EXTRACTS FROM THE REGISTERS OF THE NON­ CONFORMIST CHAPEL, DUKINFIELD, KEPT BY THE REV. SAMUEL ANGIER, 1677 TO 1713. By y. P. Earwaker, M.A., F.S.A. (Read 24th February, 1881.) HE Chapel at Dukinfield, in the parish of Stockport, co. T Chester, is one of the oldest places of worship belonging to the Nonconformists in Cheshire or Lancashire. The earliest trace of any body of Nonconformists at Dukinfield is in 1644, when Colonel Robert Dukinfield, the celebrated Parliamentarian com­ mander, gave up the chapel attached to Dukinfield Hall, to the Congregationalists, or Independents, as they were then called, to whose views he then very strongly leaned. The first ministers here were Samuel Eaton and Timothy Taylor, who in 1645 style themselves respectively " Teacher and Pastor of the Church in Dukinfield in Cheshire," the former being selected for his ability in public preaching and the latter for pastoral work. Thomas Edwards, the author of Gangrana, writing in 1645 or 6, referring to this chapel, says of it " This Church of Duckingfield is the " first Independent church, visible and framed, that was set up in " England, being before the Apologists came from Holland, and " so before their setting up their churches here in London? Of Samuel Eaton, who was a distinguished man and a some­ what voluminous author, an account, with a full list of his controversial writings, will be found in East Cheshire, vol. ii., pp. 28-35. He was the son of the Rev. Richard Eaton, vicar of Great Budworth, in Cheshire, and was educated at Oxford. He was first beneficed at West Kirby, near Liverpool, but was there suspended, in 1631, by Dr. Bridgeman, bishop of Chester, and fled to Holland, whence he returned to England, and from there went to New England, in America, in 1637. He returned to England in 1640, and on Sunday, January 3rd, 1640-1, preached T 170 Extracts from the Dukinfield at St. John's Church, Chester, and subsequently at Knutsford and other places. Before 1645 he appears to have settled at Dukinfield, and although he was for some little time chaplain to the Parliamentary garrison at Chester, he returned to Dukinfield or Stockport, and died at Bredbury in 1665. His frequent absences at Chester and other causes brought about dissensions in the congregation at the chapel at Dukinfield Hall, and they removed to Stockport, and Calamy states that Eaton preached for some years in the old school-house there, till he was suspended by the Act of Uniformity in 1662. By his will, dated Dec. I2th, 1664, he left money legacies to the chief Nonconformist clergy in Lancashire and Cheshire, and also to his nephew Theophilus, son of his brother Theophilus Eaton, the first governor of New Haven in America.* After Samuel Baton's death it is most probable that his followers attended the ministrations of the celebrated John Angier, at Denton Chapel in Lancashire, until the death of the latter in 1677. Mr. Angier had been assisted during the latter years of his life by his nephew, the Rev. Samuel Angier, whom he had hoped would ultimately have succeeded him at Denton. Disputes, however, arose about the chapel there, and in the end a conformist minister was appointed, and Mr. Angier settled at Dukinfield (separated only from Denton by the river Mersey), and about 1681 began to hold services and preach there, as is thus stated in his Register " 1681, May 29, Father Angier preached first in a " building near his house." His congregation increasing rapidly, he found it necessary in 1686 to make use of a large barn; and some five years after this event he thus records it in his Register " 1691 Mmd that I began to preach in my Barn Oct. 10 1686 " which was 5 years compleat yesterday and this i I th of Oct. 1691 " begins y* 6th." It would appear that this barn had to serve him for the next twenty years or more, as it was not till the year 1708 that the first chapel was built at Dukinfield. It is, however, most probable that Nonconformist services were held in the chapel at Dukinfield Hall, as the members of the Dukinfield * East Chtskire, vol. ii., p. 33. Nonconformist Registers. 