Richard Squibb (1804-1879) - "Well done thou good and faithful servant"
by Chris Phillips
The name of Richard Squibb is not much remembered in present day Ely but for more than forty years in the mid-nineteenth century he presided over the congregation at the Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion Chapel at a time when it was numbered in the hundreds and the church's influence in the city was very great.
Richard was born in Dorchester, Dorset in 1804 but there are no clues as to his early life, education or upbringing. What does exist, however, is an account from his own lips of the religious experience that determined his future while he was still very young. Speaking at the end of his ministry in Ely he told of how as a youth he had behaved much as other young men and had “mingled with the world”. Then, he believed, God had spoken to him and had said “Come out; touch not the unclean”. He had then abandoned his “worldly” friendships having been told “Give them up for the sake of Christ” and when one of his former companions had remonstrated with him and urged him to rejoin their group his reply had been “No! Come you with me to Christ!”.
This kind of conversion experience sounding so dramatic perhaps to modern ears was common enough in the England of two hundred years ago. Religious revivals, or Awakenings, had a generation before Richard's day seen the birth of Wesleyan Methodism and its split from the Established Church. Then in the early nineteenth century had come new waves of fervour and strongly influenced by all of this Richard felt himself, as he put it, “born again” - his life on a new course and the subject of Divine grace. Encouraged by the conversion of one of his former companions and told by another friend that he would “one day occupy a pulpit in the service of our Lord” he became convinced of a call to the ordained ministry.
For Dissenters, those not belonging to the Church of England, the route to the ministry at this time could be difficult since they were not allowed to study at the country's universities and so in 1768 Selina, Countess of Huntingdon who was closely associated with Methodism had set up at Trevecca in Brecon a college to train young men for the Methodist ministry. After her death the college relocated to Cheshunt in Hertfordshire so as to be closer to London. It retained an evangelical ethos and sought to give its students a level of education equal to that of Oxford or Cambridge. A surprising feature of its life, however, was that students were not required to subscribe to the Countess's own Calvinistic tenets of faith and were free to seek ordination in any denomination.[1] No fees were charged by the College which accommodated up to twenty young men.
It was to Cheshunt that Richard Squibb went to study and College records show him arriving there in 1828. His only recorded comment about his time there speaks of the good relations he had with his tutors and the high praise he received for his conduct and efficiency. There can be no doubt, however, that his theological education was thorough and that in his four years at Cheshunt he would have been given a solid grounding in New Testament Greek and in Hebrew and would have acquired a deep knowledge of the Scriptures to prepare him for a ministry in which preaching was of the greatest importance.
For Dissenters, those not belonging to the Church of England, the route to the ministry at this time could be difficult since they were not allowed to study at the country's universities and so in 1768 Selina, Countess of Huntingdon who was closely associated with Methodism had set up at Trevecca in Brecon a college to train young men for the Methodist ministry. After her death the college relocated to Cheshunt in Hertfordshire so as to be closer to London. It retained an evangelical ethos and sought to give its students a level of education equal to that of Oxford or Cambridge. A surprising feature of its life, however, was that students were not required to subscribe to the Countess's own Calvinistic tenets of faith and were free to seek ordination in any denomination.[1] No fees were charged by the College which accommodated up to twenty young men.
It was to Cheshunt that Richard Squibb went to study and College records show him arriving there in 1828. His only recorded comment about his time there speaks of the good relations he had with his tutors and the high praise he received for his conduct and efficiency. There can be no doubt, however, that his theological education was thorough and that in his four years at Cheshunt he would have been given a solid grounding in New Testament Greek and in Hebrew and would have acquired a deep knowledge of the Scriptures to prepare him for a ministry in which preaching was of the greatest importance.
Countess of Huntingdon Chapel, Chapel Street, Ely
(now known as The Countess Free Church), (Photo: Chris Phillips) |
When the time came to leave college in 1832 Richard opted to seek an appointment in the Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion. He was interviewed by the Connexion's trustees and took up his post in Ely - on probation for three months. At the end of that period he was invited to remain on a permanent basis but instead chose to do two more three month stints in order for both he and the local congregation to be sure about the appointment. At the end of that time he was appointed by a unanimous vote and so began a ministry that was to last until 1877. The community to which Richard was called was already several decades old when he took up his post. The first itinerant Countess of Huntingdon preachers had visited Ely in 1780 and by 1785 there was a regular congregation in the city. In 1793 a chapel was built by Morgan James in what is now Chapel Street and opened by the Countess's chaplain, Thomas Wills. The early years, however, were not without their problems and 1797 saw the chapel closed as the result of a schism by members of the congregation who adopted Strict Baptist principles. But in 1802 under the leadership of John Sheppard from Cheshunt College the congregation was re-formed and went from strength to strength rising in number to more than five hundred by 1819 when galleries had to be added to the building so that all could be accommodated.
