As the lectures could not be much oftener than once a month, on the Lord's-day evening; and being in the forenoon on the week-days, were very thinly attended, it was considered by the ministers, trustees, and others, that it would be better for the people at Weldon to become united with the Church at Brigstock, and so to get a regularly educated minister between them. At that time, a Mr. Griffin was minister at Brigstock; but being seventy-six years of age, he was willing to retire as soon as the people could obtain a successor. "Just at that time," writes Mr. Nathaniel Collis, of Kettering, who felt a lively interest in their concerns, "I had occasion to write to Dr. Williams, tutor to the academy, then at Oswestry, and took the opportunity of inquiring whether any young man was there suitable for such a situation, on which the Doctor recommended Mr. Maurice Phillips: he was a Welchman, and came at the Midsummer vacation, 1790. At first he was a poor speaker in English, but in a few months so improved as to become a very acceptable preacher; and he was a close student." Upon his coming, he regularly preached at Brigstock and Weldon, so that both places had preaching once every Sabbath, and sometimes an additional service in the evening; and he generally preached once a month at Corby, on a Sabbath evening. Under these arrangements, the attendance considerably increased at Weldon. They made some enlargement of the place of meeting; but the number of hearers still increasing, and the place being an old building, low, and inconvenient, they at length determined on building a new Meeting House. According to the plan that was formed, it was to be twenty feet wide, thirty-three feet long, sixteen feet high to the top of the side walls, and cove of the ceiling about three feet higher, all inside measure; which, it was thought, would be large enough to seat them all on the ground floor, and be high enough for a gallery, if it should be wanted. The foundation stone was laid May 23rd, 1792. The whole expense of the building was L182. 9_s._ 3_d._ All these particulars have been minutely recorded by Mr. Collis, with the manner in which the money was obtained, and every donation that was received for the purpose; and he adds to his account the following characteristic note: "If the Meeting House had had but one door, and a much less window, it would have been better, and saved some pounds in the expense." But, to his honour be it recorded, he gave a larger sum towards the building than any other subscriber. This place continued in connexion with the Church at Brigstock until the time when Mr. Pickering, who had for twenty years served both congregations, determined on confining his labours chiefly to the latter place. During the ministry of Mr. Pickering, the Weldon congregation increased; so that it was thought necessary to erect a gallery across the end of the Meeting, to face the pulpit, five seats deep, which was done in the year