Unitarian Fund 

The Unitarian Fund was established on March 4, 1806, at the New London Tavern, Cheapside, on Tuesday evening, March 4, 1806, with J. T. Rutt in the chair (40).  Aspland would be the first secretary (45); the official name was “The Unitarian fund for promoting Unitarianism by means of Popular Preaching” (41).  To be a member you had to contribute at least one Guinea a year. Among the original list of subscribers (46-54) were Thomas Belsham, Robert Aspland, William Frend, J. P. Heywood, John Holland of Bolton, Joshua Toulmin, Theophilus Lindsey, Samuel Shore, J. T. Rutt and others; but also Mr. John Barnard of Harlow Mill (46); William Flower of Grove, Hackney, and Matthew Flower of Walworth (48); the Middletons of St. Martin’s Lane (51); and William Richards of Lynn (52).

In the Second Report (1806), Aspland gives an account of the activities of the Unitarians across the kingdom, including all missionary efforts in forming new congregations.  He believes the state of Unitarianism in England “is upon the whole, reviving,” and the creation of the Fund “has excited in many places a greater degree of zeal” (9).  He mentions the new work in Hull, led by Rev. William Severn, minister at the Presbyterian congregation and a former Methodist preacher (9-10).  He says there are two other Unitarian congregations in Hull, both Baptists, led by a Mr. Robert Blake (10).  The congregation at Wisbeach, Cambridgeshire, led by Mr. Wright, has become Unitarian.  When he came there around 1793, it was full of Calvinists, “and much bigotted to the system” (11).  Subscribers that year included Mr. Barnard of Harlow Mill (one guinea subscriber) (30); Rev. Job David of Taunton, Somersetshire (one guinea) (31); Mr. William Flower, Grove, Hackney (lifetime member)(31); Thomas Freeman of Dyer’s Court, Aldermanbury (subscriber) (31); William Frend (31); Mr. Hugh Jones, Gracechurch Street (subscriber) (32); Aspland and Lindsey of course; Rev. John Marsom, High Holborn (33); Miss Middleton, St. Martin’s Lane (subscriber) and a Mr. Jess Middleton (her father?) also of the same address (33); J. T. Rutt of Clapton (35); Joseph Sheppard of Frome (35); Joshua Toulmin (36); William Turner of Newcastle (36). See Second Report of the Committee of the Unitarian Fund, written by Robert Aspland to the Subscribers (London, 1806).

In the Third Report, mention is made that the Baptist church in Soham, once pastored by Andrew Fuller, now has a Mr. Gisborne as pastor and he has become a Unitarian and is preaching those doctrines at the church (22).  What follows is “A List of the Subscribers to the Unitarian Fund,” which would have been c. 1806-07.  It includes: Mr. Barnard of Harlow Mill (one guinea subscriber) (30); Rev. Job David of Taunton, Somersetshire (one guinea) (31); Mr. William Flower, Grove, Hackney (lifetime member)(31); Thomas Freeman of Dyer’s Court, Aldermanbury (subscriber) (31); William Frend (31); Mr. Hugh Jones, Gracechurch Street (subscriber) (32); Aspland and Lindsey of course; Rev. John Marsom, High Holborn (33); Miss Middleton, St. Martin’s Lane (subscriber) and a Mr. Jess Middleton (her father?) also of the same address (33); J. T. Rutt of Clapton (35); Joseph Sheppard of Frome (35); Joshua Toulmin (36); William Turner of Newcastle (36).  See Third Report of the Committee of the Unitarian Fund, read to the General Meeting on the 21st of October, 1807 (London, 1807).  See Third Report of the Committee of the Unitarian Fund, read to the General Meeting on the 21st of October, 1807 (London, 1807).

For the Fourth Report (1808), the list of subscribers included Mr. [John]Barnard of Harlow Mill and Mr. W[illiam]. Barnard of Harlow (33); the Flowers again (35); John Marsom (37); the Middletons (38); William Richards of Lynn again (39); Joseph Sheppard of Frome (40); a Mr. Milford Windeatt, jun. of Totness (42). See Fourth Report of the . . .. 8th of June, 1808  (London: David Eaton, 187 High Holborn, 1808).

The committee for 1819-20 was led by Robert Aspland, Hackney; D. Eaton, 187 High Holborn; S. Hart, Paternoster row, Spitalfields; T. Hornby, Fenchurch St.; Ebenezer Johnston, Bishopsgate St.; G. Smallfield, Homerton; Edgar Taylor, Temple (9).  Among the subscribers that year were a Miss M. Eades of Saffron Walden (16); Rev. John Evans of Islington (16); Robert Fellowes of Nottingham (17); Matthew Flower, Esq. of Walworth and William Flower, Esq. of Upper Bedford Place (17); W. J. Fox of Dalston (17); William Frend of Rock Assurance, Blackfriars (17); B[enjamin] Hawes, Old Barge House, Blackfriars (19); J. P. Heywood, Esq. of Wakefield (20); J. Hobhouse, Esq. of Liverpool (20); John Holland of Bolton (20); T. Hornby of Fenchurch Street (20); Rev. John Marsom of West Smithfield (24); William Nash, Esq. of Royston, Herts. (25) (a lifetime member); Thomas Robinson, Bury St. Edmunds (28) (annual subscriber); J. T. Rutt, Esq. of Clapton (lifetime member) (28); Rev. W. Shepherd, Gateacre (lifetime member) (29); Mr. Joseph Shepherd of Frome (annual subscriber) (29); Samuel Shore, Esq. of Meersbrook, Yorkshire (lifetime member) and his son jun. (29); Mr. Richard Smith, Islington (lifetime member) (29); James Smith, King Street, Covent Garden (deceased) (30). Others outside of the London area included the Rev. John Rowe of Bristol [John] (35); Rev. J. Harrison of Kendal (37); Rev. Russell Scott of Portsmouth (38); Rev. J. Ashworth of Rochdale (38); Rev. S. Philpot of Saffron Walden (39); Charles Wellbeloved of York (39); James Kenrick, Esq. of Wrexham (39).  See Rules of the Unitarian fund, established 1806: to which are added, a Statement of the Society’s Accounts, and a List of Subscribers, &c &c for 1819 and 1820 (Hackney: George Smallfield, 1820).