Hull-Afterwards Dagger Lane Congregational Church History

HULL:
Hull-Afterwards Dagger Lane Congregational Church History up to 1868.

Among the most earnest and zealous promoters of Congregational worship in this town, was Rev. John Canne, who was driven as a separatist, with other Protestants, to Holland, where he was chosen pastor of the Brownist congregation at Amsterdam, of which Ainsworth had heretofore been minister. To sustain himself, he engaged in the trade of a printer. He preached and wrote much in defence of the principles of Independency. He was a man of great learning and ability, though sometimes prone to heat and enthusiasm. About the year 1640 he returned to Hull on a visit, and during his stay in England assisted to constitute the Christian Baptist Church at Broadmead, Bristol.

He seems to have ultimately returned to his native town about 1652* (having adopted Baptist and Fifth-monarchy sentiments), where he preached as a Congregationalist to the soldiers. They were much enamoured of him, and called him "our own preacher;" and they petitioned Government to allow the chancel of the Holy Trinity Church-one of the largest parochial edifices in the kingdom-to be granted to him for his services, the other part being already used by the Presbyterians. Notwithstanding the objection of the parishioners, the request was granted. "The arches between the church and the chancel were walled up, that the one congregation might not disturb the other. The entry into the church was by two doors through two old chantries, the one on the north, the other on the south side; and thus did the church continue for some years divided between the Presbyterians and Independents, not, perhaps, to the satisfaction of either." (Tickells, Hull.) It would appear that when Canne returned in 1640 to Hull, he was accompanied by Philip Nye, and that the latter was for some time pastor of a church in that town; for in the records of the Dagger Lane Church we read-" The first constitution of the church was formed by seven members, who first entered into a church state by confession of faith and solemn covenant with God and one another in the presence of that church whereof Mr. Nye was (qy. had been ?) pastor, upon the 22nd -day of the 5th month (May), being a day of solemn fasting and prayer, in the year 1643." Soon after that date (June 12, 1643), however, Philip Nye was chosen one of the assessors of the Assembly of Divines as representative of Kimbolton, to which living he had been presented by the Earl of Manchester. In the same year he was appointed, with Rev. Stephen Marshall, his father-in-law, and others, commissioners from the Parliament to procure the assistance of the Scots, and to promote the "solemn league and covenant" which constituted one of the terms of the union. He arrived in Scotland Aug. 9, 1643. Yet we find in the record of the Dagger Lane Church-" 1643, July 22. Mr. Nye chosen pastor, and in same year Mr. Robert Luddington chosen pastor." Could it be that this was another Nye than Philip ? The Westminster Assembly included "Mr. Henry Nye, of Clapham." Had he ever been at Hull ? Or was Philip Nye "chosen pastor" to a charge which he afterwards declined ? These are questions already engaging laborious attention on the part of Revs. H. Ollerenshaw and A. Dodgson. The pastors of Dagger Lane, so far as ascertained, have been-

