DERBY ROAD

On the 10^th of February, 1847, sixty-four persons, members of the church assembling in George street chapel, signed and sent in a letter of resignation of membership to that church, stating their reasons for their withdrawal. The seceders then met, recorded the principles on which they proposed to unite in church fellowship, and elected officers to manage their affairs until a pastor should be chosen. They first met for worship in a room in Clinton street, hence removed to the former meeting house of the Friends in Spaniel row, and in August, 1848, invited as their minister and pastor the Rev. J.A. BAYNES, A.B., of Poplar, London, who accepted the invitation, and became their first minister.

The chapel soon proved too small for the increasing congregation; the hall of the Mechanics Institution was in the meantime taken for their worship; and on the 30^th of July, 1849, the foundation stone of the new chapel on the Derby road was laid by S.M. PETO, esquire, M.P. The architect of the new sanctuary was J.T. EMMETT, esquire, of London; the builders were the Messrs. C.C. and A. DENNETT, of Nottingham. The architecture is Early English, of the date of the thirteenth century; and forms the only building of the kind erected by a dissenting church in Nottingham. The edifice consists of a nave, lighted by clerestory windows, running from north to south, about ninety feet long and fifty feet high from the floor to the underside of the open timbered roof. The two side aisles are about 70 feet long, lighted by richly decorated double-light windows. Ascending two steps from the nave at the south end is a baptistry, about 20 feet long, opening to the nave by a beautiful moulded arch springing from five clustered piers with richly foliated capitals, which gives a total length to the building of about 100 feet, and displays to advantage the lofty north and south windows, which are richly decorated with tracery and stained glass.

At the east end of the baptistry is an organ recess, opening with arches to the south end of the east aisle, and partitioned off from the bapistry by a very good carved oak screen. The baptistry windows are ornamented with tracery and stained glass, which casts a fine mellow light upon the carved oak benches used by the quire. The richly carved pulpit is of Caen stone, and stands a few feet in front of the baptistry steps. Over the side aisles are well arranged galleries. The capitals of the piers are richly decorated with foliage, and the moulds of the arches are terminated by heads of the Apostles carved partly by Mr. A. DENNETT. All the hood moulds to the windows and doors, on the exterior as well as in the interior, are terminated in like manner with carved heads.

There are sittings in the chapel for a thousand persons. The cost of erection amounted to nearly £6,000; a debt remains of about £2,900, which the steady efforts of the congregation are likely soon to remove. Not more than £300 has been received from persons not included in the congregation.

The church government is congregational. The members are believers who have been baptised by immersion, while the sacramental table is open to all members of any part of the One Church. The members have chosen five gentlemen to fill the office of deacon.. They manage popularly their own affairs in open monthly meetings of members, where all may speak and vote under the minister's presiding authority.

The organ, built by Messrs. BEVINGTON, of London, cost £200. Under the auspices of Mr. W. SHELMERDINE, the organist, the quire has been rendered very effective. In 1852 chanting was introduced into the service of the church, and Mr. SHELMERDINE issued a "Chant Book" for the use of the congregation, to which Mr. BAYNES contributed a preface, eloquently justifying its introduction.

There are two Sabbath schools connected with this place of worship - one being held in the People's College, and the other in the British school rooms, Bath street. The latter, which partake somewhat of the character of a ragged school, is attended on the average by 50 boys and 35 girls, who are taught by 10 male and 15 female teachers. There is an attendance of about 50 boys, 50 girls, and 40 infants at the College street school; the number of teachers is 15. As soon as the debt is removed from the chapel, it is purposed to build day schools on the ground stretching from the rear of the edifice to the summit of Park hill.

The present minister, the Rev. J.A. BAYNES, A.B., received for six years a good education from he head master of Kingswood school and his brother, the Messrs. SHAW, of Bath. Subsequently he went through the course of training for the university at Stepney College, London; matriculated at the University of London with honors in classics, mathematics, and natural history; and afterwards graduated with classical honors in 1843. He was pastor of the Baptist church at Poplar for four years, and he has since been in Nottingham for rather more than the same period. An eloquent and effective preacher of the gospel, Mr. BAYNES is at he same time distinguished as an ardent promoter of the intellectual and social advancement of mankind; and he is ever ready, on the platform as in the pulpit, to do his best for what he believes to be the Truth and Right. By the members of numerous literary and scientific institutions, before whom he has lectured, he is warmly appreciated: while in Nottingham his manly support of the early closing movement and other reforms has gained for him the attachment and good wishes of the community.