Samuel Westmacott – A Pioneer of Swindon nonconformity

Reading between the lines of this fulsome obituary Samuel Westmacott sounds a force of nature with strong opinions and not afraid to voice them. He was even temporarily expelled from the Methodist church on the issue of “original sin”…

The Late Samuel Westmacott – A Pioneer of Swindon nonconformity.- A funeral sermon in memory of the late Mr Samuel Westmacott, of New Swindon, who died on the 17^th ult., at the age of 63 years, was preached recently in the Regent Street Primitive Methodist Chapel, New Swindon, to a large congregation, by the Rev. T. Pinnock, of London

Taking for his text II. Timothy iv., verses 7 and 8, “I fought the good fight,” the rev. gentleman preached an excellent sermon, and in referring to the life of the deceased Methodist, said Mr Westmacott was converted when 19 years of age. He had lived in Swindon nearly all his life, only removing on one occasion to Purton for a short time, and had worked earnestly in the cause of Methodism.

He was a long way in advance of his time, not being prepared to adopt the theology of the Church, and consequently he and several others with him were expelled for a time, the question on which the expulsion took place being “original sin.” Deceased was a man who held very strong views, and sometimes in expressing them he unintentionally wounded the feelings of even his dearest and strongest friends. But under his rough exterior there was a warm heart, which those who knew him well at once recognised.

Mr Pinnock mentioned that he himself was the minister at Swindon when that chapel in which they were then assembled was built, and he had no hesitation in saying that had it not been for the efforts of Mr Samuel Westmacott the church would not have been built at that time. At a meeting in the year 1875, when the proposed erection of the church was discussed, the members of the committee, to the number of 24, decided to postpone the erection of the building, and they were just about to close the meeting when Mr Westmacott rose and presented the matter to them in a different light to what they had seen it before, and by the sheer force of his will converted the meeting to adopt his view of the matter, and they resolved to proceed with the building at once. And whilst the church was being built Mr Westmacott rendered great assistance, both personally, financially, by his counsel, and in every possible way.

Extracts from the Swindon Advertiser, Saturday, October 31, 1891.

Samuel Westmacott died aged 63 years at 30 Bridge Street. He was buried on September 21, 1891 in plot E8399, a grave he shares with his wife Ann who died in 1908 aged 79.

Charles Hill – Mayor of Swindon

I was recently asked by a blog reader why so many of Swindon’s ‘worthies’ were members of the non-conformist faith. Charles Hill is another such example.

Referring to the obituary published in the North Wilts Herald, Rev. A. Brown said it was a fine resume of the life of Mr Hill and could have gone on for another two or three columns had there been space.

Charles Hill was born in Newton Abbot in 1853. He married Elizabeth Ann Spackman in 1878 and the couple had three children, Mabel, Elsie and Percival. The story of his life follows here:

image published courtesy of Local Studies, Swindon Central Library.

Death of Mr C. Hill, J.P.

Former Mayor of Swindon and Chairman of the Education Committee for 12 Years.

The news of the death in the early hours of Saturday of Mr Charles Hill, of 32 Victoria road, Swindon, will come as a severe shock to thousands of people in Swindon and Wiltshire who knew him so well.

The news will be the more unexpected in view of the fact that right up till Friday he was apparently in his usual health and good spirits, and as recently as Thursday was seen walking in the streets of Swindon, and, indeed, recorded his vote in the municipal elections.

It was only last month that he retired from the many public offices he held in the town.

Foot Amputated.

Mr Hill underwent a severe illness about 18 months ago and had his foot amputated, but though this entailed a temporary retirement from public duties, he returned to them zealous as ever on his recovery.

Mr Hill’s life is the romance of the orphan of a farm, who, by dint of hard work combined with good spirits and geniality, rose to become the Mayor of the town of his adoption, and a magistrate of the county in which he came to live and work.

In April, 1853, he was born near Newton Abbot, and spent his early years working as an orphan boy on a Dartmoor farm. He came to Swindon in 1872, and obtained employment as a porter on the GWR station, later going into the factory.

Then when the old broad gauge track from Swindon to South Wales was converted in 1872, he was a member of what was known as a transport.

Then he went into the R Shop, where he worked for 12 years, first as a labourer, then as a machineman, and finally as chargeman. Leaving the Works, he became a part time agent for several insurance agencies, and in 1896 he was appointed local superintendent of the Sceptre Life Insurance Society.

