ST. MARTIN'S-LANE.

PRESBYTERIAN-EXTINCT.

In the latter part of the seventeenth century, the Presbyterians

N

had a meeting-house in St. Martin's-lane, probably the one in St. Peter's-court, now occupied by the Quakers. As the church existed but a few years, and expired in the early part of the succeeding century, very little can now be gathered of its history. Mr. Gabriel Sangar, who was ejected from the parish of St. Martin's, gathered the society from amongst his former hearers, and preached to them as often as the turbulent state of the times would allow. He was a grave and peaceable Divine, but met with much rough usage as well under the persecution of Laud, as after the Restoration. Upon being silenced he thought it his duty to remain in the parish with his former flock, and to visit them that desired him, especially during the pestilence. The Oxford Act drove him from place to place; but when the king issued his declaration for liberty, his former hearers intreated him to return, and he preached to them amidst much unmanly opposition from his successor, Dr. Lamplugh, till the time of his death, which happened in May, 1678, when he had completed his 70th year.*

We cannot discover the name of Mr. Sangar's successor, and only know that a Mr. HUMPHREYS was the last pastor. The manuscript of London Churches before quoted says, that the church dissolved in 1714; but that event probably took place a few years earlier. Mr. Patrick Russel, who gathered the church in Crown-court about 1710, preached first in St. Martin's-lane, and some of his people had been members of the old church.

* Calamy's Acc. p. 27.

GREAT CASTLE-STREET, LEICESTER FIELDS.

THIS

HIS was originally a French Protestant chapel, and stood on the eastern side of the street, not far from Hemming'srow. It was built at the expence of the government in the reign of Charles II. for the Refugees who fled to this country for protection from the persecution of Louis XIV. Their number was at that time very considerable, but being diminished by death, the remuant left this place about half a century ago, in favour of a smaller one situated in Moorstreet, Soho, where a small interest still assembles. Maitland mentions this place in his list, under the year 1738. When the French Protestants left it, the place was occupied successively by various societies, chiefly for temporary purposes; but, it is appprehended that no distinct church was ever formed there. The Scots church in Crown-court engaged the place for a short period whilst their own was repairing. It has been disused as a place of worship for more than twenty years, and is now the Court of Requests.

There has subsisted for a number of years a society of religious persons, who meet on a Thursday evening, after the hours of business, in a private house, on the opposite side of the street. The persons who compose this assembly are of the Calvinistic persuasion, and conduct the worship. amongst themselves, any member having the privilege of praying and exhorting.

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ORANGE-STREET.

CALVINISTIC METHODISTS.

ALTHOUG

LTHOUGH the people who meet at the above place, do not strictly fall under the denomination of Dissenters, yet, as the place is licensed under the Act of Toleration, and is supplied by ministers who call themselves Dissenters, there would be an impropriety, in excluding it altogether from a place in the present work.

ORANGE-STREET Chapel belonged originally to the French Protestant Refugees, and was erected for their use in the reign of King Charles II. The successors of these much injured persons continued to occupy the place till the year 1776, when the well-known Mr. Toplady entered into an engagement with the trustees for the use of the chapel on Sunday and Wednesday evenings. It was upon this spot that he closed his ministerial labours, after a term of two years and three months, in the year 1778.

Mr. Toplady was assisted in his ministerial work by Dr. ILLINGWORTH, who supplied his lectures during his last illness. But he was succeeded in his regular engagements at Orange-street by that late valuable minister and eminent preacher, Mr. RICHARD CECIL. With him was associated the Rev. HENRY FOSTER, the present minister of Clerkenwell; and the late Mr. JOHN EYRE, of Rams Chapel, Homerton, occasionally gave his assistance. In the course of a short period, Mr. Cecil and Mr. Foster entered into an engagement with the parishioners of St. Martin's, for the use of the chapel of ease in Long Acre, which having obtained, they removed the congregation from Orange-street to that place. After their removal, the French Protestants not being able to support the expences of the chapel in Orange-street, were obliged to relinquish it, and the place was shut up. In a short time it was reopened by some persons who being likewise unable to sup

NEWPORT-MARKET.-Particular Batpist, Extinct.

port the expences, the doors were again closed. Whilst in this state, a few friends of the Rev. Charles De Coetlegon, preacher at the Lock, entered into an agreement for Orange-street chapel, with a view to his preaching there; but Mr. De Coetlegon writing to the vicar of the parish for his consent, and not obtaining it, declined closing with the recommendation of his friends. Upon this, they parcelled the chapel into shares, and fitted it up in its present form, with an organ, and desk for a prayer reader, the liturgy was introduced, and having obtained the assistance of some popular preachers amongst the Dissenters, a respectable congregation was soon collected. It is now in a flourishing state, and the pulpit is supplied by a constant change of preachers. The place is ticketed in the manner usual in places of this description.

NEWPORT-MARKET.

PARTICULAR BAPTIST.-EXTINCT.

IN

a manuscript list of Dissenting Churches in London, in the year 1731; there is one mentioned as meeting in Newport-Market. It was of the Particular Baptist denomination; and the meeting-house, we understand, was actually in the Market-place. Of the church, however, we can meet with no account; and though we have consulted some aged persons, yet we can find no one who remembers even the building. It must have been taken down more than half a century ago. The famous orator Henley, performed part of his strange career at this place. It was in his possession prior to the above period, and was probably fitted up in the first instance for his use. It then went by the name of the

GRAFTON-STREET.-Particular Baptist, Extinct.

"ORATORY." We have now before us a very curious collection of tracts by the said John Henley, printed mostly in the old English letter. Amongst them is "The First Sermon preached at the opening of the Oratory, on Sunday, July 3, 1726. On the design and reasons of the Institution." This will serve in a great measure to fix the date of the building in Newport-Market, as well as the commencement of Mr. Henley's labours there. Another tract in the same volume brings us to the close of the Orator's concerns in the same place. It is entitled, "The Butchers' Lecture. Preached at Newport-Market, on Easter-day in the evening, April 6, 1729. And on Low Sunday following, at the Oratory, removed from Newport-Market to Lincoln's-innfields. The first undertaking of the kind, and published at the desire of both auditories." Of this singular personage, and of his equally singular establishment, we propose to give a more particular description at the second, which was the last stage of his mortal existence. The building in Newport-Market passed from the episcopal Orator to the Baptists, as above-mentioned. How long they held it seems uncertain. Maitland, who wrote in 1738, does not mention this place in his list of Dissenting meeting-houses licensed in that year.

GRAFTON - STREET.

PARTICULAR BAPTIST.

THE meeting-house in Grafton-street was erected about

the year 1750, for a society of Particular Baptists, that had met for many years in Glass-house-street, leading to Swallow-street, Piccadilly. Their pastor, at that period, was