To be finished in 12 weeks from the above date or forfeit £10, upon consideration we have not to wait for materials from the proprietors

Endorsed by BENJ. MORTON, JOSEPH WEBSTER.

I presume that the Chapel would be opened about the first of October, 1779. It was a small building without galleries, capable of seating about 300 persons; but we may be sure they were exceedingly gratified at the result.

At the foot of Rastrick Common was a smith's shop, occupied by Jam Whitaker, who obtained a small portion of the adjoining land on lease, by an interesting incident. His Grace the Duke of Leeds is said to have been shooting, and called upon Whitaker to have a shoe replaced on his charger; but another account is that the Duke's carriage, having met with an accident, was repaired by Whitaker, to the satisfaction of His Grace, who readily acquiesced in the blacksmith's application for a little of the adjoining waste land on a ninety-nine years' lease. A part of this was afterwards conveyed to John Morton, upon which was erected BRIDGE END CHAPEL.

The Trust Deed, 1788, between John Morton, of Rastrick, yeoman, of the one part, and John Armitage, Benj. Morton, John Clegg, Joseph Riley, John Swift, John Sykes, Saml. Wilkinson, the Rev. Samuel Lowell, minister, of Brighouse, the Rev. William Moorhouse, of Huddersfield, the Rev. Jonathan Toothill, of Hopton, the Rev. James Dawson, of Cleckheaton, and the Rev. Joseph Cockin, of Thornton, of the other part, Reciteth-that on the 1st of June, 1728, an indenture was made between the Rt. Hon. Peregrine Lord Osborne, Marquess of Carmarthen, and Lord of the Manor of Wakefield, of the one part, and James Whitaker, of Brighouse, blacksmith, of the other, the said Marquess did

devise to the said James Whitaker, the cottage with its appurtenances situate on a piece of waste ground called BOWLING GREEN, at Brighouse Bridge End, then in the tenure of the said James Whitaker, for ninety nine years, at the yearly rent of sixpence, payable at the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel, now vested in the said John Morton, for the rest of the said term; and whereas a chapel or place of public worship hath been erected on the site of the said cottage, the aforesaid are appointed as Trustees for the rest of the ninety-nine years, and £14 was paid to John Morton to transfer the same upon trust that they, together with John Morton, as Trustees of the premises, permit the same to be used and enjoyed by the person who shall from time to time be nominated and elected minister thereof by the persons who rent the pews or otherwise subscribe towards the maintenance and support as and for a chapel or place of public worship for Protestant Dissenters and not for any other purpose. When the Trustees are reduced to seven in number, by death, dismission, or declining to act, the survivors, together with the male members of the church or society who communicate at the ordinance of the Lord's Supper, shall meet together and elect such others of reputation to fill up the number to thirteen. If the Trustees, when under seven in number, neglect to appoint successors, the male members of the church may (after notice) elect successors from themselves or others. Dated May 17th, 1788.

On the 24th of May, 1796, it is recorded that John Morton, Samuel Wilkinson, John Clegg, and the Rev. James Dawson, are dead, and the survivors neglected to elect successors within three months, the following were appointed on the trust (the before-mentioned ministers, with John Armitage and John Swift, declining to act)-William Crosley, engineer, of Brighouse; Samuel Bates, of Brighouse, schoolmaster; Ely Clegg, of Brighouse, gentleman; Jonas Broughton, of Rastrick, millwright; Thomas Dearnally, of Rastrick, saddler; Thomas Bottomley, cardmaker; Wm. Wilkinson, Rastrick, manufacturer; Joseph Denham, millwright; Edmund Cooper, Rastrick, worsted manufacturer; Joshua Jubb, Bradley Lane, Hudders

field, schoolmaster; Samuel Battye, staymaker; and Thomas Helm, along with the survivors-Joseph Riley, maltster, Brighouse; Benjamin Morton, clothier; John Sykes, clothier, Rastrick; and John Swift, now of Leeds.

On the 4th of January, 1798, Joseph Riley, William Crosley, and Ely Clegg being dead, the surviving Trustees appointed William Gooder, of Rastrick, butcher; John Bell, of Rastrick, mason; and Thomas Cawthra, of Brighouse, currier;

as successors.

