Mr. Martin succeeded Mr. Williams as pastor. His first visit was in May, 1840, when he preached two Sabbaths. Mr. Fletcher, from Highbury, preached five Sabbaths as a probationer, but retired on discovering that the congregation was not unanimous. Mr. Martin preached four Sabbaths in August and September, when he received an invitation to become a probationer for three months, at the close of which he was unanimously called to the pastoral office, and was ordained April 28th, 1841; when Messrs. Bull, of Newport, Prust, of Northampton, Griffiths, of Buckby, Harry, of London, and Toller, of Kettering, were engaged in the principal services of the day. The ministry of Mr. Martin continued here for little more than seven years; for it is recorded that he preached his farewell sermon at Creaton on Sabbath-day afternoon, May 21st, 1848, having accepted an invitation to the pastorate of Whitefield Chapel, Wilson Street, Long Acre, London. During his ministry forty-five members were added to the Church. Mr. Mandeno, from Newport, Salop, the present pastor of the Church, entered on his stated engagements at Creaton on the first Sabbath in October, 1848. The present number of communicants is 60. There are 80 children in the Sabbath-school. Occasional services are conducted in two villages in the vicinity of Creaton. CHAPTER VIII. MEMORIALS OF THE INDEPENDENT CHURCH AT DAVENTRY. Circumstances of rather common and incidental occurrence are sometimes the immediate precursors of events which are followed by important results to future generations, while they may have a bearing on the eternal interests of a number of undying spirits. Something of this nature appears in the origin of the Christian Church, of the Independent denomination, in the town of Daventry. Nonconformity took early root in this place. After the Bartholomew Act, secret meetings for worship were frequently held late at night, and conducted occasionally by ministers, at a house in the hamlet of Drayton, where considerable numbers from the town and neighbourhood often assembled, in which was a backdoor opening into the fields, to facilitate retreat in case of detection--no unnecessary precaution, in those days of persecution. A Mr. Worth, ejected from the living of Kilsby, preached at Daventry for some time after his ejectment. The following account was given to Dr. Ashworth, about the year 1747, by Mr. Thomas Porter, a member of the Church, then 80 years of age, or upwards--a man of a very respectable character and remarkably sensible.