WENDOVER BOOKSHOP
35 High Street, Wendover, Bucks. HP22 6DU
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WENDOVER BOOKSHOP 35 High Street, Wendover, Bucks. HP22 6DU
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extracts from Memoir of the Rev Spencer Thornton, M.A. by Rev W.R. Fremantle (1850) 1813 | Thornton begins his work at Wendover | Wendover parish in 1837 | marriage and changes in the parish | Thornton's daily occupations | parish matters 1841 | Rev Thornton carries out an unusual baptism | an increase in the parish's charitable giving under Thornton | Rev Thornton and the pledge | Thornton and domestic life 1813 SPENCER THORNTON, second son of Claude George Thornton, Esq., Marden Hill, Herts, was born in London, October 12, 1813. He was sent to a private school at ten years of age, and from thence to Rugby. He took his degree at Cambridge in 1836; and, after twelve years of ministerial labor in the parish of Wendover, Bucks, he died suddenly on January 12, 1850. 1837 : Thornton's term at Wendover begins Mr Thornton commenced his residence at Wendover Vicarage, Nov. 1, 1837; and though he was, till his institution, nominally the Curate of his predecessor, Mr Turnor, yet he at once entered upon the entire charge of the parish. The day after his arrival he wrote thus:- "I have just enjoyed prayer with my little family for the first time. I read Josh. Xxiv. 14, &c. I am not alone, for I feel the presence of God more precious than ever." The following letter was written to Abel Smith, Esq., soon afterwards:- "Wendover,
Nov. 14, 1837. Mr Thornton's first Sermon at Wendover was preached November 5th. He never afterwards passed this anniversary without marking its return to his congregation by thanksgivings for past mercies, and earnest desires for further blessings in his work. On December 17, he was admitted to Priest's Orders, and instituted to the Vicarage of Wendover, Bucks. The parish of Wendover in 1837 The parish of Wendover is very extensive; containing 5000 acres, and, by the last census, 409 houses and 1920 souls. Of these, 1200 reside in the town of Wendover, distant a quarter of a mile from the church; and the rest called "The Foreign," are scattered in detatched cottages and little hamlets upon the Chiltern Hills, such as King's Wood and Lee Grove, at a distance of about three miles, and Scrub Wood, on the opposite hill at a distance of two miles: these having very gradually, and almost imperceptibly, grown up into a population, by building their huts upon the waste, were in a most neglected, rude, and ignorant state. The position of a young man of twenty-four, in the midst of such a parish, his heart burning with zeal for souls, may be easily imagined. If the task before him was arduous, and the aspect of his parish unpromising, he had the unspeakable comfort to know that there were many around him who earnestly prayed and longed for a blessing upon his labours, in answer to which prayers he might feel assured the Holy Ghost had separated him for the work whereunto He had called him. The prominent idea of his ministerial labours was formed at once. He resolved to make himself personally acquainted with every individual in the parish; and we find him diligently engaged in visiting from house to house. 1839 : marriage and change in the parish In September, 1839, the Rev. S. Thornton married Miss Caroline Du Pre, the seventh daughter of James Du Pre, Esq., of Wilton Park, Beaconsfield;…. Mr. Thornton's marriage greatly extended his sphere of usefulness. New plans were instituted, which united the influence and co-operation of the female members of the congregation; and we find him directing his labours to the more distant parts of his parish. In the Third Address, published at the end of 1841, reference is made to the changes which had taken place at the commencement of the previous year. A ladies' Working Society had been established, for the purpose of providing cheap clothing for the poor; and a Coal Club, for receiving weekly deposits. "In 1840, the Rev. G. A. Langdale was ordained to labour with me in the Gospel; since then, three additional Services are afforded to the parish, and the sick and the whole are more regularly visited. 'The Foreign' is, as you know, his charge." The circumstances which led to this appointment require some explanation. A hamlet, containing about 200 of his parishioners, was statute upon Lee Common, distant three miles from Wendover, but immediately adjoining the parish and church of Lee, which forms a sort of peninsula within the boundary of Wendover parish. Mr. Thornton felt the difficulty of providing religious instruction for these poor people, who were as sheep without a shepherd, there being no resident clergymen at Lee, and only one service in the church upon Sunday. He therefore, with the permission of the Rector, began a weekly service in the church in August 1838. The following year, desiring besides this to undertake, with the Bishop's sanction, a service there on Saturday also, he found it necessary to obtain help. Hence the appointment of a Curate, April 1840. He had long endeavoured to obtain a suitable building, in which to hold a Weekly Lecture, and a School. At length in 1848 a Baptist chapel, standing upon the Common, was offered for sale, which, by raising a suscription amongst his friends and parishioners, and aided by the Diocesan Board, he was enabled a purchase for £150. The chapel was opened as a School and Lecture-room. One of his schemes for supplying the lack of a Sunday School at Lee, is worthy of being mentioned there were no teachers at Lee, Mr Thornton engaged the services of as many Sunday School Teachers at Wendover, as could spare two or three hours upon the Monday afternoon, to accompany him and Mrs. Thornton to Lee, to hold what he termed "The Monday School." Thornton's daily occupations IT may be useful to give some account of the method by which Mr. Thornton accomplished the task which he had marked out for himself. Many of his friends have expressed surprise at the amount of actual work which he got through; a sketch of his usual daily occupations will explain this. Every evening in the week was set apart, more or less, for personal intercourse with the parishioners; a subject which Mr. Thornton always considered of the first importance in a rural district. In order to carry out his plan of giving the first part of the day to communion with God, his Study fire (in winter) was laid overnight. He usually rose at 6. He considered early rising very important. Private reading and prayer occupied him till breakfast at 8, or half-past in the winter. He wished to spend the whole morning in his Study, but was often obliged to visit the schools, or some sick person, before one o'clock. This was generally his dinner hour; after which, visiting in the parish, classes and lectures, occupied him till half-past eight, for four days in the week. Saturday evening he passed in his Study. He shewed, by every word and action, the importance of living near to God. parish matters, 1841 In September 1841, Mr. Thornton made his first directly aggressive movement against the habit of intemperance, the prevalence of which we find him frequently lamenting. As we shall have occasion to enter upon this subject more largely hereafter, it will be sufficient to direct attention to his remarks upon the formation of the Wendover branch of the Church of England Total Abstinence Society, which appear in his Third Address.
