| Exactly
when a local group of Christians started meeting together in
Neston, is not known. But what is known is that a certain Mr.
John Edridge, the owner of Pockeridge House, held meetings in
his drawing room. In 1832 Rev. John A. Methuen, Vicar of Corsham
(and undoubtedly related to Lord Methuen's family of Corsham
Court) resigned the Church of England, and after being baptized
joined the company of believers meeting in Neston, known as
Corshamside. Whether John Methuen met with the believers in
Pockeridge House or at the Malthouse is not totally clear, but
in any case the believers had found a place where they could
meet and remember the Lord's death by the ‘breaking of bread’.
A hand-written, undated, unsigned letter has been preserved,
which appears to have been written around the turn of the
century from which some of the following will be extracts:
‘. . .
It may encourage some of God's children if we give a little
account of the Lord's work that followed this humble beginning,
which it pleased God to prosper and bless. In cottages, in the
open, in drawing rooms, and wherever doors were opened they,
like the Thessalonians, sounded out the word of the Lord. Souls
were saved and saints were built up and led on in the way of
truth. The Old Malthouse would no longer serve the purpose, for
the work of the Lord grew, and the need of a more suitable place
was felt . . .’
They believed
the truth of Scripture that ‘My God shall supply all you need’.
‘. . . and it
pleased God to supply a suitable meeting place in His own
blessed way . . .‘ The letter continues: ‘. . . the place of
God's providing was a convenient Gospel Hall, holding between
100 and 200 people . . .’ The Gospel Hall and the adjoining
ground were given to the assembly by Mr. Edridge of Pockeridge
House as a ‘. . . place of preaching and a graveyard for the
society of brethren . . .’ Unfortunately, the generous donor
died whilst the hall was being built and was buried alongside it
in the graveyard. He died on the 5th January 1856 aged 68 years
and was the first to be buried there. The local believers
erected a large memorial expressing their indebtedness to one
‘. . . who had it in his heart to build this place of worship
. . .’ His relatives sought to have his body exhumed, since
they did not want him to be buried in some ‘. . .
unconsecrated field . . .’ In recent years a road in Corsham
has been named after him.
Later in 1856
the Gospel Hall was opened and amongst the trustees were a local
gamekeeper, a butcher, a blacksmith, and Captain H. M. Becher
who was associated with George Muller of Ashley Down Orphanages.
The first
wedding was held in 1866 between Henry Smith and Hannah Cheadle,
who was the schoolmistress at the Moor Green local school. Henry
Smith was the first of five generations of Smiths knowing the
Lord's blessing and baptized at Corshamside (Neston) and joined
local assembly fellowship - still being present in Corsham
assembly today. 1867 saw the second wedding at Corshamside –
Thomas Sawyer and Ruth Davis. These families, including the
Smiths, were amongst the most influential within the assembly
history. But none more so than Samuel Davis (Ruth's brother). He
was highly regarded amongst the assemblies and was instrumental
in the conversion of many.
At the turn of
the century it became necessary to enlarge the hall on account
of the increasing Sunday school. This had begun 30 years
previously and scores of children had been led to the Saviour
through it and grew up to serve Him.
From the
assembly about 20 went out into the surrounding villages
spreading the gospel every Lord's Day. God gave both increase
and blessing. Up until the outbreak of World War I a very large
men's Bible class flourished and often went out to hold ‘open-air’
meetings in the district. In 1910 there were 82 in fellowship,
some of them travelling from the nearby town of Corsham. A
gathering commenced in Corsham and 12 of the believers from
Corshamside went to help form the new meeting. In 1926 the
Primitive Methodist Church in Station Road was purchased for
those meeting in Corsham.
In the 1950s
Tom Moore, a Wiltshire evangelist, conducted children's missions
and there was a large increase in the children's work. Bob
Stokes (then a missionary in Fiji and more recently a gospel
radio broadcaster) held a notable mission in Neston: souls were
saved and there was much local blessing. Subsequently, there
were tent-based missions held by Counties evangelists.
Over the past
170 years or so, the Assembly has been an influence in the
surrounding district more than its founders could have ever
imagined. Few of the older established families in the area have
not had a family member in fellowship at one time or another.
In more recent
years the assembly has declined numerically as many of the
believers have been called home. Being a smallish village and
having little employment, young people and families are few.
However, the work continues, the presence of the Lord amongst us
is still a blessed reality, and we are earnestly praying for
increase. There has been much prayer and exercise of the
believers concerning the future and two local full-time workers
have commenced a visitation programme in Neston and Corsham in
fellowship with both assemblies, with a view to home evangelism
and possibly a preaching campaign later.
Please pray
that this work of God, which had its humble beginnings almost
two centuries ago, will both continue and increase until ‘He
who shall come, will come’. His name be glorified. |
