Page:History and characteristics of Bishop Auckland.djvu/172

 HISTORY OF BISHOP AUCKLAND. 145 circumstance which proves the existence of a place of worship belonging to them at a time not much anterior to that abeady stated. This chapel stood upon the same site as the present one, and in a line with the neighbouring houses in Newgate Street Some time during the rebellion in Scotland, and previous to the battle of SheriflF-Muir, which was fought November 13th, 1715, a company of soldiers were passing through the town on their way to the north, when one of them, on passing the chapel, raised his matchlock to his shoulder and fired point-blank at the door, shattering it in several places. When the present chapel was built, in 1840, the door was transferred to the entrance of the graveyard in the Back-way, where it remained, still bearing the marks of the contents of the soldier's weapon, until the summer of 1871, when it was substituted by a new ona According to the journals of George Fox, the first meetings for discipline established by the Society of Friends were held in the Bishopric of Durham about the year 1653 ; and amongst the "Swathmore Manuscripts" is a document of a few years' later date relative to the establishment of the monthly meetings in the city of Durham ; it is endorsed by George Fox himself, and signed by sixteen Friends, amongst whom is the name, of our townsman, John Langstaflte, who, as will be seen in the following extract taken from the same document, was appointed to receive collections : — And seeing at present there is a great need for a collection, by reajson of some great sums of money that have been laid out, and more is to be laid out, we recommend it to your several meetings to do herein eveiy one according to your freedom in the present necessity, and to give notice the next iPirst-day, that it maybe collected for the poor the First-day following, and to be paid over to John Langstaffe ; and a note of the sums subscribed by some Friends from every meeting. " John is said to have become a convert under the ministrations of Anne Audland (better known as Anne Camm, the name of her second husband), and in No. 16 of the " York Tracts," published by the Society of Friends, we find the following, which seems to confirm in some degree the truth of this statement : — The first journey of Anne Audland in the work of the ministry was into the county of Durham ; and being engaged in preaching to the people in the town of Auckland, on a market day, she was arrested and imprisoned. But that love which prompted her to seek the salvation of souls, was not to be restricted by the narrow walls of a prison-house. Under its constraning influence, she continued preaching to the people from the window of the jail, declaring the truths of the Qospel, and inculcating the necessity of being seriously engaged for the welfare of the immortal souL Several persons were much affected by her testimony, and toward evening she was discharged from her confinement. John Langstaffe, a man of considerable eminence in the neighbourhood, was so reached by her ministry, that he voluntarily accompanied her to prison, and on her release took her to his house. His wife, however, offended at her husband's conduct and apparent change, received him and his guest with language which shewed her disapprobation. Unwilling to take up her lodging where she perceived her presence was not welcomed by one of the heads of the family, Anne withdrew into the fidds, designing to seek some shelter there, where she might be secure for the night But it happened, providentially, that Anthony Pearson,* a respectable person, of Rampshaw, who had formerly been a justice, hearing through Qeorge Fox, who was then at his house, that Anne was in Auckland, came where she was, just at this time, and conveyed her to his residence. She continued her journey, to the spiritual benefit of many ; and when she believed her allotted service was accomplished, she returned home. The present structure, like most chapels belonging to the Society of Friends, has no architectural pretensions, and is characterised by general plainnesa It is calculated to seat about 200 persons. There is also a burial ground attached to the chapel, in which many old and respected inhabitants of the town and neighbourhood have foimd a last resting placa meetmgs by the way ; and a yery huge meeting I had at Anthony Pearaon'a, where many were conyinced. In 1663, we went from York to Borrowbridge, where I had a dorioaa meeting. Thence we pasaed into the Biahoprick to one Bichmond'a (at Heighington), where there waa a general meeting, and the Lord'a power over all, tho' people were i^rown exceeding rade about thia tim& After the meeting we went to Hy. Draper's, where we ata^d all night ; and the next morning a friend came to me aa I waa paaaing away, and told me if the prieata and jostioea (for many pneata were made jaatioea in that oonnty at that time) could light on me they would destroy me.—'* Fox'a Journal." Both Pearson and Draper were Justicea of the Peace. Digitized by Google -
 * In 1653^ after I had virited f rieoda in that county (Comberland), I went through the oonntriei into the BiBhoprick ; haiing large