Bradford, Yorkshire, Baptists

Bradford, Yorkshire, Baptists – The church at Westgate, in Bradford, was formed in 1753, with William Crabtree of Wainsgate as its first minister.  He died in 1803, and was succeeded by William Steadman of Plymouth Dock.  He remained there for the next 32 years.  He was also the first President of the Northern Baptist Education Society, and the first President of the Bradford Mechanics’ Institute.  He died in 1837, and was succeeded by Henry Dowson, from Horton College, who remained until 1866 (118).  He died in 1884, serving for several years as President of Bury Baptist College.  Bethel Church at Shipley was formed in 1758, with Joseph Gawkrodger, from Rawdon, as first minister.  He was succeeded in 1769 by Luke Collins of Bacup, and he by George Haines of Horsley (119).  John Bowser ministers from 1782-1812.  Isaac Mann formed the first Sunday School there in 1822, before he became minister at Maze Pond in London (119).  Queenshead (later Queensbury) was formed in 1772 by Dan Taylor, with John Taylor, his brother, as first pastor in 1773-1818 (120).  See Joseph Brown Morgan, “Churches of the Bradford District,” in The Baptists of Yorkshire: Being the Centenary Memorial Volume of the Yorkshire Baptist Association, ed. C. E. Shipley (Bradford and London, 1912), 114-37; page citations above are from this work.