Congregationalism in Oxford the Growth and Development of Congregational Churches in and Around the City of Oxford Since 1653
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Congregationalism in Oxford The growth and development of Congregational Churches in and around the city of Oxford since 1653 by Michael Hopkins A thesis submitted to The University of Birmingham for the degree of MASTER OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Theology and Religion School of Historical Studies The University of Birmingham January 2010 1 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. ABSTRACT This thesis contends that the growth and development of Congregationalism in Oxford was different from elsewhere because of the presence of both the University of Oxford and Mansfield College. It explores fully the progress of Congregationalism in Oxford during the three hundred and fifty years from the Puritans in the English Commonwealth until the beginning of the twenty-first century. It considers these developments in the light of the national background and explains how they are distinctive, rather than representative, through the story of the New Road Meeting House, George Street and Summertown Congregational Churches in particular, and the other suburban and village Congregational chapels in contrast to other towns and cities with Congregational colleges. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction page 1 2. New Road Chapel page 15 3. George Street Chapel page 26 4. Summertown Chapel page 58 5. Suburban chapels page 77 6. Village chapels page 106 7. Post-war developments page 128 8. Conclusions page 141 Appendices page 150 Bibliography page 157 3 1. INTRODUCTION The importance of the city of Oxford has long been recognised in English church history, particularly at the times of the English Reformation and the Oxford Movement. The city itself is also of particular interest to historians as industry and university grew and developed in parallel, alongside corresponding civic changes. However, a much less well- known and less told story is that of the distinctive development of Nonconformity, particularly Congregationalism, within the context of both this wider civic, industrial, and commercial growth and development, and the presence of the University gradually opening itself to Nonconformists after the repeal of the Test Act. Oxford was, of course, a university city and a very Anglican city. However its geographical position, where the Thames Valley from London meets the Cotswolds, crossing the routes from the south cost ports to the Midlands, meant that Oxford was always more important than just the University: it was a thriving town in its own right. It is this unusual blend of a strongly Anglican university city, and a country town and staging post, which provided an unusual setting for Nonconformity to develop in distinctive ways. This thesis examines Congregationalism in Oxford by looking in detail at the Congregational churches in and around Oxford. The thesis is that Congregationalism in Oxford was distinctive, perhaps unique, and certainly in no way representative of ordinary Congregationalism, because of the presence of the University of Oxford and of Mansfield College.1 Mansfield College, founded in 1886 as a Congregational theological college, soon became a powerhouse of Congregationalism. From the 1890s until the 1960s it provided the major part of the theological backbone of English Congregationalism, as well 1 The argument is developed fully in the conclusion. 1 as making a significant contribution to the University’s theology faculty. It was clearly of national significance, yet it was also important locally for Mansfield supplied generations of student pastors and pulpit supply for churches that might not otherwise have survived so long, and a supply of the best of English Congregationalism’s theologians to preach, help churches through problems, open special events, and so on; indeed the list of names from Mansfield cropping up in church records reads like a Who’s Who in Congregationalism. Mansfield College was the continuation of Spring Hill College, which had been founded in Birmingham in 1838 to train Congregational ministers. The main benefactors of the College were the Glover and Mansfield families, who were related by marriage. After the removal of the university tests there was a mood amongst Congregationalists to establish a college in Oxford. The idea that Spring Hill college should move to a university town was first mooted in 1875 by the Principal, David Worthington Simon (Powicke, 1912, p. 108), and one of those who promoted this idea was R.W. Dale, the influential minister of Carrs Lane Birmingham. It was agreed that Spring Hill College would move to Oxford, and the new Mansfield College opened in temporary accommodation in 1886, until the buildings were completed in 1889. The detailed history and significance of Mansfield College has been thoroughly documented by Elaine Kaye in her history of the College, which originated as a Ph.D. thesis and was later published as Mansfield College Oxford: its Origin, History, and Significance (Kaye, 1996). The scope of this thesis is not to duplicate that work, but to look at the role of Mansfield College in the context of the local churches, whilst remembering that Mansfield was of national, not just local, significance. The relationship between Mansfield and the local churches divides into four phases: from the arrival and opening of the College until the closure of George Street; from the closure 2 of George Street until the closure of Cowley Road; from the closure of Cowley Road until imminent arrival of the United Reformed Church in the late 1960s and early 1970s; and from the formation of the United Reformed Church onwards. The College is now beginning the fifth phase of its life, as the training of ministers for the United Reformed Church finished in the summer of 2009. The opening of Mansfield College’s buildings, and its magnificent chapel, in 1889 provided a place for University Congregationalists to worship, and many of them did. From early days, the College organised grand services with many important and attractive preachers, drawing large audiences. The chapel came to function as a de facto Congregational church, even being listed in The Congregational Year Book, but had no membership, Church Meeting, or anything to make a Congregational church in any real sense. Undoubtedly it drew significant numbers of Congregationalists, and many others, from the University. Mansfield set up a Sunday morning service, which became a beacon of Congregationalism in the University: worship of the highest quality and preachers of great distinction and ability. This was only to be expected, considering the grand setting that this exceptional and highly unusual chapel offered. Although the chapel was imposing, (Kaye, 1996), more magnificent than any other in Congregationalism, it was not perfect and had some deficiencies in practical use (Micklem, 1957, p.99). The chapel was large and impressive, exuding the new found confidence of the Congregationalists, demonstrating their claim to be a true and permanent church, part of 3 the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church. Outside, the building was graced with statues of Athanasius, Augustine, Origen, and John Bunyan; inside there were statues of John Wyclif, John Calvin, Isaac Watts, George Whitefield, John Wesley, John Knox, and others. Stained glass windows were added over the next few years, including Christ in glory, with figures supporting from the Old and New Testaments, on the north side; and scenes from Christ’s ministry on the south.2 Along the sides of the chapel, the east and west windows have images from the church down the years, described by Kaye (1996, pp.80-81) as: “a remarkably ecumenical collection: to the great figures of the Old Testament and the church of the New Testament there were now added representatives of the Greek and Latin churches; the medieval church in Britain and on the Continent; the Reformation in Britain and on the Continent; Puritanism and eighteenth century Nonconformity…the American church; and nineteenth century Nonconformity, including some of those who had worked hard to establish the College”. Mansfield was able to fill the gap in the provision for Congregationalists in the University, because George Street had totally failed to understand the opportunities presented to it by the relaxation of the University tests, just as it had failed to understand the need for a new and more appropriate building in a better location, let alone to grasp these opportunities. Mansfield made its provision for University Congregationalists in a very striking way: with both its superlative building and its inspirational worship. In Cambridge the provision for town and University Congregationalists was made together in Emmanuel Church,3 but in Oxford the provision was divided between Mansfield and George Street. It would be quite misleading, though, to suggest that there was no connection or relationship between the two. Naturally, the staff of Mansfield were occasional visitors to, and some were on the membership roll of, George Street. There was some interchange and 2 The chapel is built at ninety degrees to the “traditional” alignments of churches, thus the north windows are in the wall facing worshippers. 3 See conclusions 4 overlap, but the situation of being separate providers for Congregationalists in the town and the University was an unspoken assumption. This undesirable but inevitable situation was outlined by R.F. Horton, in a letter to the Nonconformist and Independent in 1881, (Kaye 1996, pp.50-51) where he explains what he perceived to be the poor nature of the building and fellowship at George Street.