"In July a large meeting, at which 250 persons were present, was held to promote the better observance of the Lord's Day amongst us. Thus in a public manner your attention was turned to this most important subject. Twenty householders have since signed the form of requisition to Mr. J. Senior, begging him not to deliver their letters at their houses on any Lord's Day, except in cases of emergency. May God incline many more to sign it! "In December a Society was formed, called 'The Wendover Ladies' Working Society.' It is composed of some ladies who, feeling a deep interest in the welfare of the poor, undertake to purchase materials and make garments, which are sold at quarterly sales, at a very cheap rate, to the juvenile and adult depositors in the Provident Society. "In June 1841, a Coal Club was established, enabling the poor to make small weekly deposits in summer, which are returned to them with a high premium in good coals delivered at their own door in winter. This year there were 239 depositors. May God make them as wise to 'lay up treasure in Heaven!' The best thanks of the poor are due to all their friends who have sacrificed time and money to promote their comfort by means of these and similar charities… "In September, a Society, called 'The Wendover Branch of the Church of England Total Abstinence Society,' was formed. We recommend the intemperate to join it as their only safeguard - the temperate, as an example and encouragement to others. There are already fifteen pledged members. I trust time will show that a deep and lasting effect has been produced, under God, by the interesting speech which Mr. Rotch made at the second quarterly meeting last week, and that many more, deeply feeling the reproach that intemperance is to our parish and nation, will join hand and heart in seeking to roll away this foul disgrace from the midst of us. The experience of all classes and orders of men proves that the use of intoxicating drinks is in most cases unnecessary, and in millions more highly injurious. Besides, when it is written that 'drunkards shall not inherit the kingdom of God,' surely every Christian will feel it a duty and privilege to deny himself even in lawful things, that he 'might by all means save some,' 'Prove all things' in the light of God's word, and 'Hold fast that which is good.' "A valuable Church Clock has been presented to the Parish by your late much respected Vicar, the Rev. Charles, Turnor, as a testimony of the sincere regard he feels for those with whom he was so intimately connected during thirty-five years' residence. Let the Clock remind you that 'Time is short,' therefore 'Redeem the time because the days are evil.' … "While there is cause for thankfulness that the Lord's Day is in many respects better observed than formerly, there still remains much room for improvement. Some absent themselves entirely from all places of public worship; others attend only now and then; many men break the Sabbath mornings by lounging about in their working clothes, by making up accounts, reading newspapers, writing letters, etc. and women by unnecessary cooking and other household employments. I would affectionately entreat all my people, and especially heads of families, to consider it their duty and privilege themselves to sanctify God's Holy Day, and allow their children and servants to do the same …" He had now commenced a monthly administration of the Lord's Supper; and his "Information for the Parish" shews the steady increase of his congregation. The collections for Charities had been very considerable during these two years: - For the Coal Club; Friendly Society; Provident Society; Working Society; Bible Society; Church Missionary Society; Pastoral Aid; Infirmary at Aylesbury; National Education Society - the sum of nearly £270 had been raised, in addition to £45 Sacrament money. Rev Thornton carries out an unusual baptism In another manuscript book a register of the communicants is given, commencing in 1840, by which it appears that from an average attendance of thirty or forty, which it had been in the first year of his ministry, the total number of communicants had increased to nearly 170, and the average attendance to about 70; the largest number on any one occasion being 115. The Sundays upon which the Sacrament of Baptism was administered, were marked by peculiar interest. No pains had been spared to impress upon each parent and sponsor the solemn responsibility which attached to this charitable work of theirs, in bringing little children to Christ's holy Baptism. And when the several parties assembled around the font, it was evident that the prayer of faith accompanied the outward administration of the sign. Several adults who appeared to be in a right state of mind, were baptized at different times by Mr. Thornton. This was generally performed in the usual manner; but on one occasion he was a little perplexed when it was proposed to him to baptize an adult, by immersion, in the Church. We give the account of this interesting proceeding, as nearly as we can; in his own words. On September 19, 1847, -------- having expressed a great wish to be baptized by Mr Thornton, not by sprinkling, but by immersion, he wrote to several of the clergy, from whose judgment he thought he might receive help; viz., Dr. M'Neile, Mr. Goodhart, and others. From the latter he received a full account of a similar case in his own congregation, and by his advice he was chiefly guided. He hired a large bath from town, which was placed in the chancel. The baptism took place after the Sermon; for, as it was a novel proceeding, he feared that the order of the congregation might be a little disturbed, had the Service been, as usual, after the Second Lesson. He preached that afternoon on Exodus xii.26, last clause. In his sermon he gave four answers to the question - "What mean ye by this service?" "It