171 family were Nonconformists, and there are frequent references to them in Mr. Angler's Register. In the year 1707 Sir Robert Dukinfield, of Dukinfield, Bart, by a deed dated 4th April in that year, the original of which is now in my possession, granted to certain trustees,* all duly named, " a plot of land lying near Hall Green in Dukinfield, together " with the Chappell or Meeting place, stables, structures, or any " edifices or buildings which shall or may be erected thereon," to be held in trust "for the use of a Protestant Presbyterian Minister " of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, Dissenting from the " Church of England" who was to be " called, elected, and "approved" by "the major part of the Brethren who are cora- " municants of that congregation that there do usually attend." Mr. Angier continued to officiate in this Chapel till his death in 1713, but since then, it, like so many other similar foundations, has passed from the hands of the Presbyterians to those of the Unitarians, but is now, I believe, owned by the Independents, who purchased it when a new Unitarian Chapel was erected some few years since. The Register which Mr. Angier commenced, and from which the following voluminous extracts are taken, is one of much interest. Not only are there the usual entries relating to the births, marriages, and deaths of the local Nonconformists of the neighbourhood of Stockport, Dukinfield, Denton, and Ashton- under-Lyne, but there are also numerous entries relating to the chief local gentry in that district, together with many references. to Mr. Angler's own kindred and to the Nonconformist ministers, whom he knew either personally or by repute. Thus there are many entries relating to the Dukinfields of Dukinfield Hall, the Hydes of Hyde and Norbury, the Ardernes of Harden Hall, all well-known Cheshire families, and also to the Hydes of Denton, the Ashtons of Shepley, and other Lancashire families of good social position. With regard to Nonconformist ministers, he tailor, John Kenworthey, of Staley, and Thomas Turner, of (iodlcy, yeomen. Jo of Hyde, yeoman, John Wright, Joshua Taylor, and William Walker, son of John Walker, all of Ashton under Lyne, yeomen. 172 Extracts from t/ie Dukinfield chronicles the death of Richard Baxter in 1691, of Nathaniel Hulton in 1693, of Henry Pendlebury and Henry Newcome in 1695, Richard Frankland in 1698, Robert Constantine in 1699, William Bagshawand Oliver Heywoodin 1702, and John Chorlton in 1705. Towards the latter end of his life, Mr. Angler entered into his Register any facts of public interest which particularly struck him, or which had an additional interest to him as bearing upon the Nonconformists. These, which were chiefly taken from the printed news-letters and papers of the period, are in many cases quaint and curious; but 1 have not devoted much attention to them, as they mainly relate to well-known facts in English History. Some, however, such as the details of the battles of Marlborough in Flanders and elsewhere, show how interested the people in the country were in what was taking place abroad. It would appear that he commenced this Register at Denton, whilst assisting his uncle, the Rev. John Angler, there, and at the time 1677, when, probably owing to his uncle's illness, he had sole charge of the congregation there. Thus he enters his uncle's death on September i, 1677, and he appears to have continued officiating either at Denton or the neighbourhood before he finally settled at Dukinfield. The following names are those occurring, more or less frequently, in this Register : Travis, Haughton, Wild, Torkinton, Lowe, Hudson, Worthington, Robinson, Lees, Higginbothom, Jacques, Shepley, Hurst, Hyde of Haughton, Sandiforth, Gee of Gee Cross, Bennison of the Lume, in Ashton parish, Stopport, Cheetham of Duckenfield, Cocker of Staley, Cook, Wooley of Mottram, Wagstaffe, Bruckshaw, Slater, Leigh, Axon, Grime, Thorneley, Bardsley, Kinder, Collier, Walker, &c. The area from which Mr. Angler's congregation came was a very large one, embracing portions of the parishes of Ashton-under- Lyne and Manchester in Lancashire, Glossop in Derbyshire, and Mottram-in-Longdendale and Stockport in Cheshire, and it is very desirable that this should be remembered, as there are many entries in this volume which might be sought for in vain in any of the registers relating to the above-named parishes. Nonconformist Registers. 173 Extracts from tbe volume, entitleo " H IReoister of Cbrtstentnos from Hugust 1677 ano of some flDarriaoes ano ffunerals." August 12 & 28 1 John son of Sr Robert Dukenfield of Dukenfield B[orn] & Bap. I in ye Parish of Stockport & County Palatine of Chester and his lady Jane was born August ye twelfth and Baptizid August 28 1677 Dyed 15 1 Jonathan Thornely of Backbouer dyed August Bur. 17 j 15th and was buried ye 17th Sept. i Dyed I The Reverd Mr John Angier of Denton Pastor Bur. 3 I of the Congregation above fourty five years departed this life Sept. i and was buried Sept. 3 1677 aged almost 72 yn being baptizid October 5 th 1605 Novemb. \ Mr Abel Oldham died at Beekham Nov. 23rd 23 Died 26 Bur.) buried ye 26th Jan. 17 Died jCol. John Dukenfield at Brackens, Essex Feb. 17 Bur. JCol. John Dukenfield was buried in Denton Chappell March 14 Bap. Elizab'eth daughter of Mr John Jolly and Alice his wife was baptized ye 14th buried 29th 22 Bap.