Bradford-on-Avon Baptists

Bradford-on-Avon Baptists – The account below taken from Robert Oliver, Baptists in Bradford on Avon: The History of the Old Baptist Church Bradford on Avon 1689-1989 (Bradford, 1989).

Baptists were worshiping at Bradford in the late 17th c. By the middle of the 18th c. the church had about 70 members, about an average size congregation at that time. In 1738 Andrew Pope came from Broadmead in Bristol to assist Thomas Chapman. After his death, Pope became pastor in 1739 and remained there until 1750.  Hymn singing in church continued to be an issue for several members and caused some dissention in the church between 1730 and 1760, with some hard feelings among the members (7).  In 1750 Richard Haynes came from Bourton-on-the-Water as pastor; he would remain there until his death in 1768. One member from Bradford, Charles Cole, would be called into the ministry under Haynes’s ministry, later preaching at Whitchurch, Hampshire, for 54 years.  Also Robert Marshman, later pastor at Westbury Leigh from 1763 to 1806; and John Mathews at Melksham, in 1767, who died that same year from smallpox (8).  On 7 May 1769 Whitefield preached in the Bradford church (9). Haynes was succeeded by a Rev. Walker from 1772-82. After  him, a Thomas Hopkins preached but did not become minister (9), going instead to Eagle Street in London as assistant to Andrew Gifford. John Lloyd became the next pastor, coming from Bovey Tracey in 1785, formerly of the Countess of Huntingdon group. He was dismissed in 1789 and started another work in Bradford of his own (10).  Joseph Ring came in 1792 from the church in Whitchurch, under Cole, and also a former minister in the Countess’s Connection. In 1793 the annual meeting of the Western Association was held at Bradford. A new meeting house was built in 1797 (11). A Sunday School was formed in 1800. Ring left for London in 1801. One of the leading families was led by John Hinton, a cloth manufacturer, who later pastored the Baptist church in Beckington. James Barnett came from Bristol and the Pithay Church and the church in Lymington in 1803. He resigned in 1815 and removed to London and Eagle Street, under the minister of Ivimey, preaching occasionally in and around London. In 1816 Joseph Seymour came to  Bradford from Great Missenden, Bucks., remaining until 1824, when he removed to the church at Grittleton, Wiltshire,   replacing Joseph Rodway who became the new pastor at Bradford (he served from 1824 to 1836) (11). Rodway was succeeded by Seymour, who returned to Bradford and stayed until his death in 1841  (11).  In 1823 the Western Association was split into four smaller associations, and Bradford seems to have dropped out for the most part. One section here is devoted to the Head family.  He mentions Jay preaching in the church on 1 March 1832 for Marianna Head’s funeral. He also preached there for the funeral of Elizabeth Head in 1825.