Crewkerne, Wiltshire, Baptists

Crewkerne, Wiltshire, Baptists – The church book says at its commencement in 1820 that Crewkerne had had a Presbyterian church since 1733, with a William Blake presiding for forty years. The church became Unitarian in the latter portion of the 18th century, losing its ‘evangelical purity of sentiment’, the writer notes (Oliver, Strict Baptist, 2). The Methodists attempted to establish a meeting, but were not successful. In 1813, a Baptist minister named Willey came to reside in Crewkerne, where he opened a school and soon thereafter a meeting in his house (2). In 1816 he moved his operations, and the church, to a new house in North Street and began preaching regularly there in 1816. His two leading hearers at this time were John Horsey of Crewkerne and John Hebditch of Eastham’s Farm (ibid., 3). In 1818 Willey retired from preaching, and the congregation began to look for assistance, finding help from Horsey’s Baptist friends at Yeovil who united with the fledging group in Crewkerne. They needed a better meeting house, and so in 1819 John Horsey purchased ‘an eligible situation’ for £180, with another £200 borrowed from Mrs James Horsey of Portsea (ibid., 3).  The new church commenced on 22 March 1820, with Richard Horsey of Taunton reading scripture, and Rev Viney preaching. That afternoon Claypole preached, and the Rev. Mr Wills concluded in prayer. That evening Opie Smith of Bath preached, and Rev Joseph Horsey concluded. (ibid., 4)  Richard Horsey of Taunton formed the first six members into a church on 18 June 1820 according to the London Confession of 1688 (ibid., 5).  John Horsey had previously been a member of the church at Taunton under Richard Horsey, and his letter of dismission is printed here (ibid., 6). Mr. Toms was the minister at Chard. Other churches formed in the area at this time were Isle Abbots (1810), Taunton and Weymouth (1814), Minehead (1817), and Crewkerne (1820).  The first stated minister was Enoch Crook, who preached from 1823-34, ordained on 19 March 1823 (ibid., 13). Saffery was there, as well as Ryland and Richard Horsey, now at Wellington (ibid., 14). The church was ‘open communion’ at its commencement. Crook left to replace Joseph Hughes at Battersea. Membership stood at 64 when he left.  Next pastor was S. Davies (1835-40), a student at Bristol College, followed by Standen Pearce (1842-52).  The church joined the Western Association in 1822, and the annual meeting was held there in 1828.  See Robert W. Oliver, The Strict Baptist Chapels of England: The Chapels of Wiltshire and the West. London: Fauconberg Press, 1968.