Coate Baptist Church, Oxfordshire

Coate, Oxfordshire, Baptist Church – Thomas Dunscombe came in June 1772 and left in 1797.  He replaced Joseph Stennett, brother of Dr. Stennett, who pastored from 1742 to 1772.  Dunscombe was replaced by another Joseph Stennett, the son of Dr. Stennett; he pastored from 1798 to 1810.  He was replaced by James Bicheno, who pastored from 1811 to 1819.  He was replaced by Richard Pryce (1819-40), then Benjamin Wheeler from 1840-47, and finally John Jackson from 1848 to 1856. In the Coate Church Book, 1684-1885, now belonging to the Angus Library, Regent’s Park College, Oxford, Dunscombe recorded baptisms and deaths among the members, but did not keep a normal church book. A note, most likely by Bicheno, reads: 

No record having been preserved of the transactions of the Church of Coate –unless of some baptisms as follow – from the time of the settlement of Mr Dunscomb in 1773 til after the departure of Mr Jo.s Stennett in Dec.r 1810 little more can with accuracy be now inserted with propriety but that Mr Dunscombe resigned his charge at Coate in the year 1797 and went to reside at Broughton in Hampshire, and was succeeded by Mr Joseph Stennett who continued the Pastor of Coate Church till Dec.r 1810, exercising his ministry at the same time, in the after parts of the Sabbath, at Farringdon and Buckland alternately.

    For some months the church was destitute of a pastoral and public worship was kept upon the Lords-day by the assistance of such ministers as culd be procured.

      In July 1811 Mr James Bicheno of Newbury, who had been Pastor of the Baptist Church there since the year 1780, but who had lately resigned his charge, visited Coate & supplied on July 18th August 4th & 11th & again Sep.r 22nd by special invitation with a view to settlement on the 20th   Mr Dunscomb, who was come on a visit from Broughton for the particular purpose of assisting the church in its deliberations on the choice of Mr Bicheno, administered the Lords supper: after which the members & subscribers deliberated and the following letter was in the afternoon delivered to Ja.s Bicheno …

Both the church’s letter to Bicheno and his reply are recorded.  Also his dismissal from the Newbury church.  Then follows this note:

On Sep.r 29th 1811 Previous to ur Brother Tho.s Dunscombes administering the Lords Supper it was unanimously resolved that this Baptist Church at Coate would for the future practise open, or mixed communion by receiving to the Lord’s table such paedobaptists as they have reason to believe to be the sincere disciples of their common Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ, and as a pledge of their Brotherly affection towards such fellow Christians it was now agreed to admit to the Lords table our exemplary Friend and Bro.r Mr. Thos. Coombe.

On October 7th 1811 was interred in our burying Ground our respected Brother and long our Pastor Tho.s Dunscombe who died at Farringdon on the 4th aged 63!!