Reference
X347/1
Title
Ridgmount Church Book
Date free text
1701 - 1816
Production date
From: 1701 To: 1816
Scope and Content
An Account of some of the Transactions of the Church of Christ at Ridgmount in Bedfordshire as Extracted from an old Church Book
The record is contemporary only from 1793, though from X 347/ below there had been a church book nearly completed in 1776. This old church book was used for the years 1701-1740, and from 1754-1770, and all that has been copied are names of church members.
1701 "September the 22 Day and in the Year of our Lord according to the Computation used in England 1701
We whose Names are here recorded did unanimously agree and consent and gave up ourselves together as a Church to walk together in the Fellowship of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
And we Judge Union with Christ, soundness in Judgment in the Fundamentalls of the Gospel, and a Holy Conversation to be the the only and sufficient grounds of the Communion of Saints ..." signed by Brother William Jarvis, the pastor, and Thomas Burdsey, George Robins, Samuel Butler, William Davis, John Smith, John Towgood, Ann Mason, Sarah Hoaton, Elizabeth Adams, Sarah Davis, Mary Cholton, Elizabeth Taylor.
1707 added Francis Bunyan, and 1709 Mary his wife.
1724 Died John Hollicke "a Member of the Church of Christ at Ridgmount and Cranfield and a Deacon of the Church "
1738 Sep 13 "Baptized and Added 3: Robert Farmer, Jane Bell, Ann Brandum. NB This is the first time Baptism is Mentioned"
1740-1754 the old church book had no entries: thus after the notes for 1740 "As there is no Account in the Old Church Book of any of the Transactions of the Church from now, till the year 1754. All the Information that can be gathered is, that after the death of Samuel Butler the Church was supplyed .. chiefly by two of their own members John Morris and Ralph Baskervile for some years, but neither of them was Pastor." This information came from an account of the church in a book in the possession of Mr. Isaac James at Bristol, and drawn up by Mr. Coles of Maulden in 1774, sent to Josiah Thompson of Clapham, Surrey, and copied December 1814. The tradition was that "Mr. Bunyan" was instrumental in founding the church.
1753 they called Joseph Loydal, a member of the church at Walgrave, to be pastor, but he was excommunicated 1766
1770-1792 the account was taken from 2 memoranda books in the possession of Mr. Pike.
1770 May 31 Agreement to alter the constitution of the church from open to closed communion.
1793 onwards, the account is a contemporary record. Split over the exclusion of Mr. Pike.
1797 petition to the Duke of Bedford to sell or given them the house adjoining the meeting house, who agreed to sell in 1798.
1800 meeting agreed to sign articles at the end of this book. These were a slightly shortened version of the covenant in the 1771 account book X 347/80.
1801 pastor to preach at Husborne Crawley on Sunday evenings once in two months, in harmony with minister at Woburn. Brother Burr of Kempston asked to be dismissed to Mr. Hillyard's meeting at Bedford, because of the great distance from Kempston to Ridgmont. Church considered the "impropriety of dismissing one of our Members to a Pastor of another Church who does not view the Ordinance of Baptism in the same light with us. Resolved to give our Brother Burr a Testimonial only respecting his Character."
1801 collection for the use of the proposed Bedford Infirmary
1801 21 Oct "Agreed to have our next Church Meeting held on the Wednesday after the 3rd Lords Day in November next at 11 o'clock, and that we meet at Brogborough the same day at 2 o'clock to administer the Ordinance of Baptism.."
1802 Mr. Emerton gave a baptistry for the meeting house.
1803 collection for missionaries in Bengal
1808 case about a deacon
c. 1811 land from the Duke of Bedford to enlarge the burial ground
1811 new meeting house build. On 1st May the foundation stone for the new one was laid: on 6th May the old meeting house taken down.
Reference
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