Family
Family
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The oldest child of Samuel Stennett and his wife was Master Haley Stennett who died about 1757, as I have said before.
Their other son was Joseph IV. Accordingly to Whitely, Joseph IV at Warwick from 1777 to 1779, presumably as a Baptist pastor. 285 In the letter from Robert Burnside to Samuel Stennett dated December 23, 1779, Burnside says he has "been enquiring after a boarding-house for Masr. Stennett." 286 Burnside was writing from the university town of Aberdeen; the boy referred to is probably Joseph IV. Joseph would likely be a young man then, so I suggest he was born about 1758. (Haley was the only child of the Stennetts when he died about 1757.) Later Joseph IV became the assistant to his father at the Little Wild Street Baptist Church in London. He was received into the Baptist Board (of ministers) on February 22, 1785 287 According to the London Times for June 23, 1791, "Rev J. Stennett" was married to a Mrs. Straphan." 288 He was yet his father's assistant in 1794. 289 About the time of his father's death, 1795, he was very sick, but recovered. About the same time, he became the pastor at Coate in Oxfordshire which had once been served by his uncle Joseph III. 290 I have never read that he served the Little Wild Street Church after his father's death. In 1798, there are records that show he was the minister also at Buckland and Farington in Berkshire, just across the county line from Coate in Oxfordshire. 291 These churches he served through 1810, going to the Baptist Church at Calne in 1811 and remaining there into 1824. Then he vanishes from History. As he would be about sixty-five years old then, I suggest that he died. Anyway, with him, the name Stennett disappeared as far as this branch of the family is concerned. 292 Thus a great family of Dissenter ministers come to an end. Whitley credits him with two small publications: A Social Prayer (circular of the Oxford at Alchester) published in 1806 and The Truths of the gospel, their influence and practical Effects (Circular of the Western at Taunton) published in 1817. 293 Samuel and his wife had a daughter, Miss. Elizabeth Stennett. It is said of her and her brother, Joseph IV, that Samuel had "inexpressible satisfaction" in them." 294 Some time after her father's death and before the issuing of his Works in a three volume edition in 1824, she married Edward Phillips, Esq. of Grosvenor Terrace, Bath. (They had in their possession a letter from John Howard to Samuel Stennett.) 295
"He went to the new 'college' in Bristol in 1778." N2 He was aided by Dr. John Ward's Trust, 1779-84. "He was first maintained at Bristol. In November, 1781 he had five guineas for the voyage to Aberdeen where he completed his course in 1784. After a pastorate at Coate he ministered at Caine from 1811-24." N3 He was admitted into the (Particular) Baptist Board (in London) on 22 Feb. 1785. N4 He became an "Assistant to his Father" about 1788. N5 His being in that position is stated as "eight or nine years." He went to Coate in 1798. N6 In 1790 the Brown Street Baptist Church in Salisbury had a new deed made. Since the church building had been jointly owned by "First Day" and "Seventh Day" Baptists, it would appear that Seventh Day Baptist interests are represented by Joseph Stennett, "Muswell Hill, Surrey," his father (Samuel), and a Seventh Day Baptist minister (Robert Burnside) from London. Muswell Hill was the residence of his parents (six miles from London). N7 The "Rev. Joseph Stennett [was married to Mrs. Straphan, of James street, Covent-garden" on 21 June 1791. N8 He followed his father, Dr. Samuel Stennett (d. 1795), at the Little Wild Street Particular Baptist Church in London; three years later he was offered the chief pastorate, but as the offer was not quite unanimous, he very wisely refused it. The minutes of the church meeting of 1 Oct. 1795 show he had sent a letter to the meeting that "he desires he may not be consider'd any longer as a state[d] Preacher amongst us -- but that as his health & circumstances will admit, at our request he should be happy to serve us occasionally." The 28 March 1796 minutes show there had been some misunderstandings between him and the church: we "assure him ... sympathize with him in his late affliction ..." N9 He became the Baptist pastor at Coate, Oxfordshire, in 1798 where he continued until Dec. 1810. He was been ordained at Coate by Abraham Booth (London), Benjamin Francis (Shortwood), John Evans (Abingdon), and James Hinton (Oxford). At that time Stennett is said to have been a bachelor, but in the light of his marriage above the bachelorhood may be a mistaken assumption. By the will of Abraham Atkins, Esq., sixteen churches were endowed; the pastor in 1798 was Joseph Stennett for "Buckland, Berks.," "Coat, Oxon," and "Farrington, Berks." N10 He had a new chapel built at Faringdon. (A previous/pastor at Coate had related to Buckland, "Farringdon," and Bampton.) N11 After twelve or thirteen years he became the Baptist pastor at Caine, Wiltshire. At Caine he was tormented by someone which is probably what "obliged him to leave the pulpit and be carried to Fishponds where there was a "lunatic asylum" -- this was in 1824. It is said his wife died in 1824. He was believed to be still alive in 1829 and possibly "returned to London and joined the Scotch Baptists." Someone had the impression he had a son in the ministry, but that is unsubstantiated. N12 (The Rev. Samuel Stennett (1780-1841), son of Benjamin Ridley Stennett, is said to have been a Scotch Baptist until 1825, so there may confusion with this man, his second cousin.) N13 At Coate the Baptist Church had been served by his uncle, Joseph Stennett [III] (d. 1769) and his cousin Joseph [IV] Stennett who "carried on the work for two years after his father's death, and probably during his father's illness." N14 While pastor at Coate, Joseph (the son of Dr. Samuel Stennett) was also pastor of the Farington Baptist Church: "Pastors ... Joseph Stennett (of Cote) 1798-l810." N15 Joseph Stennett, son of Dr. Samuel Stennett, was pastor of Farington along with Coate. N16 There is an extant letter of May 1, 1798, from Joseph Stennett (Bampton, Oxfordshire) anticipating his ordination. N17 Since he almost certainly was previously ordained, it would appear that this ordination is to those particular congregations. A Stennett anecdote was published in John Rippon's Baptist annual register, III (1798-1801), sent in by J. S. from Islington -- presumably this Joseph Stennett. N18 In 1801 Stennett from Hampton signed his support to a letter by Thomas Taylor. N19 On 25 March 1808 from Hampton he wrote a letter about the Little Wild Street Church. N20 The circular letters available to me of the Baptist Congregational Churches of the "Oxfordshire" Association (including a few churches in nearby counties) mention him 1803-1807. The circular letters available to me of the Western Association show him as pastor at Calne, Wiltshire, in 1815, 1817 (in which year he presented the Association's general letter). A few years after he became pastor of the Baptist Church at Calne, some members withdrew (1816) and formed Zion Baptist Chapel since they were "not profiting by [Stennett's] ministry." N21 A Strict Baptist history puts a different slant on the secession: "This old Particular Baptist church [Stennett's] practised strict communion, but in the early nineteenth century became involved in the movement, which resulted in many of the older churches departing from their distinct Calvinist position. This tendency resulted in a secesssion in 1813, when a group began to meet in a room and formed a church of their own. They met in this way for twenty-four years until Zion Chapel was built in 1837." N22 A slightly different account of the division is in the tercentenary Castle Street, Caine, anniversary booklet: "the Rev. Joseph Stennett . . . during his ministry the Church approved the demolition of the old meeting house and the erection of a new one. Before the work was completed however, a personal and non-doctrinal difference arose within the fellowship, resulting in the withdrawal of certain members ..." In spite of these difficulties however, the building was completed in 1817 ... In 1824 Mr. Stennett's health gave way, and he removed to Bristol." N23 In 1820, Joseph Stennett of Calne, Wilts, was one of the trustees of Baptist Church at Ingham, Norfolk, where Benjamin Stennett had been pastor and which church had had Seventh Day Baptists in it. N24 This Joseph Stennett apparently had been raised as a Sabbath- keeper, but in 1818 it is said he is not a "Sabbatarian." N25 There are two known publications by this Joseph Stennett: (1) Social prayer. The circular letter of the [Oxfordshire Baptist Association]... (n. p., 1806), and (2) Circular letter ... of the Western Association Ion The truths of the Gospel]... (n. p., |
