except upon extraordinary occasions, more than a quarter of an hour; he made not that common which should be precious, either by the coarseness or cursoriness of his matter. He never, though almost 50 years a preacher, went up into the pulpit but he trembled, and never preached before the King but once, and then he fainted."* The Rev. Edward Yardley, Archdeacon of Cardigan, was preacher at Highgate Chapel from 1731 to 1769. He published a work on the Genealogies of Christ, beginning in St. Matthew and Luke. The singular custom of swearing on the horns has been subject of enquiry and quotation in almost every part of these dominions; it is still occasionally adopted, and from its humourous and harmless nature, is probably more free from reprehension than many other customs of ancient origin; the frequency of its performance has, however, been materially lessened since the formation of the archway road, which diverted from the village the great traffic between the northern counties and the metropolis. In the year 1814, the road over Finchley Common called, in the work from which this notice is taken, the Middle North Road, was impassable, *Stowe's Annales. in consequence of the great fall of snow, and 200 men were employed to clear it away, and five or six stage-coaches were drawn up at the Red Lion. I am indebted for the following account of the Presbyterian Ministry and Chapel to the kindness of Joshua Wilson, Esq., of Highbury Terrace, namely: The chapel was founded about the year 1662, as it appears. William Ruthband was the preacher; he had been ejected, by the Act of Uniformity, from a living in Essex; he died Oct., 1695. Thomas Sleigh, ordained June, 1701, was minister in 1715; he died Feb. 28th, 1747-8. George Hardy, from Farnham, Surrey, was minister in 1755, and died at Highgate, Jan. 25th, 1770. David Williams left in 1773. Rochmont Barbauld was minister one year; removed to Palsgrave, Suffolk. Joseph Towers, LL.D., chosen minister in 1774; removed to Newington Green, 1778. Abraham Gregson, came in 1778; died young. John Baptist Pike, M.D. Alexander Crombie, LL.D. After this gentleman left, the chapel appears to have been shut up for several years from 1798. It was re-opened Sep. 28th, 1806, under the auspices of the Unitarian Fund; the pulpit was supplied for some time by preachers in connection with that fund; and, about 1814, it was disposed of to the Baptists. Under the head of charitable benefactions, have been noticed the names of many individuals who contributed in various modes to the emergencies of their own and subsequent times; nor must it be omitted here to record the fact, that there can scarcely be named a place similarly circumstanced where the wants of the poor are more freely and unostentatiously relieved than in this hamlet; to the credit of all classes, a just appeal to their benevolence has seldom been known to fail. "Then constant Faith and holy Hope shall die : One lost in certainty, and one in joy; Whilst thou, more happy power, fair Charity, Lasting thy lamp, and unconsumed thy flame." MATHEW PRIOR. |