Foreword
The Jubilee we celebrate is that of the opening of the School-Chapel. The history of our cause has been strangely chequered by the early dissolution of the first Church, and complicated by an ensuing period in which, the School continuing, a Church consciousness grew out of it, and crystallized out in the form of a Branch Church of the North Parade Baptist Church. This continued for 20 years after the opening of the new School-Chapel, at the and of which period the present Church was formed. The aim of this booklet is to trace the transition periods and to recover an idea of the status of the cause at each successive stage.
The Scheme which suggested the most suitable treatment was that of writing the histories of the Church and School, as far as possible, separately. In a booklet of this small compass little space could be devoted to individual pioneers. We have traced the trend of the mountain range, rather than described its peaks. We have dealt with movements rather than with men. Some compensation for these deficiencies has been attempted by the inclusion of photographs and records of the terms of office of the major officers of each period.
Our authorities have been the minute books of Church and School. The former have been obtainable from 1853 and the latter from 1849, to present date. Except for the history of the Church from 1846 to 1853 the Church minute book has been consulted. For those seven years dependence has been made upon histories compiled by those who lived nearer to those times.’