EARLY NONCONFORMITY IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF SEATON.

BY EDWARD

WINDEATT.

(Read at Seaton, July, 1885).

In the discussion which followed the reading of the paper on "Early Nonconformity in Newton and its Neighbourhood" at the meeting of this Association last year, it was suggested that a series of these papers should be written for the purpose of collecting facts of general interest in relation to early Nonconformity in our county, the localities chosen being those more immediately connected with the places at which our annual meetings are held. It is in consequence of this suggestion that the present paper is presented; and it need hardly be said that these papers are intended simply to collect together notes respecting the early history of Nonconformity in our county which may be of interest to Churchmen as well as Nonconformists, facts which will help us to understand better the part which the Puritan party played in the history of our county in the seventeenth century, and which may be of use to the general as well as the local historian.

AXMINSTER.

The founder of the Nonconformist cause in Axminster was BARTHOLOMEW ASHWOOD, rector of the parish church there.* In 1660, having to give up his living at Axminster, he formed a Church there; and the history of this Church is almost unique and of the greatest interest, the record being

Wood's History of Oxford Writers contains a notice of Mr. Ashwood, in which it is stated he was a Warwickshire minister's son, became a batler or commoner of St. Alban's Hall in the latter part of 1638, being then sixteen; but having been puritanically educated, he was translated, after some continuance in the said Hall, to Exeter College, and there put under a tutor puritanically then esteemed, and took one degree in Arts as a member of that College, and was soon after beneficed.

preserved from the Church's formation. The manuscript is entitled "Ecclesiastica, or a Book of Remembrance wherein the Rise, Constitution, Rule, Order, and Discipline of the Church of Christ ordinarily Assembling at Wykecroft, in the parish of Axminster, is faithfully Recorded. Together with the most Remarkable Occurrences and signall Providences which have attended the same from the first Foundation thereof. By the Order & Appoyntment of the Church." This MSS. was published in 1874. It contains a quaint history of the Church from its formation, in 1660, to the erection of a new meeting-house, in 1698, and as a literary composition is creditable to the author or authors, whilst the phraseology is quaint. The record contains interesting local matters, and may be taken as a fair statement of what went on, not in this Church only, but in almost all the early Nonconforming Churches of this and other counties.

Calamy speaks of Mr. Ashwood as ejected under the Act of Uniformity; and Dr. Walker refers to a person of the same name as sequestered from the living of Bickleigh, in this county, whom he supposed died during the usurpation. It is clear however, from the Book of Remembrance, that Mr. Ashwood formed a Nonconformist Church at Axminster in 1660, and it is probable that on the Restoration he had to give up the living of Axminster. In proof of this it may be mentioned that in 1660 Richard Cressor petitioned to be restored to the living of Axminster, Devon; but Dr. Walker does not appear to notice this incumbent as one of the sequestered clergy. The Church which Mr. Ashwood formed, and which consisted of only twelve or thirteen persons, chose him as their first pastor. Shortly before the Act of Uniformity was put in force, Mr. Ashwood, says the Book of Remembrance" on a Lord's-day, in the morning was apprehended by souldiers, carryed before a Magistrate, who there refusing such Oaths as were imposed on him was sent to the Common Goal in Exon: . . . so wisely and graciously did the Lord overrule the spirits of Officers into whose Custody he was committed, That they were so favourable to him as to give him two or three daies respite to remain with his wife & family before he was conveyed to prison."

After a few weeks Mr. Ashwood was released from prison, and returned to minister again to his people in Axminster. The persecution, however, became more severe, and the people were driven to assemble in woods and secret places, where they were more than once surprised. The Book of Remembrance thus records one of these occasions: "On the

13th day of the 7th moneth (Anno 1663.) It being a Sabbathday: The Church had appoynted that day for the Celebration of the sacred Ordinance of the Lord's Supper, in a Lonesome place near a great wood, where a number of people from divers parts were assembled together." A Mr. Henry Butler (ejected from Yeovil Vicarage) preached and Mr. Ashwood was to preach in the after part of the day. As soon as the first service was over and the Ministers gone apart to refresh themselves some soldiers "observing the motions of the people, Riding furiously by the place, brake in amongst the people & disperst them; some persons were apprehended & taken by them (whereof some of them were members of this Church) & carryed them away." At the close of the day Mr. Ashwood, Mr. Butler, and those who had escaped met together, and spent the night at a private house two miles distant in prayer for their brethren who had been apprehended, and were rewarded by finding their friends were released by the soldiers. At the next assizes the ministers and the Nonconformists were tried by Judge Foster and fined heavily.

The quaint old record contains notices of the death of various members.

"11th moneth of this year," 1664, there is a reference to the death of one William Tucker, "a steddy, pious, faithfull Brother in this fellowship of the Gospel cutt down." Margaret Whitty," one of a gracious spirit;" Agnes Tucker, "one of the first ripe fruits in the Garden of the Lord." There is also frequent reference to a solemn covenant which was drawn up and assented to by the Church, and on special occasions renewed.

