Article No.3

The chapel of 1800 has undergone many structural improvements and enlargement, including the taking down of the front and rebuilding it, by which increased accommodation was given, and reseating, the old straight-back pews being taken and modernised, whereby the comfort of worshippers was secured. In the Statistical Summary of the Chapel and other Trust Property for 1875 there is the following note: "Higham: the Chapel has been rebuilt and the Services have been held in the Board School and our own School Room for several months." The chapel was reopened in May, 1875, by the Rev. Dr. Perks, President of the Conference.

In the Preachers' Plan for January-April, 1832, Higham Ferrers is entered with services at 10.30, 2, and 6, and in that of February-April, 1850, with three services on Sunday—10.30, 2, and 6—and with Tuesday services at seven o'clock.

In the Quarterly Schedule of Societies, Midsummer, 1838, Higham appears with five classes—namely, Bros. Blott, Burgess, Pressland, Marlow and Horrell—and 75 members. In the Triennial Schedule for the years 1842-5 the number of members of Society is 77. The Return of Sitting Accommodation, Congregations Attending, etc., March 30th, 1851 gives Higham with 105 free sittings and 304 other sittings. The general congregation attending was: Noon, 80; afternoon, 141; evening, 99. The Sunday scholars were: Morning, 69; afternoon, 74; evening, 33. The date given of the erection of the chapel was 1800.

Mr. Daniel Pressland, the first leader appointed at Higham Ferrers, for a long time was accustomed to go through the town on Sunday mornings at five o’clock to knock at the doors of his class, that they might be in time at the class meeting at six.

Daniel Adcook (grandson of Daniel Adcock, fellow-labourer with Daniel Pressland) was a young man of sweet and rare beauty of character whom God called early to Himself—his sun went down while it was yet day. From boyhood he was a devoted friend of Thomas Sanders, whom he greatly influenced by the gentleness of his disposition and his unaffected piety.

The writer is indebted to Miss Sanders for the following incidents and references in connection with the early years of her father's association with Daniel Adcock:

One night Thomas Sanders went to fetch Daniel out, but he did not come for some time: at last he came out and gave as his reason for not going that his father objected. "My father says, you are such a wicked boy, Tom." Recounting the incident a great many years later to Miss Sanders, he says, "I went away nearly heartbroken." She most certainly thinks this led to his conviction. He worshipped the ground Daniel Adcock walked on. Her father used to say, "He was born good."

They used to have prayer meetings in an orchard. Miss Sanders thinks that Mr. Abram Groome was one of them.

When speaking on one occasion to the Sunday school children, Mr. Sanders said the memory of the just shall shine, but the memory of the wicked shall not. He spoke of the great influence of young Daniel Adcock on his life.

Mr. William Alfred Groome says that Mr. Sanders had a great admiration for Daniel Adcock, "one of the best boys that ever lived." Mr. Groome further says he has heard him speak of the forlorn feeling he had that this friend he so looked up to was not allowed to go with him. Whenever he thought of it in after years he always seemed to have the feeling he had then. It moved him most profoundly.

Daniel Adcock was born in the year 1824 and died Dec. 31st, 1842.

----

Article No.4

Higham Ferrers Society

In his day and generation Barnabas Gadsby, familiarly known as "Barnt Gadsby," was perhaps the most remarkable product of the Methodist evangel. The father of James and Abraham Gadsby, he was a hard-working man engaged in toilsome and responsible duties from early morning to late at night. Yet he could find time for preparation for his class on the Sunday morning and the many services and prayer meetings, the mere recital of which astonishes one. He would be at his work at five o'clock attending to the horses of his employer, and then away to his class, and later attending the preaching service. Mid-day would find him again feeding and attending the horses, and after his own dinner he would be at the house of prayer and further preaching service and prayer meeting and back again to the stable would finish a long Sabbath day. He was a mighty man of prayer! He died suddenly in his chair. Mr. S. Pack said to Dr. Crew, who had been called in, "The man that's dead has done the most praying of any man in Higham.''

John Wingell, an old local preacher, who hawked drapery, etc., in the neighbouring villages, warned of God in a dream, prevailed on some of the brethren at a distant village—Riseley—where he had been preaching one Wednesday night, to accompany him on his homeward journey. When they arrived at a certain place in one of the fields there were the two men armed with cudgels whom he had seen in his dream awaiting him. When they saw that he was accompanied they quickly decamped. (Born, 1794; died, Aug. 12th, 1889.)

George Parker (father of Mrs. Abraham Groome) was returning at night to Higham Ferrers, his home, from a country appointment and was followed at a short distance, by a large dog, which he vainly tried to drive back. He encountered on the road three or four rough men, and the dog ran quickly forward and, placing himself between Mr. Parker and the men, growled threateningly at the men, who swore at the dog but did not venture to molest the preacher, whom the dog accompanied almost to his door and then ran back. Mr. Parker made many inquiries at the place where he had preached, but he never saw the dog again and could learn nothing about him. Nobody knew anything of a dog of the description.

Mr. Parker was a powerful man and a tough customer, and had stopped many fights. He had been called up us early as two o'clock in the morning to separate half-naked men fighting. Mrs. Groome remembers seeing him once thrust himself between two desperate men who were stripped for fighting.

