MONKWELL-STREET.—English Presbyterian.

lished by Mr. Toller, including the correspondence that took place between them. In this statement the conduct of Dr. Fordyce does not appear to advantage. On the contrary, Mr. Toller appears to have received very injurious treatment; and though, by the management of the Doctor's friends, a resolution passed the society, on the 28th of February, 1775, by which he was dismissed from his situation, yet a very considerable part of the congregation thought him an injured man, and putting themselves under his pastoral care, withdrew to Silver-street. There, and at Hoxton-square, he continued to preach several years; but we abstain from any further mention of him in this place, as a more particular account of his life and character will come, with greater propriety, under the article last mentioned. After Mr. Toller's exclusion, Dr. Fordyce undertook the service at Monkwell-street on both parts of the day.

JAMES LINDSAY, D. D. the present minister at Monkwell-street, was born and educated in Scotland, where he commenced preacher. Soon after Dr. Fordyce's resignation, he was invited to become his successor, and accepting the call, was ordained at Monkwell-street, on the 21st of May, 1783. On this occasion Dr. Kippis proposed the questions; Dr. Fordyce delivered the Charge; and Dr. Hunter preached to the people. For the first three or four years after his settlement, we believe, he performed the service on both parts of the day; but relinquished that in the afternoon about the year 1787, upon his being elected afternoon preacher to the Presbyterian society at Newington

He also fixed his residence at that place, and opened an academy. As the interest at Newington-green had dwindled almost to nothing, Mr. Lindsay resigned his services there, about the year 1803, soon after which it was shut up. About the same time he removed his academy to Old-Ford, and received, we believe, from Aberdeen, a diploma creating him Doctor of Divinity. Dr.

MONKWELL-STREET.- English Presbyterian.

Lindsay has published two funeral sermons; one for Dr. Fordyce, 1796; and another for Dr. Towers, 1797.

JOHN ARMSTRONG, M. A.-We notice this gentleman as assistant preacher with Mr. Lindsay, for a short time, to the society in Monkwell-street. He was a native of Leith, in Scotland, and received the first rudiments of a classical knowledge, at the grammar-school in that place. He afterwards pursued his studies at the high school and college of Edinburgh, where he received marks of particular attention from the different masters, and professors he attended, and was honoured with the degree of Master of Arts. He was particularly fond of the Belles Lettres, and before his twentieth year, had perused most of the authors who had written on that subject. From his earliest years he had a taste for poetry; and at the age of eighteen, published a volume at Edinburgh, under the title of " Juvenile Poems," many of which met with very considerable approbation. In this publication he also inserted, "An Essay on the best Means of punishing and preventing Crimes," for which, in January, 1789, a few months before, he had received the gold prize medal, given by the Edinburgh Pantheon Society, for the best specimen of prose composition. About the end of the same year, he, at the request of several gentlemen, composed the words of the songs, which were introduced during the procession which took place, when Lord Napier, as Grand Master Mason of Scotland, laid the foundation-stone of the new college. Some time previous to this he had entered himself at the Divinity Hall, and was employed as a tutor in one of the most respectable families in Edinburgh. But having a literary turn of mind, he thought he could indulge it better in London, and removed thither in 1790: He first offered himself to the conductors of some periodical publications, and engaged himself as a writer in one of the daily papers. In 1791, he published a collection of sonnets from Shakspeare, many of which had appeared in

GLOVERS-HALL.Extinct.

the public prints, under the signature of Albert. About this time he commenced preacher; in which capacity he had to struggle with a natural awkwardness of manner, and an unfortunate defect in his speech, which were, however, somewhat balanced by his bold and energetic, yet correct and highly finished stile. After preaching about occasionally for a short time, he was appointed afternoon preacher to the society in Monkwell-street, which in the morning attended Mr. Lindsay's ministry; but for want of a sufficient fund, to afford Mr. Armstrong an adequate compensation, the afternoon service was, after some considerable time, discontinued. Some time previous to his death, his different engagements produced him an income of above four hundred and fifty pounds per annum; and he was forming a plan of life, more adapted to the impaired state of his health, when a decline, originally arising from excessive fatigue, both of mind and body, terminated his life on the 21st of July, 1797, about a month after he had completed the 26th year of his age.

