Cottingham

COTTINGHAM:
Cottingham Congregational Church History up to 1868.

During the civil wars, Dr. Samuel Winter, afterwards Provost of Trinity College, Dublin, was Vicar of Cottingham. He had been before assistant to Rev. Ezek. Rogers, Rowley. He preached in the parish church with great zeal and usefulness. When, however, the subsequent religious persecutions arose, he emigrated to New England with Mr. Roades, Beverley, Mr. Colyer, afterwards of Bradford, and others.

The Rev. Joseph Robinson, a man of great piety, was ejected from the church in 1662, and died soon after, probably broken-hearted.

The first Dissenting minister appears to have been Rev ABRAHAM DAWSON, a pupil of Frankland, eldest son of Rev. Joseph Dawson, of Morley. He settled here about 1696. There was, even at that time, a chapel at Cottingham, as appears from a baptismal register which goes back to 1692, and it is reported not to have been the first. Mr. Dawson was an able minister. In 1716 he had 350 hearers. Ob. Feb. 5, 1733.

• 1734. Rev. JOHN BROOKE. Ordained in Hull. Ob. Feb. 2, 1750.
• 1750. Rev. BENJAMIN CLEGG, from Derby. Ob. Aug. 26, 1775.
• 1775. Rev. EDWARD DEWHIRST (of Daventry Acy.). From Oswestry. His sentiments were Arian, and a division took place in consequence. The Rev. G. Lambert (Hull), the Rev. G. Gill (Swanland), and afterwards Rev. Richard Leggatt, his successor, preached to the separatists. Mr. D. ob. 1784. He lies buried in the churchyard; where, with a bigotry which deserves oblivion, his body and headstone lie in a reversed position. After his decease, the people became reunited. He was a man of superior classical attainments.
• In 1776, Samuel Watson, Esq., one of the congregation, left by will the sum of 'zoo, the interest of which was to be paid to the minister.
• 1785. Rev. RICHARD LEGGATT (of Lady Huntingdon's College). In 1790, he left Cottingham for the neighbourhood of London.
• 1792. Rev. ANTHONY KIDD (brother of Rev. Thornhill Kidd, Cleckheaton). He removed to Hull in 1817, where he kept a school till his death.
• 1818. Rev. SPEDDING CURWEN (of Heckmondwike Acy.). From Heckmondwike Lower Chapel.
• In 1819, a new chapel was erected, to accommodate about 400 hearers.
• Mr. Curwen removed to London, 1823.
• 1824. Rev. THOMAS HICKS (from Bawtry), who yet survives in honourable old age. Rev. T. RAIN, once a missionary at Berbice, is co-pastor.

NOTES:-
* By aid of Rev. T. Hicks and J. Oldham, Esq.