Bedford/Southill

Summary

This Independent cause met first in the Bedford area, its members being former members of Rothwell, Northants., Independent church. A move was soon made from the Bedford area and in its early years the church recruited members not only from Bedfordshire but also from parts of Hertfordshire. The Church Book is still in the possession of the church as also is my typed transcript of it: another copy of the transcript is in the County Record Office, Bedford.

An interesting feature of this Bedford/Southill Church Book is that many of the early members came from Hertfordshire towns and villages e.g. Baldock, Weston, Clothall, Kingswood, Sandon, Cottered, Hadham and Standon. John Farrow, whose house in the parish of Weston, Herts., was licensed as a meeting place for Protestant Dissenters on 10 March 1696 is probably the same John Farrow of Weston who, with his wife Rebekah, became members of Southill church on 25 July 1703. (Urwick, Nonconformity in Herts., p. 626). The Southill Church Book records a church meeting at Weston on 16 May 1700 and others in 1703 and 1704. Members of the Bret family of Clothall, Herts., joined the Southill church in June and July 1703; the house of John Brett of Clothall was registered as a dissenting meeting place in November 1720 by John and William Brett (Urwick. op. cit. p. 787).

Christopher Muns, who joined the Southill church in July 1693 on dismission from Rothwell church, was received into membership of Bunyan’s church at Bedford on 5 July 1697, after protracted consideration of his case in view of his having been thrown out of the Southill church.

This following request was sent from the persons subscribing inhabitants in and about Bedphord on the 24 day of May 1693 to 5 churches of Christ, viz. Harfford, Rothwell, Wellingborow, Kimbolton, Needingworth.