Category: Baptist History Tours

Edinburgh, Scotland (#15)

by Debra Conley

Robert and James Haldane caused the independent Baptists to flourish in Edinburgh. The Charlotte Baptist Chapel was named after Queen Charlotte, husband of George III of England (House of Hanover, Germany) 1760-1820. Charlotte was Princess of Mecklenburg, Germany, but the English and Scottish alike adored her for her fine manners and for the culture she promoted, especially in music, botany, and science. James Haldane pastored Charlotte Baptist Chapel and preached there in the early 1800s.  Robert, according to Bible Society Principal John MacLeod, was responsible “more than any other man that the Apocrypha was ousted from our English Bible.”¹ On our most recent visit to the Chapel, we sadly noted that the name Baptist is no longer prominent in the services.

Rose Avenue, the street just behind the Charlotte Baptist Chapel, is chock full of indigenous restaurants and pubs, and separates the Old Town and its view from the New Town. Along the main dividing street called Princes Street one can view the original town’s fortress castle on the hill while taking in modern shop window displays along the New Town side. It’s the perfect juxtaposition of Old meets New. A beautiful park separates the two  sections and contains the huge monument to Sir Walter Scott, author of The Waverly Novels, Ivanhoe, and numerous other historically embellished histories of Scotland.

There’s always a bagpipe playing on Princes Street and enough Scottish Terriers for a dog show. Pipers play while their dogs hold the hats for your change. If you have to ask directions, the Scots are extremely polite, but be ready to listen carefully because the brogue is thick. Always come dressed for cold, damp days, remembering that Edinburgh is on 56 degrees North Latitude, the same as the middle of the Hudson Bay in Canada. As if that weren’t enough to bring out the woolens, remember that the North Sea is just at the end of the street!

Robert Haldane

James Haldane

Edinburgh, Scotland (#14)

by Debra Conley

If you ask for a direct train, the trip from London to Edinburgh, Scotland, takes about five hours. The scenery is most pleasant, whisking through the Midlands, past Hadrian’s Wall, and stopping briefly in larger stations at York, Darlington, and Newcastle. Once you leave Newcastle, the train route follows the coast of the North Sea toward Berwick, the last English town before Scotland. From there the route turns inland for another hour into Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Upon arrival at Waverly Station, take time to walk around and see how close you are to the main sites of interest before hiring a cab or car. You may just want to walk to your hotel and enjoy the view.

If you really want to experience stepping back into Medieval times, Edinburgh is the place to do it. Quintessentially preserved from its 12^th Century beginnings, the Royal Mile is the original main street of the town stretching from the massive fortress Castle at the top to the Palace of the Queen, Holyrood (“rood” means cross), at the bottom of the hill where the street (High Street) meets the North Sea. It is about a one mile walk, so start at the castle and walk down the hill to Holyrood Palace. Along the way, there will be all kinds of souvenir shops, eating establishments, small museums, and lots of history. Take time to notice the original town gate and outlook tower about midway down the mile. Buildings are the original rock and mud-mortar structures with their small stature openings and gated “close” alleys – 66 of them (see Column 9-08).

A tour of the Edinburgh Castle is a must because the history is fascinating and some of it, the birth of King James VI (James I of England) and the battle of Queen Mary with John Knox and the Protestant movement is included in our study. The Mons Meg, a giant cannon used at the castle for centuries to alert sailors to the time of the tides and citizens to any impending danger is on display (a newer cannon still fires the traditional 1:00 P.M. salute every day) as are the rooms where Mary, James, and others lived. The Scottish Crown Jewels are also housed in the castle and can be seen on the tour.

Bristol, England (#13)

by Debra Conley

Bristol, England, is on the west coast of the country about 3 hours by train from London.  The trip makes a stop in Bath where a tour of the Roman Baths and Pump house are worth your time. Most fascinating to me was the Bath Abbey. Originally built in 973 A.D. for the coronation of King Edgar, it has been restored twice since then. Each of the four massive gothic walls of the main nave are embellished with 56 stained glass windows that tell the story of Christ’s life from birth to His ascension. The floors and lower walls are almost entirely covered in crypts.

