance my Son meets with. He is, at present, with
a
Congregation in the Country about 6 miles from Manchester. But another Society
&
one of
the principal in the County for liberality of sentiments, for numbers (about
1000)
& for Salary (nearly £100), have turned their thoughts to him; & given
him in
a very
respectful manner a most cordial & unanimous invitation to become their
Minister,
in a letter signed by about 80, & drawn up with unusual good sense,
propriety,
liberality, & seriousness. His
people ... tho' unwilling to lose him,
should
rejoice ... in his not removing farther than 6 miles from them. The place is
a large
village called Chowbent." (Joshua/ll, 24 Apr 1787)
Chowbent is a little further W. About 1900, Chowbent and Atherton were
adjacent
villages,
Chowbent being around SD671033, and there was a Chowbent Station at
SD666025
(Bartholomew, "Royal Atlas", about 1898). Bartholomew's "Survey
Gazetteer"
as late
as 1943 gives Chowbent as a "village, 2 and a half miles NE of
Leigh".
(Harry
Toulmin was cited as "of Leigh" in the Totnes marriage register, Oct
1787.)
By 1943
Atherton was a parish (formerly part of Leigh), and Chowbent was not; the
latter
now seems to have been completely absorbed by Atherton, and the O.S. 1/50000
map
does not acknowledge its existence, but the chapel was flourishing at least as
late as
1980. I can't find any reference in current phone books, and the only trace
of the
name I have found is Chow Bent Close, Atherton (postcode M29 9EF)
I have a leaflet entitled "Some dates
in the history of Chowbent Chapel and
Schools",
which duly shows Harry Toulmin as Minister from 1787 to 1793, and from
which I
extract a few items:
1642
Battle of Chowbent [Not listed in Haydn/Vincent; but there was a Battle of
Atherton
Moor, 30 June 1643 - perhaps this was the same, despite the discrepancy of
date.]
1645
First Bent Chapel built
1721
Ejectment of congregation from first Bent Chapel
1721
Work starts on building the new Bent Chapel [ie, the present one]
1839
Bolton New Road (Chapel no longer on main road)
1893
Lantern Services in Volunteer Hall during Miners' Strike
1905
Chapel Library presented to Town to form nucleus of new Atherton Public
Library.
1921
"Story of Chowbent Chapel" written by Rev.J.J.Wright
1970
East Wall of Chapel completely rebuilt and roof relaid.
1980
Ceiling of Chapel completely replaced [this is the last item].
Some of the history of the congregation can
be gathered from DNB articles on
James
Livesey (1625?-1682, Minister 1651-1657) and James Wood (1672-1759, Minister
1695-1759),
which refer to Atherton chapel (clearly the "first Bent Chapel") and
to a
new meeting-hall "at Chowbent or Atherton" (the "new Bent
Chapel"). James Wood
and his
father were ministers there for over a century (1657-1759). DNB article on
the
former cites "Toulmin's Life of John Mort, 1793", explained more
explicitly by
Chetham
Soc. "Lancashire Memorials of 1715",
List of Works Consulted: no. 7 is
"A short view of the Life, Sentiments
and Character of Mr John Mort, in an Address
to the Dissenters of Atherton and in a
sermon preached in New Bent Chapel Jan 20
1788 by H.Toulmin (London 1793)."
Evidently
this was Harry; it is noted that the work contains "the chief information
which
can be depended upon as authentic, relative to the share which the
Presbyterians
of Chowbent, in Lancashire, had in opposing the rebellion of 1715".