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“FOR WHERE TWO OR THREE ARE James Huish, and returned to the area throughout their military careers which took them across the sea to GATHERED TOGETHER IN conquer the Irish as part of Cromwell’s force. The congregation was also home to other army men, including MY NAME, THERE AM I IN THE the majority of the congregation’s elders, which suggests that the church was formed when the New Model Army, MIDST OF THEM.” under the command of General Fairfax, occupied nearby Axminster while Exeter was under siege during 1645-6. ~ MATTHEW 18:20 From the church records it is possible to gain some idea of what it was like to be part of a seventeenth- century congregation. Members travelled from the area The first meeting of the Loughwood Baptist Church surrounding Dalwood, from as far afield as Ottery St was recorded in the congregation’s Church Book in Mary and Sidbury as well as larger settlements in Honiton 1653. Who gathered the congregation together is not and Axminster. They would often spend the day at the known for certain, although historians have speculated meeting house, hearing the word read by some of the about the involvement of two Cromwellian army brethren who had been elected as elders as well as officers, Captain John Vernon and Adjutant General sermons on what they had heard. The eighteenth-century William Allen (a former army agitator and at one time a interior of the surviving meeting house (see right), now in great friend of Oliver Cromwell’s). The brothers had the hands of the National Trust, suggests that there were married the two eldest daughters of a local gentleman, rooms set aside for preparing meals (the chimneys from both chambers are visible). It was intended that members Loughwood Baptist Church © Rachel Adcock vote on church policy and the new members they admitted by democratic vote, although from records of the applicant to have enough proof of their conduct and godliness then they other Baptist churches at this time, there were often were admitted to the congregation and their names recorded in the record disputes when certain members’ voices were silenced, book (see left). It is unclear from the record book whether all members especially those of women. These congregations followed were baptised on entry, but the evidence from one published conversion St Paul’s teachings that women were to remain silent in narrative from Loughwood suggests that this was so, at least by 1658 (see church and were to speak via their husbands or another below). male member, but they were allowed to speak on The Loughwood Church Records contain valuable information on admittance to the group. the formation of the church and are among only a handful of early Baptist All new members (male and female) were List of members for Dalwood, Loughwood Church church books, making it an extremely precious volume. Recording such Records (3700D/M/1) © Devon Heritage Centre required to give an account in front of the whole activities was risky during such a time as the interregnum where power was congregation indicating what evidence they had received unstable. After the Restoration the church recorded very little because of Br. & Str. Palmer from God that they were one of his elect to be saved on the fear of persecution, and because the church could not always meet. That Br. & Str. Vernon the Day of Judgement. Some of these conversion the early entries survived beyond the seventeenth-century suggests that it Br. Wm: Allen { Marryed 14 4/mo 1659 Mrs Ann narratives were published by congregations eager to prove was important for these Baptist groups to trace the beginnings of their Langdon of Tragasaw, Cornwall to those critical of their beliefs that they were among congregations and to record them for posterity. Br. Robt: Doyly God’s chosen people, and to strengthen others who were compiling their own list of evidences. If the church judged By Dr Rachel Adcock, Loughborough University