THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF DISSENTING CHURCHES, &c. &c. CROWN-COURT. SCOTS PRESBYTERIAN. CROWN-COURT, COVENT-GARDEN, is a spacious paved thoroughfare, leading from Bow-street into Russelstreet, the entrance at each end opening upon the two new theatres. The meeting-house was erected about the year 1718, for the Scots Presbyterian Church, under the pastoral care of the Rev. Patrick Russel. A lease of the ground had been previously granted to the elders by the then Duke of Bedford. Mr. Russel, by the interest he made with the nobility, and other persons, connected with Scotland, soon raised a sufficient sum to discharge the debt of the building. It is a large square structure, with three capacious galleries of an irregular form, and is built in a substantial manner. The vestry is taken out of one corner of the meeting, and rather disfigures the interior appearance; otherwise the place is neat and commodious. The congregation was gathered about the commencement of the eighteenth century, by Mr. Russel above-mentioned, CROWN-COURT.Scots Presbyterian. and met for a few years in a court in St. Martin's-lane, probably St. Peter's-court, in the building now occupied by the Quakers, which was originally a Presbyterian meeting-house. Mr. Russel's people consisted in a great measure of the remains of an older congregation that met in the place just mentioned, and which became extinct about the year 1710. To these were joined a number of other persons, chiefly of the Scots nation, who settled in London, and united upon the principles of discipline and church government practised in the Church of Scotland. Prior to the settlement of the present minister, who is an independent, the pastors of this society were members of the Scotch Kirk. Besides the usual services here on the Lord's-day, there is a lecture in the evening, and another on Wednesday evenings, the latter altered from the morning, which was the season at its first establishment, about six years ago. Both the lectures are preached by a variety of ministers, chiefly of the Independent and Baptist persuasions. In the vestry are portraits of two former ministers of the church, Mr. Freeland, and Mr. Oswald. The Pastors of this Society have been as follows: PATRICK RUSSEL.-The founder of the church in Crown Court, as already noticed, was Mr. Patrick Russel, a Scotsman by birth, and born about the year 1676. Of his |