Red-Cross Street, London, Baptist and Independent 

Red-Cross Street, London, Baptist and Independent. The following account is taken primarily from Walter Wilson, The History and Antiquities of Dissenting Churches and Meeting Houses, in London, Westminster, and Southwark; Including the Lives of Their Ministers, from the Rise of Nonconformity to the Present Time, 4 vols. (London: W. Wilson for W. Button, 1808–1814), vol. 3, 304-26. 

When John Stevens died in 1778, aged 57 (he had formerly been excluded from Devonshire Square for some moral impropriety, having ministered there from 1750-60), the little congregation broke up (Stevens had the lease on the building and had been preaching there since 1760).  But many continued meeting in Red Cross Street, despite having no preacher.  In 1781, Thomas Mabbott began preaching at Red-Cross Street, and he continued there u ntil 1791, when he removed to Hoddesdon, in Hertfordshire.  Mabbott had come to London from Birmingham (1777) and Dudley, Worcestershire (Wilson, History 3.307).  [In 1794 Mabbott removed to the Baptist congregation at Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, where he died in December 1800 (3.308), aged 58.]   After this, his church broke up and the meeting house was let to a Mr. Watts, a bookseller, in Tabernacle-walk, who occupied the place that was formerly Mr. Towle’s in Rope-makers’-alley.  Then Wilson states, “At this time a Mr. Kirkman preached a lecture in Red Cross-street” (3.304).  When Watts died in 1793, the meeting-house was let to the Swedenborgians, who stayed there until 1800, when it became Particular Baptist again, now a group that had formerly met in Curriers’-Hall, Cripplegate, then led by the Rev. John Wilson, formerly of John Brine’s church (3.304).  When Mr. Wilson was dismissed in 1807, the remaining members joined with a new society led by a Mr. Franklyn, which had formerly met in Chapel-street, Mile-End, New-Town, and consisted of people who had broken off from Mr. Shenston’s church in Little Alie-Street, Goodman’s-fields (3.304). 

    There was a second Baptist meeting in Red-Cross Street, beginning with William Tolley and Thomas Craner.  After Craner’s death in 1773, Augustus Clarke came the Oxford area and attempted to settle at Jewin Stret, but not successful there, he settled at Red-Cross-street, but many left at his settlement and set up at Coach-Makers’ Hall, from whence they removed to Mitchell Street.  Clarke remained at Red Cross Street for many years.  In 1780 he took part in the Gordon Riots, an action which seemed to damage his reputation and caused another division in the church (3.323).  Clarke eventually left Red Cross street and opened a school in the Haberdasher’s Company in Bunhill Row.  He preached there for about three months, then removed to Ireland and thence to America for about three years.  He returned to a residence in Petticoat Lane in 1797, and later to Bunhill Row again, where he preached for several more years before leaving the ministry (3.323).

    Samuel Stockell pastored an Independent congregation in Meeting-house Alley, Red Cross Street, from 1728 to 1750.  He was a High Calvinist follower of Crisp, a confirmed supra-lapsarian, but his congregation was never acknowledged by the larger body of Dissenters.  He was also a zealous defender of the pre-existence of the human soul of Christ (a favorite doctrine of the Arians) and put it down in his most important work, The Redeemer’s Glory unveil’d, or the Excellency of Christ vindicated . . .  (London, 1733).  He also published a sermon Scripture and Reason, the Standards of all Religion (London, 1743).  He died in 1753? and was buried in Bunhill-Fields (311-13).  He was succeeded by John Griffith, but in 1758 he had an ugly encounter with a deacon (see his A Brand Plucked out of the Fire: exemplified in the experience of John Griffith . . . , London, 1759) and took a group with him to a meeting-house in White’s-alley and then to Mitchell-street, where he remained until 1777 (318-19).  William Tolley, who had pastored at College-Lane in Northampton from 1752 to 1758 (succeeded by John Collett Ryland), came to Red-cross street in late 1758.  He too was a High Calvinist, with clear Antinomian tendencies.  He was dismissed by the congregation in 1760 for undisclosed sin (3.320).  After Tolley’s dismissal, the church at Red-Cross street disbursed, with a large group joining the Particular Baptist meeting at Jewin-street, a church which had earlier split from the congregation at Crispin-street, Spitalfields, after the death of Mr. Bentley in 1751 (3.320).  Around 1755 Mr. Thomas Craner, a High Calvinist preacher as well, came from Bedfordshire to be their pastor, and was officially installed there on 21 October 1756.  That year he published A Testimony to the Truth as it is in Jesus Christ: or aA Declaration of the Faith and Practice of the Church of Christ, in which he gave the details of the Jewin-street’s reasons for leaving the congregation at Crispin-street.  In 1760, after the dismissal of Tolley at the dispersal of the people there left the church vacant, the church at Jewin-street moved into the vacated building at Red-Cross street, where Craner continued to preach to the congregation until his death in March 1773.  He is buried in the cemetary next to the Baptist meeting-house at Maze Pond.  He also published A Scripture-Manual: or a plain representation of a Gospel Church, with the Business of its Officers, and Duty of its Members, 1759; A Word in Season: being a friendly and familiar Exhortation to the Church of Christ, meeting in Red-cross-street, on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 1769; and A Grain of Gratitude: occasioned by the Death of the Rev. John Gill; preached at Red-cross-street, Mov. 3, 1771 (3.320-21).  Mr. Craner was succeeded by Augustus Clarke, who had unsucessfully candidated at Jewin-street that same year.  However, his coming to Red-cross-street caused a breach in the church, with the major part leaving and setting up a new meeting at Coach-Makers’-Hall, from whence they removed to Griffith’s congregation at Mitchell-street.  Clarke remained with a small group at Red-cross-street until 1780, when he took part in the Gordon Riots that besieged the House of Commons over the Catholic liberties bill.  This caused another division in the church, in which a group transferred to Elim chapel in Fetter-lane and from there to Mitchell-street, now pastored by a Mr. Powell.  Clarke stayed for a while longer at Red-cross-street, then briefly opened a school near Bunhill-row, then left for Ireland and then America.  He returned to London in 1797 and did occasional preaching (3.322-23). 