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There are few references in the on-line records to Richard's personal life but he lived in Chapel Street (formerly Cats Lane) almost from the moment he arrived in Ely and by the time of the 1851 census in the house known as Chapel House. Whether he bought it or had it bought for him cannot be known but electoral registers of the time describe his qualification as 'freehold house and garden'. He never married but was looked after by housekeepers including Sarah Stimson who was with him for many years. Three other facts about him are to be gleaned. First, he was a Liberal in politics and the poll books of the period show him on every occasion voting for the Liberal candidates. The secret ballot was introduced only in 1872 and before that men recorded their votes publicly. Opportunities for corruption – bribery especially - must have been many! Richard's politics were very much in tune with the times in which he lived and reflect the tensions that existed between Nonconformists and the Church of England which was very much regarded as “the Tory Party at prayer” and viewed with suspicion by the Dissenting community. Second, he was interested in geology. The Cambridge Independent Press of 25th December 1858 gives a full account of a lecture he had given on the subject to members of his congregation and concluded that he had greatly impressed his audience. It would be interesting to know whether there was any conflict in his own mind between his scientific knowledge and the biblical accounts of creation which many Christians regarded as 'gospel'. But there are no hints in surviving records to throw any light on this. Third, Richard was something of a book collector. After his death they were auctioned off and numbered in the hundreds. There is nothing to say what topics they covered but many must have been theological, some perhaps the books of sermons very much in vogue at the time and some perhaps dealing with geology. Few if any would have been frivolous! Frivolity and time-wasting were much frowned upon in Nonconformist circles and on one occasion late on in his career Richard admonished idle young ministers who had time for fishing while he himself laboured in his study!
It is not possible in a mini-biography to do justice to a ministry spanning five decades but one or two vignettes might best illustrate something of the minister's work. As pastor at the chapel Richard would have had a busy round of baptisms, weddings and funerals some of which were at least noted in the local press and one or two of which were more fully reported. By the time of the 1851 religious census attendance at the chapel was recorded as some 400 adults and 200 children – a large flock for any shepherd. There were morning and evening services to prepare, each with its sermon and in the course of forty-odd years some 2,000 or more must have been preached. They were not the modern 'sound bite' sermons of a few minutes but lasted at least half an hour and were expositions of some verses of scripture with calls to repentance and exhortations to the leading of new and better lives. A record exists of a sermon preached in 1844 entitled “Be not deceived : Evil communications corrupt good manners.” Additionally there were special services - anniversaries, mutual aid society gatherings, appeals for foreign missions and so on and there there were frequent invitations to preach in other chapels, some quite far from Ely.
One major theme that ran through Richard's career was his enthusiasm for Sunday Schools. The Sunday School movement had begun as far back as the 1750s but had gathered pace as the eighteenth century progressed and by the time Richard began his ministry about a quarter of English children (and many adults) attended these schools. For almost all of them it was their only education. For six days a week they worked in factories and on farms, often for thirteen hours a day, and so only on Sundays were free to attend classes. Their textbook was the Bible and their education served the dual purpose of teaching them to read and write and also to be grounded in religious faith. John Wesley had said of himself “homo unius libri” - I am a man of one book – and for succeeding generations of church and chapel folk alike this was very much their watchword. At the Connexion's chapel there was already a schoolroom when Richard took up his post but by about 1850 it was far too small to contain the growing number of scholars. The congregation set about the task of enlarging it and the Cambridge Independent Press of 8th October 1853 reported that he himself had given the land so that the work could take place – was it his own garden that was used? The new schoolroom could accommodate more than 150 scholars and was intended to be for both the education of young people and a place where lectures and other activities could take place. Interestingly people from different congregations helped to raise the necessary funds. There is a wonderful account of Sunday School life in the Independent Press of 20th July 1861 which captures the atmosphere and the spirit of its life:
It is not possible in a mini-biography to do justice to a ministry spanning five decades but one or two vignettes might best illustrate something of the minister's work. As pastor at the chapel Richard would have had a busy round of baptisms, weddings and funerals some of which were at least noted in the local press and one or two of which were more fully reported. By the time of the 1851 religious census attendance at the chapel was recorded as some 400 adults and 200 children – a large flock for any shepherd. There were morning and evening services to prepare, each with its sermon and in the course of forty-odd years some 2,000 or more must have been preached. They were not the modern 'sound bite' sermons of a few minutes but lasted at least half an hour and were expositions of some verses of scripture with calls to repentance and exhortations to the leading of new and better lives. A record exists of a sermon preached in 1844 entitled “Be not deceived : Evil communications corrupt good manners.” Additionally there were special services - anniversaries, mutual aid society gatherings, appeals for foreign missions and so on and there there were frequent invitations to preach in other chapels, some quite far from Ely.
