as minister there. It also appears in the Lansdowne MSS., 459, where he is described as an 'able, godly preaching minister.' The name again appears at Wickford, in Newcourt, in September, 1672. I should think it not improbable, that, certainly the Pulley of 1650, if not also the Pulley of 1672, is the Fordham minister. He returned, however, to Fordham before 1662.*

It is clear that Bulkley succeeded Pulley, at Fordham. He was the son of Peter Bulkley, who held the living of Odehill, in Bedfordshire, until he was driven into exile by Archbishop Laud. The father of Peter was Edward Bulkley, D.D., who was his predecessor at Odehill. Peter was of good family, and possessed of a good eftate. He arrived in New England in 1635, and there having been for a while at Cambridge, he carried a good number of planters with him up further into the woods, where they gathered the twelfth church then formed in the colony, and called the town by the name of Concord. He was a ripe scholar, and published a series of sermons which he twice preached to his congregation, the second time at their request,' Zech. ix. 11, in a treatise entitled 'The Gospel Covenant,' which passed through several editions. Thomas Shepard thus speaks of the volume: The church of God is bound to bless God for the holy, judicious, and learned labours of this aged, experienced, and blessed servant of Jesus Christ, who hath taken much pains to discover, and that not in words and allegories, but in the demonftration and evidence of the spirit, the great mystery of godliness wrapt up in the Covenant concerning the same, which happily have not been brought so full to light until now, which cannot but be of singular and seasonable use to prevent apostacies, from the simplicity of the covenant and gospel of Christ.' Peter Bulkley died March 9, 1658-9, aged seventy-three.

John was one of his nine sons. His mother was the daughter of Thomas Allen, of Goldingham, near Bedford, and aunt of Sir Thomas Allen, who was lord mayor of London.

Cock, ante, 224; Pulley, p. 270; Alsop, 349.

Two of his brothers were also ministers, Gerfhom and Edward. Edward succeeded his father at Concord, and died there. John was educated at Harvard College, where he took his degree of M.A., in 1642. After his ejection from Fordham, he retired to Wapping, where he practised physic for several years. He died at St. Catherine's, near the Tower, in 1689, at the age of seventy. It is remarkable that in the parish register, in which there are entries of the baptism of a son and also of a daughter of his, both in his own handwriting, Bulkley should call himself hireling of the church at Fordham.'*

GESTINGTHORPE.-Robert Davey. He was vicar, and had not long been in possession of the living. John Thorby appears as the minister among the subscribers to the 'Effex Watchword' in 1649. The return in 1650 is, Mr. William Beeman is presented to the rectory.' The return takes no notice of the vicarage. Davey was admitted September 11, 1661. The succeffion of John Isaac appears in Newcourt thus, 15th January, 1662-3, per inconform. ult. vic.' t

HACKWELL.-Josias Church. Possibly the son of Josias Church who was instituted to the rectory of South Shoebury in 1610. We first meet with him as rector of Afhingdon, to which living he had been presented by Robert, Earl of Warwick, and where he was admitted March 4, 1641. He resigned that rectory before the 5th of February, 1644, at which date he was succeeded by John Gibson. We then meet with him as minister at South Church, where we find him entered on the Classis,' and also subscribing the Effex Watchword.' This living had been sequestered from Walker Holmes, against whom depositions were taken at Maldon, April 16, 1644. It was proved that he was a pluralist, and non-resident

Add. MSS. 15670, 221; see also 180. The date of Pulley's first appointment to Fordham is May 2, 1646. Jour. H. of Lords viii. 291. For Pulley's probable family I am indebted to Mr. King. Mather, Hist. N. E. iii. 96; iv. 136; Cal. Acc. 311; Cont. 487; Walker vi. 330. Gershom was born on the voyage

to N. E. He graduated at Harvard College in 1655. New England Hist. and Gen. Register vii. 269; Farmer, Genealogical Register of First Settlers in N. E., 1829, p. 47.

+ Cal. Acc. 308; Cont. 47; N. ii. 211; Lands. MSS. 459.

at South Church, a favorer of innovations and a promoter of the bishop's orders, and often distracted.' There are two entries relating to the sequestration, in the minutes of the Committee for Plundered Ministers, under the head of Sea Church;' from the first of which it appears that it had taken place before February 26, 1645; and the second is to the effect that Holmes, 'being incapable by affliction, and not a bad man, he and his are to have half the proceeds of the living for their maintenance.' I presume this to be the Holmes of whom Walker, without any indication of place, has the statement, he was turned out, about 1664, for pluralities and non-residence.' The return for South Church, in 1650, is £120, out of it is payed £65. Mr. Josias Church, an able preaching minister, to Mr. Walker Holmes, the incumbent, but distracted.'

