Particular Baptist Fund 

Particular Baptist Fund. The following account is taken from Theo. F. Valentine, Concern for the Ministry (London:  Particular Baptist Fund, 1967).

John Cooper was Secretary from 1792-96; Henry Keene of Maze Pond from 1772-92; Benjamin Tomkins from 1796-1811; Benjamin Lepard from 1811-26; John Robinson of Carter Lane (Gill’s church) from 1761-72.  Among the Treasurers were Joshua Warne from 1774-83; William Lepard and Joseph Gutteridge between 1798-1814; John James Smith and Boswell Brandon Beddome (not the one in the Flower letters) from 1814-21; Benjamin Shaw in 1821; W.  B. Gurney from 1842-45; and William Beddome from 1845-56  (46-47). Associate Members (donations of no less than £50) included Joseph Flight in 1772; James Smith in 1774; Joseph Gutteridge in 1794; Joseph Wickenden in 1804-05; Sir John Gurney and William Taylor in 1807 (Taylor would donate over £10000 from his estate in 1814—p. 22); Bannister Flight in 1818; W. B. Gurney in 1828; James Smith and William Lepard Smith in 1821 (48).

Valentine mentions that Currier’s Hall in Cripplegate was a founding church for the PBF, but by 1800 had moved to Red Cross Street with only a small group of members.  By 1810 the church had withdrawn from the Fund (this was the time that George the diarist began attending).  By 1876 the church had ceased to exist.  It was very High Calvinist (19).  Concerning Maze Pond, Valentine notes that in 1766 the church donated £50 to the Fund so the minister and three messengers could attend the meetings.  He mentions Joseph Gurney as being a deacon who contributed to the work of the Fund (18).  In 1798 William Fuller, Flower’s uncle, left £1000 to the Fund to support 6 ministers at £5 each (30).  William  Steadman and John Foster received educational grants from the Fund (36-37). Caleb Ashworth (1722-75) began as a carpenter, then studied for the Independent ministry under Doddridge at Northampton.  

When Doddridge died in 1751, the academy moved to Daventry and was headed by Ashworth, who was then pastoring the Baptist congregation in Daventry. Valentine notes that Ashworth was “a man of outstanding ability and it seems a great pity that the Baptists of his day did not take advantage of his scholarship” (37). Valentine notes that in 1766 Maze Pond donated £50 to the Fund so the minister and three messengers could attend the meetings.  He mentions Joseph Gurney as being a deacon who contributed to the work of the Fund (18).