n the East
India College, Hertford, Chaplain to the Duke of Northumberland, &c., &c.

THE BAPTIST CHAPEL.

This is the oldest nonconformist building in Horncastle. It is generally
supposed that there was a still earlier chapel, situated near what is
called the Bow Bridge, which spans the southern branch of the canal,
between Cagthorpe and St. Mary's Square, but we have no definite proof of
this beyond a vague tradition.

The Baptist community date their origin from the time of the
Commonwealth. The earliest person of note connected with this religious
body being John Bunyon, author of _The Pilgrim's Progress_, {84a} who
espoused the cause of the Parliament against Charles I. He first
preached in Bedford, where he was a tinker by trade, in the year 1655,
visiting various other parts of the country in succeeding years, until he
died, August 31st, 1688, and was buried in Bunhill Fields.

An old document shows that at a meeting held at Bedford, in the spring of
1655, over which he presided, it was decided to send one of the members,
"Mr. Brown to Horncastle, in Lincolnshire, to a few persons of the
belief, seeking help to guide them in forming a society." Before the
"Toleration Act" was passed in 1689, nonconformist places of worship were
not allowed to exist within five miles of a market town. {84b} In
Asterby, about six miles from Horncastle, there is a Baptist chapel,
locally reputed {84c} to be the oldest in the kingdom. At Coningsby is a
Baptist Chapel, with a school, dating from nearly the same period, with
an endowment of 26 acres of land. The Baptists of Horncastle mostly, in
those days, worshipped at Asterby. At Donington-on-Bain there is also a
very ancient chapel, where the Baptists of Louth worshipped. The two
chapels of Asterby and Donington have a joint endowment of 20 pounds a
year, and are now affiliated to Northgate Chapel in Louth.

The Foundation Deed of the Chapel in Horncastle is dated Sept. 19, 1767;
and the names of the founders are given as William Bromley, Vicars Keal,
Hamlet Dabney, William Taylor, William Storr, William Dawson, Thos.
Hollingshed, Charles Bonner, George Gunnis, James Coates, John Blow, and
William Tenant.

The Chapel was originally a structure of one story, having its entrance
in the centre of the north wall, and the pulpit opposite. Until the
early part of the 19th century it had no baptistry, immersion being
performed in the water-mill pit, {84d} in the nort