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The writing of Edgar Pitcher
provides a rich source of information about the various ministers of the Church.
This is summarised below with copies of photos taken from the Church.
Click on the thumbnails below to see a larger image of each Minister.
William Jones - was
Pastor for 14 years up to 1810. There is a memorial to him inside the Church: 'To the memory of Revd William
Jones who was a pious Christian and sincere Friend and the faithful Pastor of
this Church for 14 years. He departed this life April 17th 1810 aged 51
years.'
Thomas Palmer was the minister who seems to have
led the move to the new building. Edgar Pitcher says that it was Palmer who in
1825 received an estimate from a local builder for the erecting of the
chapel on its present site at a cost of £727. There were 20 trustees for
the property but they don't seem to have managed to keep the builder to
his estimate, as the accounts show that the outlay came to over £1,000.
The members of the chapel only raised £94 and attempts to enlist the help of
other congregations added a further £100. This meant that the a loan of £600 had
to be obtained and the battle against debt began. By 1827 the trustees
seemed to be losing the struggle, as Edgar Pitcher tells us that the amount
payable had risen to over £900. Thomas Palmer left the area in July 1827,
leaving the legacy of a beautiful building and a problem for his successor.
It seems that Mr Palmer's
departure was unorthodox. A record of a meeting on September 6th 1827
gives some interesting details; "it was then stated by Messrs Motten and Lane
that Mr Palmer their late pastor left Thornbury on July 24th at an unknown hour
of the night ('about 3 o'clock in the night' crossed out) and he has not since
appeared and the friends now wish to know what is to be done." Later the
document mentions that "It appears that Mr Palmer left the town with a balance
of £15 upon the Chapel Case in his hands."
William Dove - became pastor in
1831 and remained in the pastorate until 1843. He appears to have greatly
endeared himself to his congregation, possibly partly due to his success in
reducing the enormous debt. Edgar Pitcher certainly gives the Rev. Dove credit for
reviving the
 finances
of the Church. He seems to have been a
very frugal man and Mr Pitcher says William Dove stipulated that " when begging
for the Chapel his expenses (provided they were moderate) and the expenses of
supplies should be paid.....I say nothing about salary, it is a subject that has
not caused me a moment's anxiety." I am sure the chapel took him at his word!
Mr Dove's daughter, sent Mr Pitcher a copy of his "begging book", which shows
that he visited Stroud, Bristol, Frampton, Chepstow, Newport, Cardiff and London
amongst other places to raise funds and his expenses were certainly reasonable
as is shown by one entry; "Bread and cheese in Chepstow twice 1/-". By 1835 he
had reduced the amount owing to to £403 and eight years later, when he resigned
to go to Falfield, there was only £180 owing.
Joseph Edkins -
became Pastor from 1846 to 1849.
James Alsop - became Pastor in 1849
and during his short ministry of about two years, there was much purging of the
Church Roll, 13 members were deprived of membership for absence from the Lord's
Supper. To the credit of some of these, they were afterwards re-admitted
to fellowship. Evidently Mr Alsop did not get on very well at Thornbury
and closed his ministry in 1851 by giving less than one week's notice. But
although in his letter of resignation he had a tilt at his flock saying 'that he
was going amongst people more in harmony with his own views and feelings and
that it was a well-known fact that Ministers remained with you but a short
time', he bore them no malice but contributed a generous sum towards the debt
upon the Chapel.
 Thomas Galsworthy
- became Pastor in 1853 at the stipend of £60 per annum, and remained until 1857
when the cause began to decline. This created apparently a feeling of
dissatisfaction among the Members, and led to his resignation. The Members
sent him what they termed 'An address upon the decaying state of the cause of
Christ among us', in which they suggested the necessity of some effort being
made by him etc.
 John Morgan - became pastor in 1859 after a period
when the Members were evidently in some doubt as to the ability of the Church to
find money to pay a Minister's stipend. Mr Morgan came from Chard. The
attendance at his ordination service in August was said to be 'very large and
highly respectable'. He was 'an earnest pastor' and membership grew
steadily and a determined effort was made to get rid of the long-standing debt,
an effort which proved successful for the Pastor announced in April 1860 that
Chapel was free from debt. Mr Morgan was evidently not satisfied with the
methods adopted of raising funds for current expenses by means of Pew Rents,
Subscriptions and Quarterly Collections and he suggested that weekly offerings
should be dropped in boxes to be placed by the doors. It was long time
before the change became more productive and after a period of about six
years, Mr Morgan resigned.
 John S Binder - became Pastor in
April 1866 and he lasted until 1873 when he felt bound to resign because of
ill-health. Good progress was made during his ministry, the membership
increased and finances improved to such an extent that the County Union
Aid was dispensed with, and the wages of the Crossways Chapel caretaker were
increased from 3/- to 3/6 a quarter, she being 'dissatisfied with the former
amount'.
 Thomas
Donaldson - became pastor about 1874 until 1877. According to Edgar Pitcher
he was much loved by the younger members of the congregation and greatly missed
by them when he left to go to Scotland. During his brief tenure the church
seems to have been much improved and new seating costing £148 were installed.
The Sunday School was growing fast and so in 1876 the chapel acquired a small
piece of adjoining land to build a schoolroom with classrooms. This cost a
further £365 and a penny a week subscription scheme paid towards the cost.
 Charles Gayler
entered upon his ministry in 1877 and is much praised by Edgar Pitcher, who
gave him a glowing reference as "a Vigorous and able preacher, a wise counsellor
and a welcome fighter for Liberal principles upon the political platform." He
was also credited with introducing the Sunday School excursions to Weston Super
Mare. Perhaps this is one reason why the membership was said to have
steadily increased under his care. The Rev Gayler left to go to Clacton on
Sea in 1888.
 David D. Evans
was described by Edwin Pitcher as a warm hearted Welshman who was a minister
in Thornbury from 1889 until 1895, during which time the membership continued to
grow.
Arthur O. Moore
- Pastor from 1897 to 1905. The Rev Moore lived at
22 Gloucester Road and we have some information about him and his family
there.
Evan Griffith
Davies - Pastor 1906 - 1908. We understand that he had studied at the
Brecon Theological College and that Thornbury was his first Ministry. When
he left Thornbury he became Pastor at Hanham Road Congregation Church,
Kingswood.
William Johnstone - Pastor 1910 to 1916. He came to Thornbury from
Lancashire College. In 1914 he joined up as a private in Bristol's Own and
remained in the Army until the end of the War. He came through the War without a
wound and later became Pastor of Charminster Road Church, Bournemouth.
Frank Tarrant
- became Pastor in 1918, according to Edgar Pitcher, an able man and a
thoughtful preacher, came from London and after he remained for six years, he
accepted the call to Windsor.
Pugh Perkins - one of several Ministers and students who conducted
services during a period of three years after Frank Tarrant's departure.
The Revd. Perkins came from London and for six months he proved a tower of
strength and encouraged both young and old by his splendid zeal and ability in
and out of the pulpit.
Frank Edward Harker - became Pastor in 1927 and served until 1940.
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