• 1643. Rev. ROBERT LUDDINGTON. He died (according to the church record) Feb. 20, 1662, having held the office nineteen years. Calamy speaks of him as dying 1667 (a mistake) and says, "He lived at Hull. Being much afflicted with the stone, he was at length unable to go to Cowscotts" (qy. Sculcoates ?) "and used to preach at his own house."
• Hunter speaks of Canne as having at this time succeeded to Luddington. But the church record says" The officers and members continued in their relation, waiting for another pastor to go before them in the Lord till"
• 1669. Rev. RICHARD ASTLEY *1 (Hunter says Ashley), ej. Black-rode, "an excellent preacher," became pastor.
• When, in 1681, the Earl of Plymouth was appointed Governor of Hull, one of the first things he told the Corporation was, "that he was credibly informed there were at that time two conventicles in the town contrary (as he said) to the laws both of God and man, and in which, under the pretence of religion, faction and rebellion were disseminated." Two conventicles were accordingly indicted, of which Mr. Astley and Mr. Charles were the respective ministers, and constables were sent to apprehend them. In the end, Mr. Charles was taken, but Astley contrived to escape. Mr. Astley died in 1696, having been pastor twenty-seven years, æt. 56.
• In 1671, Lady Norcliffe, of Lambton Hall (daughter of Sir T. Fairfax) gave 440 to the congregation, she being a member of the church; and her daughter, Lady Wentworth, £20.*2
• In 1682, the following note occurs in the church book-" Paid for the enlargement of John Kirkis out of captivity, £27."
• 1697. Rev. JEREMIAH GILL, previously assistant at Sheffield to Rev. T. Jollie. In the next year a new meeting-house was built, and Mr. Gill ordained. There were then 113 members. The ground was given by Mr. Watson, a tobacconist.*3
• Mr. Gill was a minister of eminent qualifications and unwearied labours. He died 1709, aet. 40.
• 1709. Rev. JOSEPH SUTTON (from Jollie's Acy.), for some years assistant to Rev. T. Whitaker, Leeds. He was ordained at Swanland. The Northowram Register speaks of him as "a man of rare parts, and a great loss to the congregation, his wife, and children." Ob. 1712, aet. 32.
• 1714. Rev. THOMAS FLETCHER, from Mansfield. His son was minister of Bradfield, near Sheffield. Mr. F. died 1733.
• 1733. Rev. EBENEZER GILL. His salary is recorded to have been £55 per annum. He died 1734, the year of his ordination.
• 1735-6. Rev. W. MARTIN, assistant-preacher. He died 1745.
• 1736. Rev. TOBIAS WILDBORE, from Soham, Cambridgesh. There were now 114 members. A Mr. Wiseman gave, in 1737 and 1738, £200 for the use of the minister. And in 1744, Mr. Howsom left £100 for the same purpose. Revs. WM. MARTIN, MEREDITH TOWNSEND, and JAMES CUNNINGHAM assistants. Mr. Wildbore was laid aside by paralysis some years before his death, in 1759.
• 1759. Rev. JAMES CUNNINGHAM, who had been for a time co-pastor, succeeded. He removed to Ellenthorp, 1762.
• 1764. Rev. REST KNIPE. He resigned in 1766.
• 1767. Rev. JOHN BURNETT, from Witham, Essex. In his day, from his suspected Arianism, a considerable rent took place, and several of the members seceded, and built a chapel in Blanket Row, afterwards Fish Street.
• 1783. Rev. ROBERT GREEN. He embraced the views of the Swedenborgians, and remodelled the church. "A short time prior to this," says the church register, "the house and garden belonging to the minister of this place for the time being, was let upon lease to the Freemasons for a term of years upon a building lease for £50 per year. Afterwards the vestry, &c., was disposed of to the Minerva Lodge of the same fraternity. The place of worship was much altered and new galleries erected, &c.
• Rev. -- NICHOLSON, a Swedenborgian; who receiving notice to quit from the trustees, seized the keys of the meeting-house and excluded them. A law-suit followed, and Mr. Nicholson was removed. He afterwards conformed.
• Rev. -- BRANDT, Who was also driven away by the trustees.
• Rev. THOS. WALLWORTH. He afterwards followed the profession of a surgeon, and died Dec. 2, 1833.
• " The property was thrown into Chancery by the adherents of the original tenets of Presbyterians, and has since been recovered by the trustees for the use of the present possessors.
• The Rev. JAMES LITTLE RORNE, of the U. P. Church, is now the minister."

NOTES:-
* Wilson says that great ambiguity hangs over the dates given of this man's life.
*1 There was a William Ashley ejected from Raistrick, who was also about this time (Calamy iii. p. 445) an associate of Mr. Charles. (See p. 245.)
*2 It is to this lady that the following letter (once in Upcott's collection), written from Mr. Joseph Jackson to Thoresby, refers :-" The account my wife gives of what she can say of Dorothea (illeg.). She was Lord Thomas Fairfax's daughter. Her first husband was Lord Ingram's brother; her second husband Sir Thomas (illeg.). She was pious, liberal, and bountiful to all. She gave £50 per annum to the pastor of Lambton, where she lived, and Lao per annum to the pastor of the Congregational Church at Hull, where she was in fellowship, and £20 per annum to Mr. Oliver, her chaplain, that preached in her house at Lambton Hall, where he lived and kept him his horse, put his children to school, paid school wages, found them books, &c. Paid (illeg.) that went to several towns about them. In the year 1663, when York Castle was filled with prisoners (Nonconformist ministers and others were taken up and accused about the Farnley Wood plot) she engaged friends to inquire after the necessitous persons, and sent weekly and monthly monies to be distributed for their comfortable support and supplies. She improved interest for whom she could, in order to obtaining their liberty. Got Mr. Edward Atkinson, elder of the church at Hull, out of prison at the Castle, to be prisoner at her house, who lived with her and died in her family. The lady died in June, 1657, about 65 or 66 years of her life. Had six daughters, who were all virtuous ladies, eminent in grace and all goodness; two only alive at present, shining lights in (illeg.). Her son was deaf and dumb."
*3 A very high character will be found of him in Whitaker's Sermons.