More on Richard Haines

Mr Pickles points out that Beddome's protégé Richard Haines (d 1767) who became the minister at Bradford on Avon, unlike Beddome and other protégés did not do any formal study in preparation for the ministry as far as we know. He points out that this is probably true also of Haines' own protégés, Charles Cole (1733-1814) pastor at Whitchurch, Hampshire, for over fifty years; Robert Marshman (1735-1806) pastor at Westbury Leigh for over forty years and John Matthew. Further, Robert Parsons (1717-1790), the stone mason and pastor at Bath, though from Broadmead, was decidedly against formal ministerial training. Haines was present at meeting in 1752 and 1755 at the beginning of the history of the church in Bath. He also draws attention to something found here. There it says of Cole that

He was baptized in February 1756 and became a member of the church at Bradford. Soon after this it was apparent he possessed ministerial talents and having opportunity to exercise them in two or three villages in the neighbourhood with acceptance he was called to the work of the ministry in 1758.

Providence now opened the way for his removal from Bradford in the following manner: his Pastor having occasion to go to Devizes accidentally met with two worthy individuals who were on their way to Bristol with a view to procure a student from the academy for the church at Whitchurch. In conversation with Mr Hains the object of their journey was mentioned when Mr H suggested that Mr Cole might possibly suit the people at Whitchurch. The small pox prevailing greatly at that time at Bristol and Mr Hain's account of Mr Cole induced them to relinquish their journey on the promise of Mr H to influence Mr Cole to pay the church at Whitchurch a visit. With this engagement Mr Cole's diffidence and modesty made it difficult to comply; at length he assented and in May 1758 preached his first sermon among them and tarried six weeks which issued in an invitation to supply them a twelve month with a view to the pastoral office which he accepted; at the close of the period he was unanimously invited to take the oversight of them in the Lord and notwithstanding the low state of the church which was reduced to 13 members he undertook the charge and was ordained by Messrs Hains of Bradford, Phillips of Salisbury and Kent of Broughton June 6 1759.

Richard Haynes

Richard Haynes d 1768 

According to Robert Oliver, a subsequent pastor at Bradford on Avon, Richard Haynes was baptised in May 1741 and was an early convert of the Revival in Bourton under Beddome. In 1747, he received permission to preach in other churches after successfully exercising his preaching gifts at Bourton. Haynes lived at Burford, and preached both there and in Oxford, before receiving a call to Bradford on Avon in 1750. 

Taking up the pastorate there, he had a fruitful ministry until his premature death in 1768. Although he had no formal ministerial training the church at Bourton recorded that they considered him to be a 'remarkable' man of 'a savoury spirit'. Hayden says he started a work in Bath in 1755 (perhaps a little earlier). 

Summing up his ministry many years later William Hawkins wrote that "He was ordained on the 25th April, 1750. He appears to have been sound in the faith and consistent in discipline. His ministry was greatly honoured for eighteen years, when he suddenly died, having been called from earth to heaven while at his dinner on the 17th May, 1768." 

Even while a pastor Haynes continued in his work as a clothier, taking on an apprentice (Richard Briggs) in 1760. Haynes appears to have left £600 in his will, including gifts of £100 and £150 to be invested and the interest used by trustees to benefit, respectively, Baptist churches in Bradford, Westbury Leigh (8 miles south) and Whitchurch, Hants (Whitchurch is over 50 miles away from Bradford, the connection was established in 1759 when fellow clothier Charles Cole (1733-1813) went there as pastor, having been converted, baptised and brought into membership in Bradford three years before. He produced a small collection of hymns in 1789) and to Baptist churches in Malmesbury (20 miles north) and Melksham (7 miles east).

Hayden 07a

On pages 89-92 Hayden looks at who went into the ministry through Beddome. We have a post on this here. He does add a little information.

1. Richard Haines - Hayden says his death was on May 17, 1767. He was baptised May 15, 1741. He gives the 1747 note about calling him. Haines pastored in Bradford-on-Avon 1750-1767. Hayden gives the note from the Bourton church book on his death mentioning a work started by him in Bath in 1755.

2. John Ryland Senior is only mentioned in passing.

3. Richard Strange (Stratton, Wiltshire). Not mentioned by Hayden.

4. John Reynolds (1730-1792). There is quite a bit on him. Hayden quotes the Bourton church book but can cast no light on the period before the call to Cripplegate 1766 and ordination, which involved Gill and Stennett, with Benjamin Wallin the preacher (no Bristol men involved). Hayden mentions the unfortunate accidental swallowing of his shirt studs that impaired his voice forever after. He mentions a friendship with former Bristol student John MacGowan and says that Reynolds one published sermon was a 1782 address to the annual meeting of the Bristol Education Society.

5. Nathanael Rawlings (1733-1809) was baptised March 24, 1750. Hayden gives some further background on this man who ministered in Trowbridge and Broughton (Broughton Gifford near Melksham or Borughton in Hampshire?).

6. William Wilkins. Hayden mentions Beddome's Bristol trained assistant from Horsely here.

7. Alexander Paine. Not mentioned by Hayden.

8. Thomas Coles, Beddome’s eventual successor. Not mentioned by Hayden.