One major theme that ran through Richard's career was his enthusiasm for Sunday Schools. The Sunday School movement had begun as far back as the 1750s but had gathered pace as the eighteenth century progressed and by the time Richard began his ministry about a quarter of English children (and many adults) attended these schools. For almost all of them it was their only education. For six days a week they worked in factories and on farms, often for thirteen hours a day, and so only on Sundays were free to attend classes. Their textbook was the Bible and their education served the dual purpose of teaching them to read and write and also to be grounded in religious faith. John Wesley had said of himself “homo unius libri” - I am a man of one book – and for succeeding generations of church and chapel folk alike this was very much their watchword. At the Connexion's chapel there was already a schoolroom when Richard took up his post but by about 1850 it was far too small to contain the growing number of scholars. The congregation set about the task of enlarging it and the Cambridge Independent Press of 8th October 1853 reported that he himself had given the land so that the work could take place – was it his own garden that was used? The new schoolroom could accommodate more than 150 scholars and was intended to be for both the education of young people and a place where lectures and other activities could take place. Interestingly people from different congregations helped to raise the necessary funds. There is a wonderful account of Sunday School life in the Independent Press of 20th July 1861 which captures the atmosphere and the spirit of its life:
On Sunday afternoon last, the scholars of these schools were publicly examined by the Rev. R. Squibb. The children repeated with accuracy many portions of the Word of God, several hymns, and evinced a pleasing acquaintance with some pieces which were sung in capital style, producing gratification and surprise in the hearers that so many young children could be taught to keep good time. It certainly reflected great credit to those who must have devoted both time and talent towards these little ones. We were pleased to find that a general interest was excited among parents and young persons who filled the chapel upon this interesting occasion.
Wednesday was appointed for the treat .. about 200 children were formed in procession escorted by the teachers and the pastor; while, with a large array of banners and flags they proceeded from the chapel, through Market-street, High-street, St Mary's, taking Walpole-lane in their course towards Mr Little's large barn, Barton where they were plentifully supplied with such things as children love. The evening was joyfully spent in youthful recreation. Soon after five o'clock the friends of the cause partook of tea and at half-past seven the public meeting commenced."
There must have been many in mid-Victorian Ely who were grateful to the Sunday Schools of the town for their education. Richard lived long enough to see the state take more responsibility both for the education of the young and for improvements in working conditions for all. In 1870, for example, the Elementary Education Act of that year went some way to providing school places for children up to the age of twelve – but it was only one milestone on the long road to free, universal education in Britain which in many ways the Sunday School movement had pioneered.
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Like many Nonconformist ministers Richard Squibb was involved in the life of his local community and he accepted an invitation to join the City of Ely Burial Board which oversaw the management of the new Cemetery in Beech Lane. It contained burial areas for both Anglicans and Nonconformists and had been opened in 1855 after churchyards in the city had become full. Records of the Board's meetings exist and in March 1862 there was an interesting exchange of views on the question of epitaphs. It had been brought to Richard's attention that people were visiting the cemetery to laugh at what had been written on a new gravestone and Richard himself saw this happening when he went to see for himself. (The offending verse can be read on the right.)
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“A good father and mother we have been, |
“My fate was hard, and down I fell, |
It was Richard's view that the epitaph was inappropriate doggerel but the Board's Clerk overruled him and said that it was neither profane nor against the law. Another Board member asked if the Board had the power to do anything but the Clerk said that he “would rather see any simple inscription on a poor man's grave than one picked from a book” and he referred the Board to the tombstone of one Thomas Day (left). Mr Day, apparently had collapsed on Middle Fen Bank and, according to the Clerk, the epitaph was therefore appropriate. The meeting moved on to other business but whether Richard was completely satisfied by the Clerk’s ruling is not known.
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By 1872 he felt that he should begin to prepare himself and his congregation for his retirement but it was to be another five years before the time arrived for him to step down. His increasing deafness and general incapacity persuaded him that the time had come. On 29th January 1877 a large congregation gathered to say farewell to their minister. James Cropley J.P. presided over the occasion and after the congregation had sung the hymn”Come let us join our cheerful songs” he presented Richard with “a beautiful crimson purse” containing £115 raised by subscription – more than £12,000 in 2020 values. Mr Cropley spoke eloquently of Richard's ministry and hoped that his retirement would be a time of “peace and quietude” and that his successor would be “one equally estimable as a pastor and a Christian.”. When Richard replied his emotion was obvious. He said “To me it is the most painful separation I have ever experienced. I have lost mother, father, relatives, friends but these losses all combined have not affected me as this separation from you; the separation of pastor from flock.” He sat down to great applause – many in the room having known no other minister.
Richard's retirement proved short-lived. He died on 8th August 1879 at his home in Chapel Street and was buried in Grave B336 on the 13th. The service was conducted by his successor the Rev'd W.P.Huddlestone and the deacons of the chapel and many of the congregation were present. There is no record of any gravestone or epitaph but James Cropley at Richard's farewell service had said that when the time came he hoped that the words Richard would hear would be: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant .. enter into the joy of thy Lord.” Those words from Matthew's Gospel probably said it all.
Richard's retirement proved short-lived. He died on 8th August 1879 at his home in Chapel Street and was buried in Grave B336 on the 13th. The service was conducted by his successor the Rev'd W.P.Huddlestone and the deacons of the chapel and many of the congregation were present. There is no record of any gravestone or epitaph but James Cropley at Richard's farewell service had said that when the time came he hoped that the words Richard would hear would be: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant .. enter into the joy of thy Lord.” Those words from Matthew's Gospel probably said it all.
[1]In 1906 the College migrated to Cambridge and was eventually amalgamated with Westminster College.
