| Title | "Church Book": "A Booke for Church Affaires at Stepny"; contains (pages 1-89) admissions, 1644-1894 (some gaps, notably 1659-1663 and 1740-1745) [for index see W/SMH/A/6/1]; (pages 111-115 and 189-190, upside down) terminations of membership, 1881-1894; (pages 192-318) Church Minutes ["Transactions of the Church"], 1650-1894; (pages 322-323) list of Gifts bestowed on the Church, up to 1824; (page 325) "Dismissions" (terminations of membership), 1691-1719. |
| Description | Scope and Content
This volume contains the following:-
(a) Admissions
Name and place of residence of new members are given, sometimes with extra notes, e.g. occupation, marital status, details of previous church membership, 'dead', 'deserted', etc. The admissions section opens (p.1) with the following remark: "The Church being constituted by the mutual consent & agreement of Henry Barton & his wife, William Parker, John Odingsell, William Greenhill [1st pastor] & John Pococke, in the presence of Mr.Henry Burton, Pastor of a Church in London, to walk in all the ways of Christ held out unto them in the gospel, & having the right hand of fellowship given them by the aforementioned, & owned for a true Church of Jesus Christ, there were added unto them from time to time as followeth:"
Approximately 5000 names appear in the pages which follow, covering a 250 year period.
Lists of all the living members are periodically included in the admissions section, as follows: those living in 1712 (pp.12-13), 1731 (p.16), 1745 (p.17), 1748 (pp.19-20), 1772 (pp.25-29), 1821 (pp.36-39) and 1846 (pp.54-57).
On page 25 a brief history of the Meeting and list of the pastors from 1644 to 1772 is included.
Page 79 contains notes re those members who subsequently formed the new Burdett Road Congregational Church (1875).
Page 89 contains the following note:
"June 27th 1894 - At a Church meeting held this evening, it was resolved, that seeing that during the existence of the Church for 250 years its records have been in one book and that book being now nearly full, it is considered desirable to close that volume at and to the end of this month. It was also resolved that a new book be provided in which to enter the minutes of the Church proceedings, and the admissions to and terminations of membership".
(b) Terminations of membership
Contains some 400 names, with reason for termination of membership (death, transfer to other congregations at home or abroad, etc.)
(c) Church Minutes
This section contains accounts of all aspects of Church life, including the election of pastors, deacons and elders, excommunications, financial affairs, and so forth.
Page 198 contains the signatures of 36 Church members affirming their 'covenant with God' in 1679, 'it being a time of very great darkness and danger by reason of the popish plots & designs on foot'. Page 200 records that 22nd Nov. 1688 was kept as a day of solemn fasting and prayer 'when the Prince of Orange came into England with the Dutch army'.
See pages 258-261 for printed notices re the rebuilding of Stepney Meeting House, including lists of those who contributed. Some 19th century newspaper cuttings referring to the Church have also been pasted in this section.
(d) List of gifts bestowed on the Church
Gives details of land and buildings (including the almshouses in Colet Place, White Horse Street), bank stock, legacies, plate, etc., presented to the Church.
(e) Terminations of membership ['Dismissions']
Names of those dismissed from Church membership in this period, with details of other congregations to which members moved (where relevant). |