A deed, dated September 5th, 1818 (giving the plan of the old chapel and premises), between George William Frederick, Duke of Leeds, and Thomas Dearnally, Rastrick; Joseph Denham, Rastrick, millwright; S. Battye, Rastrick, staymaker; J. Jubb, Bradley Lane, schoolmaster; Thomas Bottomley, Rastrick, cardmaker; John Holland, Slead House, worsted stuff manufacturer; Thomas Cawthra, Brighouse, currier; Jonathan Aspinall, Rastrick, slate dresser; Abel Aspinall, Elland Edge, slate dresser; Richard Jessop, junior, cordwainer; John Sykes, Rastrick, woollen cord manufacturer; William Helm, Elland Edge, cloth dresser; James Marshall, Rastrick, weaver; John Bell, junr., Rastrick, mason; John Sykes, Slead Syke, gravestone-cutter; Jonathan Aspinall, junior, Elland Edge, slate dresser; John Bottomley, Rastrick, maltster-Recites that His Grace, for the sum of £300, did sell 7660 square feet, with the chapel and dwelling-house now occupied by the Rev. J. Hemus Crisp, to the Trustees, and whereas B. Morton, W. Crosley, S. Bates, Joseph Riley, Ely Clegg, Jonas Broughton, John Sykes, W. Wilkinson, S. Wilkinson, Thomas Helm, and Edmund Cooper are dead, leaving Thomas Dearnally, Thomas Bottomley, Joseph Denham, S. Battye, and Joshua Jubb survivors, all of whom, except Thomas Bottomley, decline to act, they (the survivors) for five shillings, transferred the property to Thomas Bottomley, John Holland, Thomas Cawthra, and the others before-mentioned, making thirteen in number. The minister was to be appointed by two-thirds of the trustees and male members of six months' standing; of the Congregational or Independent

Denomination, and not to preach anything contrary to the Assembly's Shorter Catechism, or such doctrines as are generally held by Independents or Congregationalists, commonly called Calvinistic. The same number of Trustees and members have power to dismiss the minister. The Trustees have to let the pews. The chapel may be sold by auction and another built in Rastrick, or any other place in Yorkshire. Surviving Trustees were to elect successors (the complement of thirteen,) from members of the church, or members of some neighbouring Independent church; failing that, from the congregation.

The members will see by the last clause, that I had reason to act as I did at the last election of Trustees. Four members of the church were proposed, seconded, and carried; another was proposed, but the matter was adjourned. At the next meeting for this business, all former business was let fall without a motion to rescind; nothing appears on the church book respecting it, but de novo, they started again.

The following pedigree shows the relation of the Dukes of Leeds mentioned in the deed:

Sir Edward a great royalist

Sir Thomas, who by favour

of Charles II, and afterwards of William III, rose from a baronet by successive steps to become Duke of Leeds in 1694. He died in 1712, and was succeeded by his son Peregrine, the second Duke, who died in 1729, the year after the grant to James Whitaker. Peregrine, the 2nd Duke, had a son

Peregrine, the 3rd Duke, died 1731

Thomas, the 4th Duke, Knt. Garter, died 1789

Francis Godolphin, 5th Duke, died 1799

George Wm. Frederick, the 6th Duke, whose

daughter, marrying Sackville Lane Fox, Esq., carried the possessions into that family.

Amongst the students sent by the Rev. James Scott, from the Academy at Heckmondwike, was the

REV. NATHANIEL SCHOLEFIELD, Who was recognised as the first minister at Bridge End, but was not ordained till after his removal to Henley-on-Thames, which took place after a very short stay here. Mr. Scholefield remained at Henley for a quarter of a century. The Henley church book simply states respecting him that he was ordained Aug. 15, 1786, and, at the request of the church, resigned being pastor Jan. 24, 1806; but this is the entry by his successor, the original church book being lost. He was then invited by the Lancashire Union to work a new and weak cause at Oldham. This he did for some time very successfully, and was then asked by the Cheshire Union to undertake a like work at Over and Middlewich. After a time some little discontent was expressed at Middlewich, and the Cheshire Union promised a grant of £20 to Over if he would take that as a separate church. This was the first recognition of a distinct church at Over. For nine months Mr. Scholefield was very successful, and then died, leaving his widow and three daughters at Over. The eldest became governess to Lord Powerscourt's children, and at his lordship's death he left her an annuity. The youngest of the daughters-Hannah, was blind from about fifteen years of age, and dependent on her brother, Professor Scholefield, and sisters. On Lord Powerscourt's death, a house was taken in Liverpool, and the widow and her three daughters removed there. Mrs. Scholefield and her eldest daughter died there, after which the two sisters came back to Over and opened a school, but the health of the second (Sarah) failed, the school was abandoned, she grew worse, died, and was buried with her father. For some time the Professor contributed to his sister's support, but at his death she was left destitute. She was placed by the Rev. Mr. Mar