Foxton, Leicestershire, Baptists

Foxton, Leicestershire, Baptist Church – [The following history is taken from “History of the Baptist Churches in Connection with the Leicestershire Association,” Baptist Magazine (1865), 772-73.]   

There is no clear and distinct account of the formation of the church at Foxton; but it probable, from various entries in the church-book, that it was a branch of the Baptist church meeting at Mowsley, which, as has been already shown, was a secession from the Arnsby church then meeting at Kilby. The church at Mowsley has been long extinct. Mr. Benjamin Boyce appears to have been the pastor at Foxton. In July, 1716, he was called by the Church to exercise his ministerial gifts, and to administer the ordinance of baptism among them. After holding the pastorate about 14 years, he died, and was buried in Foxton chapel, where his coffin was found in excellent at the recent demolition of that old place of worship. During his ministry and that of his successor, the church appears to have met both at Foxton and Mowsley. In 1731, the year following Mr. Boyce's death, Mr. Joel Streeton undertook the pastoral office, engaging to preach at Sheepshed once a month. After having served the church nearly thirteen years, this vigilant and successful pastor died. During his ministry, about 63 members were added to the church. For nearly seven years after Mr. Streeton's death, the church appears to have been without a pastor, until the year 1751, when Mr. John Evans began his ministry there, which lasted thirty years. The ordinance of baptism, during the ministries of Messrs. Boyce and Streeton, and probably also during that of Mr. Evans, was generally administered at Marston Mill. It appears from a letter addressed to the church at Foxton about the year 1788, that seventeen of their members, then residing in Clipstone, united in a request to form themselves into a separate church, and were dismissed for that purpose. In the decline of life, Mr. Evans resigned the pastoral office at Foxton, and retired to Northampton. During his ministry it is said that about 47 members were added to the church. He was the intimate friend of the venerable Mr. Hall of Arnsby.

After the removal of Mr. Evans the church was destitute of a pastor about eight years, and during that interval was mainly dependent upon the alternate services of some of the neighbouring ministers, particularly of Mr. Morris, of Clipstone, and Mr. Bullock, of Ashley. Mr. T. Evans resided and preached at Foxton a short part of this period, as did also Mr. Hatch, but the congregation continued in a low state, with very little hope of obtaining a settled minister. Mr. Joshua Burton commenced his labours at Foxton in October, 1790, when the church consisted of only eighteen members, all of whom were deceased in the year 1823. After a pastorate of forty years, about the same number remained at the time of his death, which took place in 1830. Of the next seven years, comprising the ministries of Mr. Bottomley and Mr. Liddell, not a single entry is made in the church-book. The Rev. James Blackburn took the oversight of the church in 1837. He died in December, 1863, without leaving in the church-book any record of his labours. In the closing years of his life, however, there were indications of an awakening to a better state of things. He began to reap the fruits of his labours, and to gather the converts into the church. The present pastor, Mr. Carryer, entered upon his work in the year following, and has not laboured in vain. During the past month a beautiful Gothic chapel, built on the site of the old one, was opened, where it is hoped that many more than have met for years past in the old chapel, will assemble for worship and instruction in the Word of God.