Introduction

Summary

The records of the Bedford Moravian Church, now deposited in the Bedfordshire Record Office (catalogue reference MO), are of very great importance for two reasons. In a denomination which has produced more records of its activities than any other in Britain, Bedford has probably preserved more than any other congregation. It has multiple diaries for the first few years, early diaries for two of the choir houses, and copies of many of the documents (diaries, journals and accounts) which were circulated between the congregations in the eighteenth century. Since a large quantity of Moravian records were destroyed or damaged when their Fetter Lane chapel in London was bombed in World War II, Bedford holds information about the affairs of the British Province which are no longer available elsewhere.

In addition to this, Bedford has the distinction of being the first Moravian settlement established in Britain and the first congregation outside London. Since these were new departures for the Moravian Brethren – a congregation of converts from other Protestant churches and a settlement in a country where such were unknown – it involved decisions and compromises which can be traced in the Bedford records. Bedford provided a pattern for future developments in Britain.

The process of selecting records to be printed in this volume has been difficult. Much has had to be omitted which is of interest and value. It is fortunate that the registers, now in the Public Record Office, and the early lists of members have already been transcribed by the Bedfordshire Record Office, making it unnecessary to print them here. However, there still remain many early records, minutes and congregation diaries in particular, which would merit publication.

The criteria for publication here have been to provide information about the foundation of the congregation in 1745 and the events which led up to it, and to provide specimens of the different types of records which may be found in the eighteenth century archives of the Brethren. Neither has been previously attempted. Earlier historians have reproduced the legend of the smallpox epidemic, often with embellishments of their own and completely ignored the Baptist period of the Bedford society.