At Hawkwell, Church succeeded Thomas Oresby, who was still there in 1655. The admission of Daniel Joyner there, February 11, 1662-3, is entered in the register of the diocese as legit jam vacante.' Church publifhed The Divine Authority of Infant Baptism; or, Six Arguments for the Baptism of Infants of Chriftians.' 4to., 1652. It is remarkable that his christian name should appear in the title page as John. The book is dedicated to Robert, Earl of Warwick, and has a recommendatory preface by Francis Roberts, minister of the church at St. Augustine, London, and John Geree, minister at St. Faith's. *

HALLINGBURY LITTLE.. Waters. The rectory had been sequestered from John Fish, or Fisher, as the name appears in the minutes of the Committee for Plundered Minifters. The living had been sequestered before 1646 to John Wilson, who appears on the Classis.' In 1647, Fisher had disturbed Wilson in the sequeftration, and he and the sequeftrators were ordered to appear before the county committee for their misconduct. Wilson appears among the subscribers both to the Effex Testimony,' in 1648, and the Effex Watchword,'

Cal. Acc. 310; Cont. 485; Cole MSS. xxviii. 84; Add. MSS. 15670, 49,

400; Walker ii. 264; Lands. MSS. 459; Harl. MSS. 6100; Oresby, ante p. 269. Joyner, infra.

F F

in 1649. He is also returned in 1650 as, 'by order of the Committee for Plundered Ministers.' Waters appears to have been Wilson's succeffor. *

HALSTED.-William Sparrow. The vicarage had been sequeftered from John Webb, but at what date, or under what circumftances, I have not been able to ascertain. In the Parliamentary return for 1650 we have this entry, William Sparrow, by sequeftration from John Webb, an able, godly preacher.' Webb seems to have died before the restoration, and Sparrow then to have been presented to the vicarage by the patron. He was one of the minifterial assistants to the County Commissioners for Scandalous Ministers, and was one of the minifters who were disturbed at Coggeshall by James Parnell. He was ejected under the Act of Uniformity. His successor is given in Newcourt, as per inconform. ult. vicar.' Calamy says of him, 'He was a Norfolk man of good extraction; bred at Cambridge. He was first awakened by the preaching of Mr. Stephen Marshall. He was early in declaring for the Congregational way, and a great correspondent of Dr. Owen. He was a man of considerable learning and remarkable minifterial gifts. As much reputed through the country for a preacher as Mr. Rogers, of Dedham, had been some time before. He had a numerous auditory on Sabbath days, and kept up a weekly lecture on the market days, to which there was a general resort of the ministers and gentry of these parts. His miniftry was blessed of God to the converfion of many souls. He was noted for being very affable and courteous, and of a most genteel deportment. He died at Norwich.' †

A Congregational church is said to have been formed by Sparrow in the parochial edifice, which, after his ejectment, continued to meet in a barn, in the yard of the White Hart Inn. In the Archidiaconal Visitation Book, under date May, 1670, I find that William Rayner, Elizabeth Mallet, widow,

Cal. Acc. 313; Add. MSS. 15671, 19; July 15, 1647, 176; Lands. MSS.

+ Cal. Acc. 305; Lands. MSS. 459; Parnell, ante p. 319.

and John Flood, were cited for suffering persons to keep conventicles in their houses. At the same date several others were cited for the same offence; and in June, of the same year, Rayner was presented as having been excommunicated for his offence. There were several Baptists in the original church. These separated after a few years, and erected a place of worship in Hedingham Lane. About the same time the others also erected another on the site of the present old meeting house. In 1716, the congregation is returned as containing five hundred persons; thirty-nine of whom are described as having votes for the county, and thirteen as 'gentlemen.' The first pastor, of whom any record remains, is William Holman, whose extensive collections for a history of Essex, afterwards fell, by purchase, into the hands of Philip Morant, and constitute by far the most valuable part of his well-known volumes. He was a member of the church at Stepney, whence he was dismissed to Halsted in 1700. He died suddenly in the porch of Colne Engaine church, Nov. 4, 1730. Holman was succeeded by Samuel Manning, who removed to Halsted from Suffolk about midsummer, 1731, and died soon afterwards. Manning was succeeded by Shaen, Shaen by Spurgeon, and Spurgeon by Samuel Stort, who removed to Halfted from Wymondham, in Norfolk, in 1748. The next paftor was Joseph Field, who settled in 1756, and died in 1791, and was succeeded by James Bass, who died in 1829. After the death of Bass, John Savill removed here from Colchester; on his resignation, three years afterwards, he was succeeded by Thomas Quinton Stow, who emigrated to Adelaide, South Australia, where he recently died. Stow was succeeded by the Rev. E. Prout, at present one of the secretaries of the London Missionary Society; Mr. Prout by the Rev. H. R. Reynolds, B.A., now president of Cheshunt College, Herts; Mr. Reynolds by his father; John Reynolds by the Rev. J. R. Dothie; and Mr. Dothie by the present pastor, the Rev. S. S. England.*

* Returns of 1716, ante p. 353; Holman, Cole's MSS. x. 20; and Blackburn MSS.