There are also references to cases where members were called to account for improper conduct. On one occasion "a sister in fellowship with the church was charged with the sin of lying," and at first tried to justify herself, but on being censured publicly confessed her fault and was restored. On another occasion it is recorded that a member grievously sinned by stealing a sheep from his neighbour, and refusing to repent was excommunicated. Another was used in the same way for the sin of drunkenness, and another for "fraudulently dealing in a certain bargain with another." After the passing of the second Conventicle Act, Mr. Ashwood and his people met sometimes in a solitary wood, and sometimes in the pastor's house, changing frequently the time of meeting.

In 1672, under Charles II.'s Indulgence, Mr. Ashwood took over a license for himself at Axminster, and Tristram Cop for

his house at Axminster; and the Church hired a house at Wykecroft, in the parish of Axminster, where they continued to meet unless prevented by persecution.

Mr. Ashwood died at Chard on 27th of the 8th month, 1678, and on the 6th of the 9th month he was buried. From a list appended to the Book of Remembrance of the members in communion with the Church, it would appear that persons from all the towns and villages adjacent were members.

Mr. Ashwood was the author of two works-The Heavenly Trade, London, 1679; The Best Treasure, London, 1681-Dr. John Owen wrote the preface-and Groans from Zion: a sermon at the solemnization of the funeral of A. C., London, 1681.

He was succeeded by Mr. Stephen Towgood, who was pastor from 1679 to 1722, and suffered great persecution, but appears to have escaped imprisonment, though on several occasions he narrowly escaped apprehension for his Nonconformity.

Mr. Towgood was the son of Matthew Towgood, ejected from the rectory of Semley, in Wiltshire, and uncle of Micaiah Towgood, the eminent Dissenting minister and writer, who was born at Axminster in 1700, and afterward minister and head of an establishment at Exeter for the education of Dissenting ministers. It was during Mr. Stephen Towgood's ministry that Monmouth's Rebellion took place, which is thus quaintly recorded in the Book of Remembrance:

"Now the Lord stirred vp James, Duke of Mon-mouth (Reputed son of the former King C. 2) who had been in an Exile state for some time; And on the 11th day of the 4th moneth of this year 1685, he safely & peaceably Landed at the Haven belonging to LymeRegis, with a small number of men, about 80, having their ship laden with Armour and Ammunition, who Immediately vpon his Landing gave forth his declarations to Restore Liberty to the people of God for the worship of God, to preserve the Rights & Priveledges of the Nation, &c. Tydings of his Landing was spread abroad far & near very speedily, And divers persons from severall quarters hasted to resort to him: Now were the hearts of the people of God glad-ded, & their hopes & Expectations raised That this man might be a deliverer for the Nation & the Interest of Christ in it, who had bin even harrous'd out with trouble & persecusion, & even broken with the weight of oppression vnder which they had long groaned; Now also They hoped That the day was come in which the Good Old Cause of God and Religion that had lain as dead & buryed for a long time would revive again; And now was the Soundings of Trumpets & Alarm for wars heard. On the

15th day of the moneth They began their march from the Town of Lyme, with much dread and terrour, to the Amazement & wonder of many what the Lord had wrought. A great number of sober & pious men marched forth with the Army.

"The first day of their march they came into the Town of Axminster, where some Companies of Souldiers came towards them on each side of the Town, so that it was supposed by some there might be a Battle; But the Lord eminently appeared, filling this New Army with wonderfull Courage, and sending an Hornett of fear amongst those that came to oppose them, so that a dreadfull Consternation of spirit ceized on them, That in some places they fell one vpon another. In other places some ran away with amazement, some were so stricken with terrour that they were even bereft of their reason & like distracted persons. Others threw away their weapons of war, & would take them vp no more; And many watched opportunities to leave their Colours and old Officers, & Came & Joyned with this new Company; And as they marched on from Town to Town the Army increased dayly. In a few daies the number was increased to severall thousands; divers also of the Brethren belonging to this Church marched along with them; And as this army went forward, so Companies of Souldiers belonging to King J. pursued after, but durst not overtake them. There was likewise another Army sent by the King to meet them. About 4 or 5 daies after they marched out of the Town of Axminster, whiles they lay in the Town of Taunton, Some few persons were chosen out of the Companies, & sent to view the motions of the Enemy that was behind them, Amongst which one of them was a member belonging to this society, A faithfull Brother, named Samuel Rampson; Those persons Riding forth to descry the Enemy, met with a party of them, & engaging with each other had a very smart Battle, in which a great person belonging to the Enemy was slain; and in this sore skirmish this Samuel Rampson was mortally wounded, who endeavouring to get to an house not far from the place to seek some help and relief in his wounded & afflicted case, but finding none to relieve him, lost his Life also. After some few daies more were passed, As the Army marched onwards, & meeting with the Enemy that came against them, there was a more sharp Battle fought, & greater slaughter, in which one Henry Noon, a pious & lively Christian, a vsefull member related to this Body was also slain. Thus these mighty men that had potency with God, & Jeoparded their lives in the high places of the field for the cause of Christ, fell in the midst of the Battle; And this Church began to be diminished; In the meantime, Their Communion was much Interrupted in regard both the Pastor, The Ruling Elder, & several of the Brethren were with the Army.

"About the 6th day of the 5th moneth there was a terrible Battle, in which many of the Enemy was slain, and yet the victory