Article No.12

Irthlingborough is two miles north of Higham Ferrers, five miles north-west of Wellingborough. The population in 1841 was 1,330; 1871, 2,172; 1901, 4,314; 1921, 4,600. Irthlingborough was one of the 17 places comprising the Higham Ferrers Circuit in 1828. It is unknown when and where preaching services were first held at Irthlingborough. Between the years 1765, when the Bedfordshire Circuit was formed, and 1793, when the Higham Ferrers Circuit was formed therefrom, travelling preachers from Bedford, generally on horseback, went in all directions preaching the Gospel. Some of these passed through Rushden and Irchester and on to Wellingborough. We know that at least as early as 1781 there was a Society class at Rushden led by Thomas Angrave, of Irchester. We are told that the first chapel was erected at Irchester, which appears about the years 1780 to 1790 to have been the centre of the Methodist evangel, and there is little doubt that the preaching services held in that village drew large numbers of people from the neighbouring villages, and thus the Methodist fire spread to Irthlingborough. Of course, before chapels anywhere were raised there was preaching in the open-air and in cottages, and then, as the Word of Life was received and converts increased, Society classes were formed, and later, when the necessary means could be got together, a preaching house, often a metamorphosed barn or two cottages thrown into one, would be provided. Now, undoubtedly something akin to this was the sequence of events at Irthlingborough. First the visits of itinerant preachers; then the gathering together of a Society, the formation of classes, and the holding of regular preaching services. As we shall presently see, the early Methodists at Irthlingborough in the first year of the last century had a separate preaching house made out of a barn, for which probably they paid a merely nominal rent. Eight years later, having got together £30 and having borrowed another £30, they were in a position to buy the property, as is attested by the undermentioned indenture of Nov. 16th, 1808.

The following is a copy, slightly abridged, of the deed which was in the possession of the late Mrs. Clarke, of the Post Office (whose husband bought the chapel and land), and will be read with interest:

"This Indenture made the 16th day of November in the 49th year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord George the 3rd . . . and in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eight between George Gillead late of Higham Ferrers in the county of Northampton but now of Spalding in the County of Lincoln Methodist preacher and Sarah Landell the wife (late Sarah Landell Bletsoe of Irchester in the said county of Northampton, widow) of the 1st part, John Robbins of Yielding in the county of Bedford, grocer, William Ekins of Raunds in the said county of Northampton, farmer, Henry Knighton of the same place, farmer, John Knighton of the same place, farmer, John Parker of Higham Ferrers aforesaid, grocer, William Fisher of the same place, grocer, and John Allen of Wellingborough in the said county of Northampton, shoemaker, of the 2nd part, and John Fowler of Wellingborough in the county of Northampton aforesaid, taylor, of the 3rd part, Witnesseth that for and in consideration of the sum of £60 . . . the said George Gillead and Sarah Landell his wife . . . have bargained and sold . . . unto the said John Robbins and others . . . All that House or Tenement known by the name of the Methodist Chapel situate in Irthlingborough in the county of Northampton now used as such (lately a barn) which formerly belonged to and was held and enjoyed with a messuage or tenement divided into three tenements in Irthlingborough aforesaid now or late in the tenure or occupation of Timothy Groom, John Judd, John Richards, Mary Smith and Mary Kellingworth . . . To have and to hold the said house or tenement (late a barn) hereditament and all and singular other the premises hereby bargained and sold or intended so to be with the appurtenances unto the said John Robbins (and others)."

The following is a copy of the "bill of costs" for the conveyance, drawn up by Mr. John Newton Goodhall (who is remembered by some of the old inhabitants of Irthlingborough), to Mr. John Robbins, Miss Angrave, and Mr. Gillead:

Bill for Irthlingborough Chapel
Deed	£7 1 0
Cash lent Nov. 16, 1808, by Bill at a month	30 0 0
Inrolling Irthlingborough Deed	2 3 10

The foregoing is locally interesting at Irthlingborough and Dean. The Miss Angrave mentioned is probably a relation of the persons of the same name who were members of Rushden Society in 1781. The Rev. George Gillead was the second of the two ministers stationed at Higham Ferrers 1803-4. He entered the ministry in 1798. It would seem that while in the Circuit and visiting Irthlingborough and other places in the neighbourhood during his ministry he made the acquaintance of Mrs. Sarah Landell Bletsoe, of Irchester, a widow lady, whom later he married. Shortly afterwards he left the ministry and settled in business at Spalding. The first preaching services of which we have any account were held in time little Chapel once a barn that stood in the lane formerly called Chapel-lane but now Park-road. The conversion of the old barn into a chapel was made a few years before the deed was drawn up and the purchase effected. According to a schedule of preaching places in the Higham Ferrers Circuit dated 1851, the alteration was made in the year 1800. The free sittings are stated to have been 75, and other or paid sittings 75.

Three cottages now stand on the site of the old chapel—off High-street West. Mr. Frederick Maddock, to whom I am indebted for much interesting information relating to the old chapel, the services, and the Society Irthlingborough, says: "It was a thatch-roof building with very thick stone walls. My earliest recollections go back to October, 1858, the date when I came to Irthlingborough; it was an old barn. We went until we could go no longer—it was falling down; the walls bulged out; they were nearly a yard thick, but badly built. A great piece of the ceiling fell."

Says Mr. Maddock: "I was about 18 or 19 when I was first connected with the old chapel. I was a teacher and have had several presents from the Sunday school friends. We used to have cottage prayer meetings on Sunday afternoons from five to six, at different homes, before attending the chapel service."

