Thomas was the minister of the Congregational Church AKA Salem Chapel or Independent Chapel in Quoiting Square, between 1825 and 1863.
On the 1833 Parochial assessment he is living in Chapel Street, next door to one of his prominent congregation members Samuel Washbourne who had both a house and a manufactory dedicated to baby linen on his own premises. Thomas occupied a house and garden with an assessed annual value of £12. Samuel would move in the next few years to a house right by that church.
In 1839 the first stone of new church building was laid by Rev John Burnet of Camberwell. Despite atrocious weather, attendance was large. Minister Thomas Styles kicked off the event with a hymn, 3 psalms and a "solemn and impressive prayer", before all decamped to a spacious tent to hear further addresses. The words of Thomas and the Rev. Burnell were, according to contemporary reports, "gladdening and inspiring to a large company" - who were probably a little soggy at this point.
The new building was ready in 1840. Thomas Styles took out a notice in the Reading Mercury to tell the public that his "neat and commodious place of worship, denominated Salem Chapel, will be opened by Divine permission on Wednesday the 1st July 1840". Three sermons would be preached that day in aid of the building fund. Afterwards there was to be a fundraising dinner at the Town Hall. Price 2s 6d.
In 1854 Thomas married a much younger woman, Eliza Ball. Some of his congregation left because of this, hiring their own building for separate worship having failed in attempts to force him to resign. In 1861 Joseph Wright Morgan went as far as to build their own meeting room- the so called lecture room in St Peters Street, now the Masonic centre. If you have ever wondered at the buuldings quasi chapel like appearance, that is the reason why. How this can have made the minister and his wife feel can only be imagined. But Thomas had many supporters including ministers of other Independent places of worship locally. The Bucks Chronicle, while noting that the wedding of Thomas had caused "much excitement", was clearly supportive too. They branded those who had left the church as those who would be "more than his master" and said the events had inspired "liberty minded and liberty loving gentleman" of the district to get up a testimonial, in part to make up for a potential reduction in income caused by a diminished congregation.
In 1855 the testimonial to show support and sympathy for Thomas was presented to him in the Sunday schoolroom. They gifted him £30, it also acting as a wedding present. When Thomas retired he had an annual income of the same sum so that £30 testimonial was worth a great deal. It was noted that donations were not limited to those attending his chapel.
Prominent congregation member Isaac Wane of Barmoor Farm and Red Barn farms lead support for Thomas. In 1860, things would come to a head again. The Rev J Rowland of Henley, accompanied by one of his Deacons, was called to the chapel in his capacity as member of the Bucks and Berks association of Independent Churches and Ministers. He said their attention had been drawn to rumours that not only did Thomas wish to resign, but that his congregation wished to see him go. Thomas replied that he had no knowledge that his ministry was regarded as unsatisfactory, and he would call a special meeting to get to the bottom of the issue. This followed in September 1860 with Sunday School superintendent Mr Fullicks in the chair. Isaac Wane immediately submitted a resolution that far from wishing Thomas to leave, they would earnestly entreat him to continue his labours. This was rapidly seconded and when put to the meeting as a whole, it was found there was not one voice out of the 100 or so present to dissent. Thomas did resign at last in 1863.
He continued to live with Eliza in Marlow until his death in 1881 age 83. He was described then in obituaries as a beloved, highly respected and eloquent preacher. He was followed as minister by Andrew Mearns.
Eliza moved back to Burnham in Bucks where her parents came from. But after the loss of these and that of her married sister, Eliza decided to return to Marlow. She initially maintained her own household but then went to lodge with the Death family who ran a bakery in West Street. (Elizabeth and Ernest) She was receiving £15 a year from the Ministers Retiring Fund at this point. In her widowhood Eliza chose to attend the Baptist Chapel in Glade Road rather than her husband's old place of ministry. She was much involved in the Baptist Sunday School there.
She died in 1895 following years of poor health. As her death was sudden it was the subject of an inquest. At this event it was revealed Eliza did not much like any doctors and certainly would not be treated by any Marlow man. A bran and turpentine poultice on the chest was all she would consent to try to treat her chronic bronchitis.
The death was ruled natural.
For more on fellow congregational minister Andrew Mearns, see here
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Post researched and written by Charlotte Day with additional research by Kathryn Day.
Sources:
1833 Parochial assessment, original handwritten notebooks held by my family and transcribed by me. These are being slowly transcribed onto this blog.
The Congregationist (journal) Volume 10 p891. Digitized by Google. Accessed March 2021. [Andrew Mearns info]
The following newspaper copies held at the British Library Archives and accessed via the BNA March 2021=
Reading Mercury 6th Jan 1855. [Testimonial info] and 27th June 1840 [Church opening]
South Bucks Standard 9th and 15th February 1895. [Long details about the inquest into Eliza Styles]
Windsor and Eton Express 13th July 1839 [first stone laid], Maidenhead Advertiser 16 March 1881 [Thomas obituary], Bucks Chronicle 25th November 1860 [Resignation sought]
GRO Marriage Registration Index.
1851-91 Censuses, transcribed by me from microfilm except 1881 which was from Familysearch.org. Accessed February 2020.
A Portrait of Christ Church 1693-2003 by Jean Ashford, 2003. [Info on years of Thomas's ministry]. Thanks to Martin Ashford for a copy of this book.
©Marlow Ancestors. You are very welcome to use this research and image for family or local history purposes. Please credit this blog and link here so that our sources listed above remain credited for the information they provided.
**DO YOU HAVE AN ANCESTRAL CONNECTION TO THIS CHURCH? IF SO, YOU MAY LIKE TO COMMEMORATE YOUR ANCESTOR BY SUPPORTING CHRIST CHURCH PATH OF LIGHT FUNDRAISING EFFORTS - SEE Here FOR MORE INFORMATION**
A post on Thomas's successor Andrew Mearns is available here
And one on the Morgans here
A post on Issac Wane is available here
Another of the church's Ministers George Edwards had a lot of trouble with his congregation too. You can read about it here
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