Blisworth Baptist Chapel

A brief account of the Introduction and continuation of the Gospel in the village of Blisworth

John Goodridge of Hartwell Chapel in said county, married Miss Ann Blunt of said parish, took a farm of His Grace the Duke of Grafton and came to reside at Blisworth in 1780.

The Gospel had been preached in village some years before but how long cannot be ascertained, however, there was do Dissenting Minister that preached at that time.
I, having left the Established Church became a Dissenter and finding 3 or 4 in the village, we met together at each other's houses at different times for prayer and meeting with encouragement, we, at length, licensed a dwelling house for evening preaching.

A Mr Pentress with other neighbouring ministers were invited to preach on Sabbath evening and occasionally on a weekday evening, this appeared to be attended with the Divine Blessing in the good work. We met with much opposition and persecution. The Rector of the Parish much offended at growing interests and sent for us to have it put a stop to and said leave no stone unturned to repent our preaching. He got a conventicle from us so had no licensed place to meet, however we continued prayers meetings. In 1789, we requested the Rev Mr Goode, Independent Minister of Potterspury to apply to His Grace the Duke of Grafton to let us have use of a barn in occupation of Robert Campion and after consideration was granted, a part of which was fitted up for a place of worship. Opened for Baptist Dissenters to worship in October 1789.
Rev Wm Heighton of Roade preached once a month and on those Sabbaths when we had no preacher we constantly met for payer.

The congregation still increasing, it became necessary to have whole of barn and Mr Heighton preacher 3 Sabbath evenings out of 4 and congregation still increasing he then preached every Sabbath.

In 1807 a Sabbath School was set up. In a few weeks the number of children was 30 or 60. Several adults became serious and joined the Church at Roade. The spirit continued to increase, the meeting became so thronged that we were obliged to dismiss the greater part of the Sabbath School children before the public worship began. This grieved us very much. Being convinced of necessity of a larger place to worship, we purchased a piece of land from John Goodridge senior for £10 and built a meeting house in 1825. This was 96 feet square and had fixed desks for the Sabbath school, there being 100 children. We then requested our dismission from the Church at Roade which was readily granted. Mr George Foskett became pastor on 6 September 1826.

The following Ministers officiated on the occasion.
Rev John Barker of Towcester
Rev Wheeler of Bugbrooke
Rev Knowles of Hackleton
Rev William Houghton of Roade, our last Pastor, administered the Ordinance of the Lord's Supper to us with about 60 other members who were present on the occasion.
Rev William Gray of Northampton addressed the members and Deacons of the new formed church and gave us a lecture in the evening.

1 November 1825
We, the under-mentioned were formed into a church at Blisworth.
John Goodridge, William Goodridge, William Wood, William Woodhouse, Lucy Johnson, Henry Marriot, Ann Goodridge, Mary Hedge, Francis Deacon, Alice Deacon, Richard Rockingham

Mr John Goodridge senior a deacon of the Church from its commencement, and after having been a member of the Church of Christ at Roade for 43 years and a deacon of that church for 29 years died on 5 October 1826

A portion of garden adjacent to the Chapel was purchased to enlarge the burial ground, build a vestry, schoolroom and minister's residence with offices attached and work commenced in January 1865.

On 18 May 1865 we lay a glass bottle in the foundation at the western corner in front of the Minister's house under the lowest whitestone which is the memorial stone.

The bottle contains a copy of Freeman Baptist Newspaper of 17 May 1865
A handbill of this meeting
the Pastor's manuscript sermon
a sample of wheat grown by John Tite Cave
a sample of kidney beans and cucumber seeds grown by Joseph Westley
a sample of field beans grown by John Campion
a piece of an ox's hoof
an heirloom of sixty years by William Lepper
and in honour of our Queen Victoria, the widows two half farthings and new farthings by Edward Campion
and a silver shilling by Joseph Westley
The cost of the building alterations were estimated at £800,
The Rev J T Brown, Pastor of the Baptist Church in College Street, Northampton laid the stone securely over the bottle in the presence of many people.
300 persons sat down to tea.