Service on the Council

In 1894 Mr Hill was elected as a member of the New Swindon Urban District Council and on the incorporation of the borough in 1900 he was elected a councillor. With the exception of one year – 1896 – he completed, on his retirement for the council a week or two ago, 40 years’ continuous service.

There had been 13 Mayors of the borough before Mr Hill became Mayor, and he had served under every one of them. Then in 1913-14 he became Mayor himself, during the year the great war broke out.

For many years he had also served on the Wilts County Council, and until last March, when he retired, had held an aldermanic seat on the County authority for 21 years. His work also extended to the Wilts Standing Joint Committee, and though he had severed his connection with the County Council, he still held a seat on the County Small Holdings Committee.

Work for Education

But it was his work for education which had made him best known. He was appointed to the Education committee when it was established in 1903, and served continuously since that time until he retired about a fortnight ago, being vice-chairman from 1913 to 1919, and chairman since 1922.

In that position he won the affection and respect of his colleagues, and the hearts of children in the schools. He was a familiar visitor to all the schools, and at each of them he had some quaint little story, or a knotty problem with which to amuse the children.

At the time of his death he was the principal and director of C. Hill and Co., insurance agents.

In politics Mr Hill was a progressive Liberal. He was hon. secretary of the North Wilts Liberal and Radical Association, and took part in the winning contest of 1898, 1900 to 1906.

He had been one of the pillars of Methodism and for some 40 years was superintendent of the Sunday School connected with the Regent Street Primitive Methodist Church – now the Methodist Church. He was for some time secretary of the church trustees.

The Funeral

Many public bodies were represented at the funeral service at Regent Street Methodist Church, on Wednesday afternoon.

Mr Hill requested that there should be no flowers and no mourning, and amongst his papers there was found a message asking that those who thought of sending floral tributes should send instead a donation to the Mayor’s Unemployment Distress Fund.

Extracts from North Wilts Herald, Friday, 9 November, 1934.

Charles Hill died at his home, 32 Victoria Road, aged 81 years. He was buried on November 7, 1934 in grave plot E7419 which he shares with his wife Elizabeth Ann who died in 1921 and his daughter Mabel Emma who died in 1965.

Regent Street Primitive Methodist Chapel

It cannot be denied how important the growth of Primitive Methodism in Swindon was to the development of the town itself. It has been argued that nonconformity arrived in Swindon with the establishment of the Great Western Railway as railwaymen came from across the country bringing with them a tradition of working class, chapel attendance, but this is not the whole story. Evidence of nonconformity was present in the area long before and in 1924 the Primitive Methodists celebrated the Centenary of the Brinkworth and Swindon District Synod.

By 1828 there was a growing Primitive Methodist membership in what was then known as Eastcott, an area around where Regent Circus would later be built. Open air meetings were delivered by travelling preachers until a plot of land was gifted by Thomas and James Edwards in fulfilment of their father’s bequest. It was here, on what would later become Regent Street, that the Primitive Methodists built a chapel.

Charles Morse, a pioneer of Primitive Methodism in North Wiltshire, said ‘that it was like building a Chapel in some foreign land, scarcely a house was near, there was a road through the field, but not a stone to be seen upon it.’

Rev. G. Pilgrim, Minister of the Newport Street Congregational Church, attended the inaugural meeting and he commented that there were very few people there, and of them the greater part were old women and he was at a loss to know how the Primitives were to build a Chapel and pay for it.

But build it they did, and what’s more they rebuilt twice more as their membership grew and out grew three buildings. The first modest chapel was demolished and rebuilt in 1863 followed by a third Chapel providing accommodation for 600 built in 1876 at a cost of £3,110.

Regent Street with Primitive Methodist Chapel on the left of the image. Published courtesy of Local Studies, Swindon Central Library.

The Regent Street chapel became the parent church of the Second Circuit. However, its situation on Swindon’s busy shopping street became increasingly problematic. Sadly, it was demolished in 1957, its funds used to improve other Methodist churches in Swindon.

Image published courtesy of Local Studies, Swindon Central Library.

A public health report and an urgent need for burial space in the rapidly developing town along with the growth of nonconformity contributed to the building of a new cemetery in 1881. Now the nonconformists could bury their loved ones without the strictures or rites of the established church. Radnor Street Cemetery, an area of unconsecrated ground, became the last resting place of some notable nonconformists including Mayors, Councillors and Alderman alongside others who worshipped in the numerous churches and chapels. You might like to read more by following these links …

James Hinton

Florence Martha Hinton

William & Sarah Tydeman