Portsea [Portsmouth] White’s Row Baptist Church

Portsea [Portsmouth] White’s Row Baptist Church. The following account is taken from F. Ridoutt, The Early Baptist History of Portsmouth  (Landport: G. Chamberlain, 1888), 60-62; History of Bewick Street Baptist Church: A Lecture Delivered by John Bradburn, before the Bewick Street Mutual Improvement Society, on January 18th, 1883 (Newcastle-on-Tyne: J. Bell, 1883), 5.

Those forming this new church had previously been members of Joseph Horsey’s congregation on Portsmouth Common, Meeting-house Alley. When he became pastor, 16 members pulled out and formed a new meeting in White’s Row, Portsea, eventually reaching 28 members of the Meeting-House Alley congregation. They were led first by Henry Dawson (from London), who had been recommended by John Ryland at Bristol, and then by Peter Edwards in 1785 (61).  Dawson would also minister briefly at Tuthill Stairs in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. William Stone came in 1799, with Horsey and Saffery taking part in the installation service. He was replaced by a student, James Douglas from Carter Lane in London and Bristol Academy, in July 1802, with Rippon of London and Bogue of Gosport taking part in the installation service (62). Douglas was succeeded by John Penny, ‘an eminently pious and devoted man and a sound divine under his ministry, the church was edified, and many were added to it’ (62). He resigned and was replaced by William Hawkins in June 1816, who removed in 1821 to Weymouth. He was followed at White’s Row by C. Mileham, then T. Morris in 1827; he remained until 1852 (62). White’s Row is now Kent Street Church. See also “Calendar of Letters,” Baptist Quarterly 6 (1932-33), 180.