Deaths of Ministers in 1795

Romaine, Stennett, Kippis

On October 18, 1795, in the year of Beddome's death, a sermon was preached by John Evans (1767-1827) at Worship Street, Shoredi
tch, being a sincere tribute of respect to the memory of the Rev Samuel Stennett, DD, The Rev Andrew Kippis DD FRSAS and The Rev Rice Harris DD. To Which Are Prefixed, A Few Particulars Of Their Lives And Writings. It was by John Evans AM and was published by request. The printer was Charles Whittingham (1767–1840) and it was sold by Benjamin Crosby, Stationers Court; Thomas Knott, Lombard Street; John Marsom, High Holborn and Joseph Cottle (1770-1853) in Bristol.

Evans, a Welshman born at Usk in Monmouthshire, studied in Bristol, where a relative, Dr Caleb Evans, was theological tutor and also in Aberdeen and Edinburgh. He came to England in June 1791 and accepted an invitation to be their pastor from the morning congregation of General Baptists in Worship Street. In 1794 he opened a school, first at Hoxton Square and subsequently in Islington. He published many works on various subjects.

His sermon is on Psalm 12:1 Help, Lord; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men. In the preface, where he gives some biographical information about Stennett, Kippis and Harris, he makes this remark, “... The recent mortality amongst ministers has been great. Within these few months have been numbered with the dead, Romaine, Toller, Gentleman, Flexman, Stennett, Kippis, Harris, Beddome and Clark. These were ministers of talents and respectability in their several connections, and, excepting Mr Romaine, were all of the dissenting interest.

It seems that all nine of these men died between March 15 and the date of the sermon, October 18, 1795. The order was Toller (March 15) Flexman (June 14) Gentleman (buried July 12) Romaine (July 26) Clark(e) (July 29) Stennett (August 24) Beddome (September 3) and finally Kippis and Harris (October 9 and 10).

In order of age, Flexman was the oldest at 86 (b 1708) and Gentleman the youngest at 48 (b 1746). Romaine was 80 (b 1714) Beddome, 77 (b 1717) Kippis, 69 (b 1725), Stennett, 71 (b 1727) Toller and Clark(e), both 62 (b 1732) and Harris, 60 (b 1730). Further

• William Romaine was an evangelical London preacher in the Church of England and a friend of George Whitefield (1714-1770). He was converted in 1748 after having been in the ministry some years. A Hebrew expert, he was the author of many works, including his trilogy The Life, The Walk, The Triumph of Faith.
• Thomas Toller was educated at Plaisterers’ Hall in London before becoming the Independent minister of Monkwell Street Chapel, London. Several of his sons were also ministers. He is buried in Bunhill Fields.
• Robert Gentleman, a dissenting minister and tutor, was born in Shrewsbury and grew up under the ministry of Job Orton (1717-1783). He studied at Daventry under Caleb Ashworth (1722-1775) and ministered first in Shrewsbury, where he kept a boarding-school. In 1779 he became divinity tutor at the Carmarthen Academy. There were discipline problems there and in 1784 he resigned, the academy moving to Swansea. Gentleman later became minister in Kidderminster. He seems to have veered towards Arianism.
• Roger Flexman, a non-subscribing Presbyterian minister, was a chronological and historical scholar and an indexer and bibliographer. Perhaps he should not be on this list as he became an Arian. He is also buried in Bunhill Fields.
• Samuel Stennett DD was a Seventh Day and regular Baptist minister and a hymn writer. From an illustrious line, he succeeded his father at Little Wild Street, London in 1758. Another now lying in Bunhill Fields.
• Andrew Kippis DD FRS was a nonconformist clergyman and biographer. He studied under Doddridge and became a voluminous writer. One of his books was about the voyages of James Cook (1728-1779). From 1753 he was a Presbyterian minister in London. Again he was probably unsound theologically and a Unitarian. Yet another now in Bunhill Fields.
• Rice Harris DD, a Welshman, was an Independent or Congregationalist minister in London. A fifth interred in Bunhill Fields.
• Benjamin Beddome MA was for 52 years a Particular Baptist pastor in Bourton-on-the-water.
• William Nash Clark(e) was converted through Whitefield but became a Baptist minister firstly in Unicorn Yard, London and then down in Exeter. He was also a tutor for the PB fund.

Should others be added to the list? There are perhaps a few others. Again buried in Bunhill Fields, there is the Baptist William Dowars VDM (1720-1795) who died on July 1, 1795. For 38 years he was the minister of the church in Little Alie Street, Goodman's Fields. He began his ministry at Mangotsfield, near Bristol, where he laboured several years until the early death of James Fall (1727-1756), who he followed at Little Alie Street. He was succeeded by William Shenston. There is also an Independent minister called Edward Hitchin (1750-1795) who ministered in Bristol and who died January 27.
Finally, another Particular Baptist, Thomas Skinner (1752-1795) who died of a fever early in February. He ministered in Tuthill Stairs near Newcastle. Born in Northamptonshire, he grew up in Exeter where he was converted. He was educated for the ministry in Bristol and then become the first pastor of a church in Clipstone, Northamptonshire, where he baptised 60 people between 1779 and 1783. He then went to Towcester where he baptised 30 more before the move to the Newcastle area at the end of 1792. Also note James Purves (1777-1795) the Scottish universalist who ministered in Edinburgh and who died on February 1.