Much of the history of the Baptists in England begins in Bristol. The first Baptist College in the world, Bristol Baptist College, was founded in the 16^th Century and is still in operation. Although it has moved from its original buildings, the history has been carefully recorded by author and Professor Roger Hayden. Arriving by train, you can take the city bus from the station to a stop just two blocks from the current college. Notable graduates of BBC include William and Thomas Knibb, John Ryland, John Sutcliff, John Rippon, and Robert Hall.

Bedford, England (#12)

by Debra Conley

Once we’ve seen the church of John Bunyan’s conversion and the River Ouse where he was baptized, we cross the river to view the marked location where Bunyan was imprisoned for 12 years for preaching the Gospel outside the Church of England and for refusing to use the Prayer Book. His blind daughter Mary brought his food to the jail since public funds were not allowed to be used for feeding religious dissenters. His wife Elizabeth made numerous journeys to London to beg for her husband’s release, but to no avail. The Swan Inn where she made her final appeal is still a picturesque hotel on the river bank and is open for overnight guests.

It’s a pleasant walk from the river to his church, the Bunyan Meeting Free Church.  More than any of the others we visit, this church’s Bunyan Museum is the most inclusive of his life and writing. Artifacts from his home, his work shop, and his family are included in the collection of original books, his pulpit, and the prison door from which he viewed Bedford for twelve years. The churchyard retains the sign with his name and the massive front doors of the church are an artist’s rendering of Pilgrim’s Progress set in bronze. Inside the church are stained glass windows showing the proud Bunyan heritage this congregation still treasures.

A plaque on Cuthbert Street marks the site of the Bunyan home in Bedford. When the cottage was demolished, Bunyan’s deed to the property was found hidden in the bricks of the chimney wall. He feared that his family might lose everything if he were to die in prison, which didn’t happen. He died, probably of pneumonia, in London and is buried in Bunhill Fields. The unused deed is displayed in the Bunyan Museum.

Bedford is easily accessible by train but the station is on the far outskirts of town, so take a cab in. Another option is to rent a car, but you can’t do that in Bedford. There is a Hertz location in Milton Keynes, about 30 miles away. You’ll need a car to visit Elstow unless you prefer to walk the 20 mile Bunyan Trail. Visit www.bedford.gov.uk to get more information on this trail and the landmarks it covers.

John Bunyan’s Home

Bunyan Free Church

John Bunyan’s Grave

Elstow, England (#11)

by Debra Conley

Our study of John Bunyan begins where he spent his youth in Elstow, England. It’s the smallest of the towns we visit and reminds me of the little village in the movie Brigadoon because it’s so quiet and there’s never anyone moving about; it’s as if they are always sleeping. Bunyan was the bell-ringer for the parish church of Elstow, St. Mary and St. Helena. A beautiful stained glass window depicting Bunyan’s great allegory, Pilgrim’s Progress, graces the gothic nave of the old church. His baptismal font and the original church door (some think he referenced it in the book) are still there. Down the short road of English Tudor and pub-styled cottages is a plaque attached to the property where his home once stood.

Fewer than ten miles away is the town more famously known as Bunyan territory, Bedford. St. John’s Church on High Street began as a Dissenter’s congregation led by John Gifford. It was he who taught Bunyan the road to salvation and discipled the young Christian. The church can be seen by appointment and the care takers are quite knowledgeable about Gifford’s and Bunyan’s connection even though the church is now part of the Anglican Parish. The small Norman style building is representative of its 16^th Century origin. Note the crypts in the church floor, also a common practice through the 19^th Century.

Gifford baptized Bunyan in the River Ouse, a few blocks’ walk from St. John’s. Following the path along the river’s edge leads to a small plaque above the rippling current inlet where he was immersed. Swans and ducks abound on the river which flows through the town and marks the natural boundary for the town center. On the other side of town is St. Peter’s Anglican Church, where one can view the large bronze statue of Bunyan, and a bronze marker is located in the pavement at the street corner.

Bedford is an active town with hotels, shops, restaurants, and good tea. I was intrigued by the name of the river, “Ouse” so I went to the OED and found that it is a very old Norse word meaning water. So the River Ouse is the River Water. Makes sense.