Mrs. Abraham Groome has related incidents of her father's (Mr. George Parker's) life. He was a local preacher. One Sunday he went to preach in one of the villages—she thinks it was Hargrave. After the morning service he was entertained at a labourer's cottage, and there was set before him a repulsive-looking black barley pudding, which he was compelled to say he could not touch; and he waited for the next course, which proved to be some pig's feet. At another time he was in a village preaching and was not invited anywhere to dinner, and so perforce, like the Rev. John Wesley down in Cornwall, he went into the fields and ate blackberries.

Mr. Parker was born Feb. 3rd, 1708, and died Oct. 4th, 1847.

The narration to the writer by the late Mr. Thomas D. Cunnington of the circumstances of his conversion and that of several other members of the senior boys' class at Higham Sunday School induced him to ask the teacher, Mr. Alfred Shipley, residing since 1870 at Desborough, of his recollections thereof. He says (June 3rd, 1907): "The information given to you in connection with my Bible class is fairly correct. It was in morning school. The questions I was accustomed to give the class . . . . were such as would lead them to become familiar with their Bibles. I distinctly remember, when preparing my lesson, the suggestion coming to me: 'There is one question you have never asked them—the most important of all—"When do you intend to give your heart to God?' " . . . I decided that should be the question for the next Sunday. I impressed upon the lads in presenting the question in writing to think it over seriously and not to answer to please me but let it be for Christ's and their own souls' sake. . . . Imagine my great joy on the next Sunday when all the lads but two brought the answer 'Now'. The remaining two, I believe, decided soon afterwards, and then I heard of the incident you refer to—viz., meeting for prayer in the old stonepit during the week. The names of the lads, as far as I can remember, are as follow: Thomas Patenall, Thomas D. Cunnington, John Henry Groome, Alfred Groom, Edmund Smith, Alfred Middleton, also a young brother of his who died happy in Christ soon after; also a son of the late Thomas Groome, and Walter Gadsby, whose death I felt very much, as he was a lad of deep piety, intelligence, and great promise. He was called from us just as he was thinking of entering the ministry."

Mr. Shipley was teacher of the adult class four years (1866-70). He was born at Burton Latimer, Dec. 31st, 1844, and was converted at Ringstead when in his 19th year.

----

Article No.5

Mr. Thomas Sanders has said that for 40 years he attended eight services every Sunday. He began with prayer meeting at seven o'clock, then Sunday school at nine; public service at 10.30; Sunday school again at one; public service at 2.30; Sunday school at five; further public service at six; and prayer meeting after. He led the singing all the time.

He has spoken of his singing experiences in the old chapel. The responsibility of finding the tunes for the hymns devolved upon him. He would look through his tunebook for the next hymn after the other had been sung, and then, laying the open book face downward he would reverently attend to the service.

With him in the singers’ pew there was an old man named Whitbread, who was a great singer in his way. Seeing the tune selected, he had the habit of quietly whistling it under his breath, to Mr. Sanders's annoyance. Mr. W. A. Groome has seen him in rather an impatient way, shocked at the seeming irreverence, snatch the book from him and close it.

On one occasion the pulpit was occupied by a stranger from America; he was rather a pompous man. Seeing Mr. Sanders engaged in looking out the tune, he said, "Young man, if you don't put that book down, I can't preach." "I lifted my head," said Mr. Sanders, and said, 'No, and you can't if I do.'"

Mr. Sanders has told the touching story of his daughter Emily when she was dying, the last story Mr. Groome thinks he ever told in the Sunday school. He was fetched home from business to her deathbed. She sang the hymn beginning "My God, my Father, while I stray," in a clear voice until she came to the last verse, and with the first line, "And when on earth I breathe no more," her head fell upon her father's shoulder and she passed away. (Her death took place in December, 1864.)

Mr. Sanders remembered the Rev. Moses Dunn (Higham Ferrers, 1840-41). He was an excitable old man, sometimes kicking the pulpit in the fervour and vehemence of his exhortations and denunciations; at other times hurling Latin and Greek at the people's heads. He was a scholarly man, albeit of rather choleric temperament. (Authority, the Rev. H. J. Atkinson.)

Mr. Thomas Sanders was in the Sunday school a long lifetime—more than 74 years. He was born on Nov. 9th, 1825, and died on Feb. 19th, 1905.

The leading Methodist families at Higham Ferrers were those of Pressland, Allen, Burgess, Adcock, Blott, Parker, Fisher, Lamb, Wingell, Spencer, Bridgeman, Denton, Sanders, Cunnington, Gadsby, Groome, Pack, Bird, Knighton, Beayes, and Patenall. From those families, and from others, local preachers, class leaders, prayer leaders, and stewards came and did valiant work for the Master. Their register is on high.

The name of Daniel Adcock (1760, died Dec. 1st, 1800) will be ever honourably associated with Higham Ferrers Methodism for his earnest labours, with Mr. Daniel Pressland, on behalf of the Church in its infancy, and for his generous share in rearing the first chapel. Almost the last act of a too brief life was the conveyance of the freehold site of the chapel. His widow, Sarah Adcock (1755-1841), in the following year granted to the trustees a deed of release of dower and other rights of income in respect of the land on which the chapel had been built. The name of Daniel Pressland will always hold the foremost place in not only local but circuit Methodism. He died Feb.3rd, 1841, aged 85 years, a few days after his wife. Tribute has in previous articles been paid to the great work he did for the Methodist cause at Higham Ferrers.

The materials for a record of Higham Ferrers Methodism down to the end of the first half of the last century are meagre. The only documentary evidence is what appears in the Circuit Account Book and in a few old preachers’ plans that have been preserved.