James Hinton

James Hinton (1761-1823) studied for the ministry at Bristol Academy. Hinton became pastor of the mixed congregation at Oxford in 1787, where he would remain until his death in 1823. Due to a poor salary, he was obliged to operate a school as well. Despite poor health and a divided, often contentious, congregation, during Hinton’s ministry the church grew into a solid Baptist church (celebrating an open communion); the building was enlarged twice during his tenure at Oxford. He practiced his evangelical Calvinism not only within his own congregation, but also throughout the countryside by means of itinerant preaching. Unruly undergraduates frequently interrupted his services in Oxford, and in 1792 Dr. Tatham, Rector of Lincoln College, attacked Hinton in a pamphlet. He was also attacked by a mob and nearly killed by soldiers while preaching at Woodstock in 1794. Though accused of radicalism, he was a moderate Whig, supporting the Volunteers during the invasion scare of 1798, and in his later years becoming decidedly pro-government in the Napoleonic wars. He remained active in Baptist affairs, including support for the BMS, and was instrumental in the early formation of the Baptist Union. See Rosemary Chadwick, ed., A Protestant Catholic Church of Christ: New Road Baptist Church, Oxford (Oxford: New Road Baptist Church, 2003), 107-136.