* The earliest authentic mention is the Wellingborough plan of 1814. The first mention in the Higham Ferrers book was in 1828, and earliest date of chapels 1800 and 1808. Later dates of chapels are 1868 and 1896. In the Statistical Summary of Trust Property reported at the Trustees' annual meeting on March 31st. 1873, the date when acquired is 1865, and the entire cost, including enlargements, £1,090.

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Article No.13

Mr. Robert P. Payne (born 1838) says: "I recollect well the first chapel. I went to the school when little; had to be led. Many a time old Mrs. Bird has put her hand on my head, saying, 'Now, be a good boy.' The chapel was lit with tallow candles; a man used to go round to snuff them. It was a grand improvement getting the composite candles. There was no gallery. The earliest I can remember about the singing was a certain James Partridge who led it. If the tune did not fit the hymn, he would fit it up; he would make a tune as he went along."

Mrs. Tunn says: "I remember John Parker, of Finedon, one of the Reformed Wesleyans, a great temperance man, preaching. The tune that was raised not being the right metre, he said,'"Never mind; pucker it in."

Mr. Payne says: "I have known them to sing the last two or three words over again to make it spin out. I have played a flutina, a fiddle, and the harmonium in the chapel. A man named James Jolly used to bring a clarinet. After these had had their day we had a harmonium in the old barn chapel. I played it many times; Charles Partridge played it first. James Partridge, who for some years led the singing, had not the least music in him. A man named James England, a good singer, who understood music, took the young people in hand and taught them to sing by note. He was the first to teach me music. A few of his pupils formed the nucleus of a choir. I remember taking a flutina into the service. Often there were two or three fiddles and a bass viol and a few singers; there was only room for about half-a-score. Partridge was offended and left; England came to the rescue."

"A Mr. Henry Wooding made the Sunday school work generally more interesting, particularly with regard to the singing. He was not an Irthlingborough man; he had seen Sunday school work in other parts. He was a carpenter with Mr. Rooksby, a builder. The latter used to make a sort of gallery for the children for the anniversary services; they were very proud to be put there. There used to be collections for the school and the singers. A desk was provided for the singing books."

Mr. Maddock says: "In those days the scholars used to recite poems, hymns, dialogues, etc., at the school sermons. My earliest recollections go back to October, 1858, when I came to Irthlingborough. In June of the next year I joined the Society. I was born at Rushden. Higham friends used to come over to the Sunday school, which I believe they started. We used to have cottage prayer meetings on Sunday afternoons from five to six o'clock at different homes before attending the chapel service. There was Sunday school from nine to a quarter past ten; prayer meeting at half past ten; Sunday school again at half past one; afternoon preaching from two to three, and again at six; and cottage prayer meetings at five o'clock. On alternate Mondays there was preaching and prayer meetings; class meetings on Sunday afternoon after the service and on Thursday evenings."

Mr. Payne says: "I remember well the missionary meetings in the little old chapel. They were very enthusiastic gatherings; chapel crowded. The missionaries would bring an idol. Old Mr. Rollins was really too generous. He was a very good worker."

Chapel cleaning was an expensive item in the steward's accounts. William Partridge was paid twopence per week (April 29th, 1848, ten weeks at 2d., 1s. 8d.), and Mrs. Cuthbert the same at a later date (Aug. 14th, 1848, 15 weeks at 2d., 2s. 6d.). Three years later the rate was threepence per week, and James England was paid at the same rate for lighting the chapel in February and March, 1852. The cost of straw for thatching the chapel in February, 1852, was £3 10s., cord 1s. 4d., beer 6s. 8d., and John Young for thatching £2 6s. Collections were made occasionally for candles.

"There was," says Mr. Haddock, "some commotion here in the Reform agitation, but only a few left, and they formed no cause."

Mrs. Tunn remembers the upset at the Reform agitation: "Father used to stick up for the old Wesleyans. There used to be a lot of discussion."

Some years later some of the members joined the Primitive Methodists. Saying there was not life enough in the Wesleyan Chapel, a few of the friends became restless and resolved to join the Primitives. Mr. Fuller was the superintendent minister of the Northampton Circuit. They used to preach in cottages, and, Mr. Fuller seeing the need of a place, it was resolved to build a chapel.

Mr. Fuller proceeded irregularly, not getting Connexional sanction. It was built, I think, on a seven-years lease, and the Conference would not take it over and be responsible for the outlay. The result was that Mr. Fuller had to find the money, which caused him great financial difficulty. In a short time he left the Connexion and went to Rushden, where he settled down and died. He obtained work at Mr. Denton's factory. The mortgagees took the chapel, and it was used as a carpenter's shop and ultimately was made into a cottage. The Primitives rented it for a little time; then they put up a galvanised-iron and wood building, which they used for a few years and then sold to the Wesleyans at Souldrop. So came the end of the Primitives.

When the old chapel was closed some of the friends took their seats away as relics. One made his into a couch.

In an old class book there are these entries "Jas. Partridge, John Chipman, and Thos Partridge joined the Reformers in 1850, and Jos. Partridge and Eliza Partridge in 1851."

It was a great step forward when the chapel and Sunday school in High-street were erected in the year 1865. Mrs. Jane Bird, who was the financial mainstay of the Society and was liberal in a quiet way, gave £100, shortly before dying, towards the new chapel. It was opened on May 10th, 1865. The first Sunday school anniversary sermons in the new chapel were preached on Sept. 10th, 1865, by the Rev. R. E. Bradfield, of Rushden. Mrs. Robert Payne (who died the following Sunday) was very anxious to hear him preach, but was then too ill; she died of the fever. Her name was Bradfield, and she was Mr. Payne's first wife. Higham friends used to come to the Sunday school, which Mr. Haddock thinks they started.