    Concerning the Baptist Sandemanians at Red-Cross Street c. 1800, Wilson writes, “Mr. Moore’s [Independent] congregation dispersing, when he retired into the country, the meeting-house in Red-Cross-street was taken by a society of Christians who may properly be termed Baptist Sandemanians, as they agree with Mr. Sandeman upon all points excepting baptism, in which paricular they follow the English Baptists.  As they sprung originally from Scotland, and were composed chiefly of persons from that country, they are sometimes called Scotch Baptists; but many English people are now members of this society.  The founder and patron of this people is Mr. Archibad Maclean, who, more than half a century ago broke of from the church of Scotland, and united himself with Mr. Glass, and Mr. Sandeman. From these he afterwards separated upon the point of baptism; and formed a distinct society at Edinburgh, according to his altered views. Of this society he continues the respected pastor, or bishop, to the present day, and has distinguished himself by a long course of unwearied labours in the service of Christ.  His writings are well known and read in various parts of the unitted kingdom; and in defence of his distinguishing sentiments he has been engaged in controversy wih Mr. Pirie, in Scotland, and Mr. Fuller, in England.  Besides the society at Edinburgh, he formed others at Liverpool, Chester, Hull, Beverly, Nottingham, and the principal towns in England; and once in two or three years he visits and confirms these different societies, of which he may be considered the Patriarch.  At these seasons he also visits the metropolis.

    About twenty-five years ago, some few members of the society at Edinburgh having occasion to remove to London, associated privately for worship.  Their numbers increasing, they first hired a school-room near Red-Lion-square; and after about two years removed to a licensed room in Store-street, Tottenham-court-road, which they held about the same period.  They then hired the meeting-house at Glovers’-Hall, Beechlane, where they continued about eight years.  As that place was old, and very much out of repair, they took a lease of Red-Cross-street meeting, in 1797; and this expiring in 1808, they have since renewed it.  The discipline in this church is conducted pretty much in the same manner as in other Sandemanian societies.  They have two pastors, or bishops, who are Mr. Blakie and Mr. Jones, both men of respectable characters and good pulpit talents.  In addition to these, Mr. Ballantine, who joined the church about a twelvemonth ago [1807] with several other persons from Cateaton-street, has lately been chosen Teacher, and takes his turrn in preaching with the pastors.  There is service three times on the Lord’s -day, and a lecture on Thursdays.  They dine together on the Sabbath; break bread in the afternoon, and attend to the word of exhortation.  The church is now in a flourishing state, having lately received many additions.  In some respects they have greatly the advantage over other Sandemanian societies.  They do not appear to be so entirely fettered to a party, but cultivate a spirit of liberality; there is also more of the life and spirituality of religion to be found amongst their members; and they excel in understanding and explaining the scriptures.  Though they still retain the kiss of charity at the admission of members, they do not lay so great a stress upon it as some other churches akin in sentiment” (3.325-26).