GLOVERS'-HALL.

EXTINCT:

GLOVERS-HALL is situated just at the entrance of

Beech-lane, leading out of Beech-street, into White-Crossstreet. No part of the building is visible from the street, but it is accessible by means of a narrow passage, or gateway, on the right hand side of the lane. It was originally part of a palace belonging to the Abbots of Ramsay, who

GLOVERS'-HALL.-Extinct.

used it for their lodging place when they repaired to London. Many traces of the Romish superstition were lately remaining; which leave room for a conjecture, that it was used by them for a private chapel. This building afterwards came into the possession of Sir Drew Drewrie, and from him was called Drewry-House. It then devolved to the Glover's Company, who converted part of the building into a hall, for the use of their corporation.* From them it passed into the hands of the Nonconformists, who fitted it up for a place of public worship, about the time of the Restoration.

This is one of those places of worship of which a perfect account is not now to be collected. We apprehend it to have been first occupied by the Baptists. The earliest account we have of it is in the year 1662, from a pamphlet, entitled, "Behold a Cry; or, a True Relation of the inhuman and violent Outrages of divers Soldiers, Constables, and others, practised upon many of the Lord's People, commonly, though falsely, called Anabaptists, at their several Meetings in and about London. 1662." In this work we find the following particulars. "On the 25th of May, the soldiers came to Beech-lane, to a meeting there, with their swords drawn, pulling and halling of them violently: and two of them they carried to Newgate, where they were kept, and never had before any magistrate to be heard, nor accused by any till the quarter-sessions, which was a month or five weeks after."-Again. " On the 1st of June, 1662, they came to the aforesaid Beech-lane, with their swords drawn as before. The ensign came in with his sword. drawn, holding it over the head of him that was preaching; pulling them violently down the stairs, carrying them to Paul's-yard, and from thence to Richard Brown, who committed them to Newgate."-Again. "On the 8th of June, 1662, the soldiers came to the meeting in Beech-lane, manifesting their fury and rage: they took away only him that

GLOVERS'-HALL.-Extinct.

was preaching, and carried him before Richard Brown. When the man was before him, amongst the rest of his learned discourse, he told him, "He should teach him at new trade, (meaning, as we suppose, that he would send him to Bridewell,) and have the skin from his back. He committed him to Newgate."-Again. "On the 15th of June, 1662, they came again to the meeting in Beech-lane, and violently set upon them with drawn swords, pulling of them out of their meeting-place with great rage. The place they stood to preach in they took down with such fury, that they broke their muskets. They struck several persons to their detriment in point of health; after which they took two men more, carried them to Paul's-yard, and from thence to Newgate, where they were kept while sessions; not being at all committed, nor had before any magistrate, and at sessions returned to Newgate, nothing being laid to their charge, where they still remain."-* Thus much concerning the Baptists.

The next time we find Glovers'-Hall mentioned, it was in the hands of the Poedo-Baptists. Towards the latter end of the reign of King Charles the Second, Mr. Robert Franklyn, an ejected minister, was apprehended while preaching there, and for refusing the corporation oath was committed to Newgate, where he continued six months, and found eight other ministers imprisoned there on a like account. It does not appear that Mr. Franklyn was the settled minister at Glovers'-Hall: he preached to a society. at Plasterers'-Hall, and should have been mentioned under that article; but the circumstance did not come to our knowledge till it was too late. The founder of the society at Glovers'-Hall, at present remains in obscurity. In 1695, Mr. THOMAS LONG was pastor there. Of this gentleman's history we are not acquainted with any particulars; but we can ascertain for certain, that the church