Eythorne Baptist Church: Difference between revisions

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'''Eythorne Baptist Church''' originated in the meetings of early 16th century [[Baptist#Origins|Baptist]]s who had crossed the [[English Channel]] from the [[Low Countries]] to [[Kent]] to escape persecution. Nineteenth-century Baptist writer J.&nbsp;J. Goadby named Eythorne as one of the three "most ancient Baptist churches in England".<ref name="Goadby">Goadby</ref>

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For many years the Church had associated village chapels in east Kent. Two of these remain&mdash;at Adisham and Nonington. Others were at Eastry, Ashley, Woolage Green, Wootton and Barnsole.

'''Eythorne Baptist Church''' was most likely formed in the early part of the 16th century by Baptists escape persecution of Baptists in the [[low countries]], making this small Baptist Church one of the earlist in the [[United Kingdom]].

==Beginnings==

==Martyrs in the church==

The immigrant Baptists and their English supporters held meetings at [[Eythorne]] and also at [[Canterbury]], about {{convert|12|mi|km}} away.

[[Joan Boucher]], who is also described as "Joan of Kent", was burnt for being a Baptist at Smithfield on the 2nd May 1550. At her trial she supposedly said "In our little meeting in quiet Eythorne, where as a happy child I drank in the truth, Good Master Humphrey did once expound to us how that ever true faith were so.

[[Joan Bocher|Joan Boucher]], or Bocher, was known to have been involved in "reforming circles" in Canterbury <ref>''DNB''</ref> is said by "uninterrupted and uncontradicted tradition" <ref>Newton Brown</ref> to have been an early member of the church at Eythorne. She was burnt at the stake at Smithfield on 2 May 1550 after refusing to recant her views on [[Theology of Anabaptism#Christology|the incarnation of Christ]]. Soon afterwards, [[John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland|the Duke of Northumberland]], one of [[Edward VI of England|the king]]'s advisers, expressed concern about the "[[Anabaptist]]s lately sprung up in Kent".<ref name="Goadby"/>

==18th and 19th centuries==

==Later History==

The first recorded meeting house was on thein Coldred RoadEythorne and was erectedprobably somewherebuilt aroundabout 1755. with seats It seated approximatelyfor 60 people.; in It1773 it was enlargeddoubled in size. In 1786 baptisms started to 120take peopleplace in 1773.the Singingvillage appearsitself, nota tochange from the previous custom of baptising church members in the sea haveor beenriver permittedat until[[Sandwich, 1750Kent|Sandwich]].

Until 1750 the church seems to have forbidden singing, but half a century later a retired [[Dover]] banker, Peter Fector, apparently objected to hearing the congregation's singing. In January 1804 church members gathered to discuss his offer of £500 for the old meeting house along with an acre of land to build a new chapel. This chapel, which is in use today, was built and opened within the same year.

==Relocation==

On the 29th January 1804 the church members were called together to consider a proposal made by Peter Fector Esq., a wealthy landowner, who lived near the old meeting house. It is read that he objected to "The hearty singing" which came to his ears from the worshippers across the way. His proposal was that he would purchase the old meeting house for £500 and he would also give an acre of land on Langdown, on which to build a new chapel. The new chapel was built the same year and was opened in September by Dr Rippon.

In the late 1830s William Copley, husband of the writer [[Esther Copley]] (''née'' Beuzeville, previous married name Hewlett), became Baptist Minister in Eythorne. Though his ministry started well he developed problems, apparently alcoholism, which meant his wife had to support his work and help write his sermons.<ref>DNB</ref> Esther stayed on in Eythorne when William left in 1843 and is buried at Eythorne under a tree near the gate.

==External links==

*[http://www.eythorne-baptist.co.uk/ Eythorne Baptist Church]

==References==

[[Category:Churches in the United Kingdom]]

* [http://www.eythorne-baptist.co.uk/?q=history History section of Eythorne Baptist Church's website]

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060613212610/http://baptistpillar.com/bd0625.htm J. Newton Brown ''Memorials of Baptist Martyrs'' (1854)]

* [http://website.lineone.net/~gsward/byepaths.html Rev. Joseph Jackson Goadby, ''Bye-Paths in Baptist History'', Chapter 2 (London 1871)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060911112343/http://website.lineone.net/~gsward/byepaths.html |date=11 September 2006 }}

* ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (DNB): articles on Joan Bocher and Esther Copley

{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==

* [http://www.eythorne-baptist.co.uk/?q=node/149 W. Philip Clark, ''Eythorne: our Baptist heritage'' (Sandwich 1981)]

* A.C. Miller, ''Eythorne: the story of a village Baptist church'' (London: Baptist Union 1924)

==External links==

* [http://www.doverpages.co.uk/dover/peter_fector.htm Peter Fector] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060615102940/http://doverpages.co.uk/dover/peter_fector.htm |date=15 June 2006 }}

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[[Category:Churches in theDover, United KingdomKent]]

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[[Category:Baptist churches in Kent]]

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