Table Double Lecture 1781-1788

This table takes us from 1781-1788. The table is complete
(click to see)

Table Double Lecture 1774-1780

These are the details of the Double Lecture 1774-1780 (click to see)

Kinghorn on the Double Lecture

In a letter to his parents when he was based in Fairford Joseph Kinghorn (later of Norwich) begins:

Fairford, July 22nd, 1788.

Dear Father And Mother,

As to our double lecture, there are now only four churches in it, Fairford and the three following; Bourton-on-the-Water, fifteen miles north, Mr B Beddome and Mr Wilkins; Coate, twelve miles north-east, Mr T Dunscombe; Abingdon, twenty-five miles east, Mr D Turner and Mr J Evans. Our other near neighbours are Cirencester, eight miles west, Mr Dore; Wantage, twenty miles east, Mr Smith; Horsley, twenty miles west, Mr B Francis; Tetbury, eighteen miles west, Mr Burchell. I might add others, but they are rather out of our reach; however, you may add Oxford to the list, about twenty-eight miles from us.

Arlington is now supplied every Sabbath evening, once a fortnight by me, the other Sabbath by a young man, an Independent, who is at Chedworth, a place north of us about ten miles, about five from Arlington.

Double lectures in Snooke

We have mentioned before how Roger Hayden writes about the double lecture established among the Abingdon, Fairford, Wantage, Cirencester, Cote and Bourton churches 1774-1788. In the six summer months (April-September) there would be a double lecture (an older and a younger minister preaching) at each church in turn. In Snooke's diaries for 1774 and 1775 we have references to the August double lectures in Bourton. He notes that

In 1774 the order was

1. Mr Stanwell (Cirencester) prayed

2. Singing

3. [Samuel] Dunscombe (Cheltenham) prayed

4. [James] Biggs (Wantage) preached on Rom 5:3-5

5. [Thomas] Davis (Fairford) prayed

6. Singing

7. [Daniel] Turner (Abingdon) on Mk 9:50

8. Singing

9. Mr Pindy (sic) prayed [probably Thomas Purdy, Chipping Norton]

Snooke had all the ministers back for a meal after and put some up at his home. Some went on to Bengeworth. Stanwell stayed to preach in Bourton on the Sunday and Beddome went to preach for him in Cirencester.

Snooke also noted the double lecture in Abingdon on September 28, where we know Bedome was one of the speakers.

Something similar happened in 1775. This time Snooke notes that the meeting began at 10.45 am and ended at 1.45 pm, a length of 3 hours. The order was

1. Singing

2. Biggs prayed

3. [Thomas] Davis preached on Php 1:21

4. [Samuel's brother Thomas] Dunscombe [Coate] prayed

5. [Daniel] Turner preached on John 14:6

6. Singing

7. [Benjamin] Francis [Horsley] prayed

Turner read all the hymns and went on about 4 pm to preach in Chipping Norton.

Hayden 06

On page 88 Hayden also quotes the Bourton church book of April 20, 1781, referring to Turner of Abingdon at the double lecture in Abingdon speaking of revival among Baptists in South Carolina. Some 851 had been baptised.

Hayden goes on to write about the double lecture established among the churches (Abingdon, Fairford, Wantage, Cirencester, Co(a)te and Bourton) 1774-1788. In the six summer months there would be a double lecture (an older and a younger minister preaching) at each of the churches in turn. He gives a typical list for 1774

Fairford: [James] Biggs [Wantage] and [Daniel] Turner [Abingdon] [April]
Wantage: Caleb Evans [Bristol] and Joseph Stennett [London] [May]
Co(a)te: Beddome and Biggs [June]
Cirencester: [Samuel or Thomas] Dunscombe [Cheltenham or Coate] and Turner [July]
Bourton: Biggs and Turner [August]
Abingdon: [Thomas] Davis [Fairford] and Beddome [September]

He gives other details and says that Beddome was usually preaching twice a year at these meetings.