Bedfordshire Union

Bedfordshire Union – William Coles, of Maulden, was the father-in-law of Andrew Fuller.  At Bedford, the Baptist minister, Mr. Morell, helped maintain services begun at Kempton in 1797 (37).  Lay people often read George Burder’s Village Sermons to the people (38).  One of the earliest leaders of the Bedford Union was the Rev. Samuel Hillyard, minister at the Old Meeting at Bedford from 1790-1839, “the animating spirit of the movement from the beginning” (77), the “nonconformist Bishop of Bedfordshire” (78) during that time.  The key day was 31 October 1797 at the Old Meeting, when Samuel Greatheed preached on “unity.” Numerous ministers attended & the union was officially begun (21-28).  Greatheed was the congregational minister at Newport Pagnell. See John Brown, The History of Bedfordshire Union of Christians (London: Independent Press, 1946; orig. 1896).