is quite plain that Baptism is a duty;... All branches of the Christian
Church, with the exception of a certain section of them called Baptists,
agree in saying that both infants and adults may be recipients, and
that it is immaterial whether baptism be performed by pouring
water, or by immersion... I am therefore quite willing to perform
it either way, according to the wish of the recipients. After the sermon, the young woman, neatly dressed in white, stood by the bath. A small ladder of steps had been made, which she, at the right time, mounted, and then descended into the water. Mr. Thornton held her hands while she bent backwards, quite under the water. She then came up out of the water, a cloak was thrown around her, and she retired into the vestry. The Baptists in Wendover and the neighbourhood were very much surprised to hear of this baptism by immersion in the Church, and several persons came from places round Wendover to hear the particulars. An increase in the parish's charitable giving under Thornton It was from the communicants that the collectors for the charities were selected; and, as every society had its appointed time of monthly or quarterly-meeting, so the little bands of fellow-workers were brought together for prayer and information, and fresh vigour infused amongst them. And to this devotional spirit was must trace the steady growth of the different associations. Hence, as we have seen, that liberality arose which more than doubled the subscriptions to the various charitable objects in the parish during the first eight years of his ministry. In 1837 and 1838 , the total amount collected for all the Societies was about £272; in 1846 and 1847, it was £573. Hence arose that readiness to aid in the circulation of the Scriptures, which led to an annual sale of nearly 200 Bible and Testaments in the parish. In 1837 the return was, 55 Bibles and Testaments sold; in 1843, 240; in 1847, 189. In five years above 1000 Bibles and Testaments were sold in the parish. This was a work in which Mr. Thornton took especial delight. He never lost an opportunity of furthering the interests of the Bible Society and the circulation of the Scriptures... But it was not in order to secure ease to himself that Mr. Thornton sought the co-operation of others. His one objext was to raise up a band of faithful witnesses to make a consistent stand against sin and immorality. Rev Thornton and the pledge …Reference has already been made to Mr. Thornton's deep conviction of the evils arising from the prevalence of intoxication, which induced him to adopt the system of Total Abstinence. It was not a love of novelty, or a want of faith in the power of the Gospel to reform and change the drunkard's heart, which led to this; it was simply the love of souls, which made him use all means, if by any means he might save some. His high Christian standard, and the modesty with which he employed the instrumentality of the pledge, was manifest in all his public addresses upon the subject, and in his more private conversations, especially with those who differed with him as to the principle. In a work of so much acknowledged difficulty, it is not possible to judge of its efficiency by results; we are, however, warranted in saying, that the Total Abstinence Society at Wendover was not without its fruits, to which Mr. Thornton would sometimes refer with thankfulness to God. But that no doubt may exist as to the view which he took of the system of Teetotalism, we give from his own lips the reasons for his having adopted it himself and recommended it to others. "1.
It was in accordance with the broad rule of Scripture, 'Whatsoever ye
do, do all to the glory of God.' If abstinence will advance, or tend
to advance, the glory of God in the good of others, we must abstain. The observance of the Sabbath, nationally, parochially, and in each separate family, was a subject to which Mr. Thornton ever gave peculiarly earnest attention; and he was untiring in his efforts for the improvement of his own parish in this respect. He was warmly attached to the Society for Promoting the Due Observance of the Lord's Day, and meetings on this subject were almost annually held at Wendover, at which his valued friends, the Rev. Mr. Baylee, Joseph Wilson, Esq., and others, gave him their kind help. Thornton and domestic life HITHERTO the character of Mr. Thornton has been illustrated from the records of his parochial ministry. It only remains for us to give a few details of his domestic life. Although his many engagements necessarily took him much from his family, his holy and affectionate method of guiding his household and children in the way of godliness was very striking. A portion of every day was devoted to the Scriptural instruction of the elder children; and in the family prayers various plans were devised for keeping alive the spirit of devotion. Sometimes the servants and children were catechized in the Sermon of the preceding Sunday. At others, each read a verse in turn, and suitable remarks were made; and no one could spend a day at the Vicarage without feeling the peculiar atmosphere of holiness which prevailed.
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